SLEEP ROUTINE

As the school year starts, one thing that’s obvious to parents is that many kids struggle to get sufficient sleep. Not only do they go to bed too late and wake too early, research shows light emanating from light bulbs and electronic devices is negatively affecting children’s sleep.

It’s time to dim the lights to help kids get to bed, but first a quick chemistry lesson: Our bodies produce a hormone called melatonin, which is highly sensitive to light. As daylight dims and night falls, our bodies react to the reduction of light by producing melatonin to help us get to sleep. Artificial light, from household light bulbs to the glow of electronics, slows down the production of melatonin, which makes it more difficult to fall asleep.

Preschool-age children are particularly sensitive to light exposure in the hour before bedtime, according to a recent study from the University of Colorado.

Even leaving a dark bedroom briefly to enter a lighted room to ask for a drink of water or an extra goodnight hug can reduce melatonin production, making it harder to fall back asleep, the study found.

“As families transition back to school this month, practice and routine are key in helping your child adjust their sleep schedule back to the school routine,” said Michelle McMartin, child and adolescent therapist at the Family Institute at Northwestern University near Chicago. “This is more challenging those first months of school as bedtime routines are already fighting the natural light from extended daylight hours.”

Kids often relax before bed with an electronic device, which can also make it harder to settle down.

“In addition to combating natural light, electronic lights that emit from bright light bulbs, televisions, computers, tablets and phones impact your child’s — and your — natural sleep rhythms and the production of sleep hormones. There should be minimal or no electronics and television use in the two hours before bedtime,” McMartin said.

Creating and initiating a bedtime routine that reduces reliance on electronics is helpful. Incrementally moving up bedtime (and decreasing electronics use earlier) every few days over a few weeks should help ease your child and family into their new school routine, McMartin said.

This is just one factor in creating a positive “sleep hygiene,” which means a variety of habits that encourage better sleep.

“A good bedtime routine and proper bedroom environment are key to establishing good sleep hygiene,” McMartin said.

So just like Goldilocks, who needed her bed to be just right, kids have specific sleep requirements.

“Kids’ bedrooms should be temperature-regulated (not too cold or too hot), comfortable and quiet. Lighting should not be too bright.

Shades or window coverings should block light in the evening and be closed when initiating the bedroom routine,” McMartin said. In the morning shades can be opened to bring in natural light and help in the waking-up process, she said.

“If possible, other activities that kids do in the bedroom should take place off the bed, such as writing or reading at the desk and playing on the floor. The bed should be reserved for sleeping,” McMartin said.

“Kids’ bedrooms should be temperature-regulated (not too cold or too hot), comfortable and quiet. Lighting should not be too bright. Shades or window coverings should block light in the evening and be closed when initiating the bedroom routine. In the morning shades can be opened to bring in natural light and help in the waking-up process.” Michelle McMartin, Northwestern University