Going from the lazy days of summer back to the hectic schedules of the fall can be difficult. Packing in school with afternoon activities can be tiring for everyone. Getting proper rest is important for every member of the family from young children to adults.
Dr. Haviva Veler, Director of the Weill Cornell Pediatric Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center and pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children’s Health says, “Getting a good night’s sleep is imperative to both short-term and long-term health. The second half of the night is when your brain embeds information into your long-term memory. Sleepless nights can impair that process and have a detrimental effect on learning.”
Dr. Veler offer tips for staying rested as kids go back to school:
- Start the back-to-school sleep transition early. Children need to get back to a normal sleep schedule before the first day of school. Start the “early to bed, early to rise” transition by making sure kids get to sleep and wake up at a normal hour a week before school begins. Once a child starts school, it is important for him or her to get a good night’s rest instead of napping during the day.
- Don’t pull an all-nighter. Many teens think staying up all night to study will make them ready for a big test, but learning requires sleep. Skipping an hour of sleep can cause memory loss and lack of focus. Teens also need more sleep than adults – nine hours are recommended.
- Avoid “social jet lag.” As students get back to a more regimented sleeping schedule in the fall, staying up late and sleeping in on the weekends can make it hard to get back to a normal sleep schedule at the beginning of the school week. Try to avoid late nights on Friday and Saturday and focus on getting to bed at a normal hour on Sunday night.
- Shut down the electronics. From tablets and smartphones to televisions and laptops, the number of electronics that fill a household are plentiful. These devices may be used more often in the fall for homework and research, causing an excess of stimulation and delayed sleep. Giving yourself time to wind down without electronics before bed is important, and turning off devices or dimming light screens can help lessen the effects of electronic blue light, which can suppress melatonin.
- Power up with power naps. Naps can help increase your energy if you need a midday recharge. These naps should be limited to 20-30 minutes so your mind does not go into a deep sleep, and you can wake up refreshed without feeling groggy.