School is starting soon! Here are 6 tips for preparing your child for an earlier sleep schedule

I remember being a kid and I hated getting out of bed for school! It was especially difficult after summer vacation. I struggled with falling asleep and laid awake a lot at night, this went well into my twenties actually. I had a few years where I was a full blown insomniac! So I know the struggle I gave my parents at night and in the morning, and to be honest, it wasn't fun going through it myself. But for whatever reason, many kids have this FOMO about going to bed! I strongly believe that my childhood sleep issues just continued on through my whole life, and it wasn't until I had my own kids that my sleep started to improve! Once I sleep trained them and got them sleeping 12 hours a night, my sleep issues resolved themselves!

But back to your kids! School is quickly approaching and it is time to start thinking about helping your kids with the transition back. I have some great tips to prepare them for the early morning wake ups that are fast approaching!

So, let’s talk strategy! It all starts with a solid bedtime routine and an age appropriate bed time. I recommend that all kids, from 4 months to 6 years, go to bed between 6:30-8:00pm. For kids that are between 7-12 years, bedtime can be a bit later, up to 9:00pm. I know that sounds really early, but little ones need 10 -12 hours sleep per night. The good news for you is that an early bedtime also gives you much needed time alone or time with your spouse! We love our children dearly, but it’s important to have some time to ourselves to reset from the day. Whatever time you decide bedtime is, be consistent with it! Kids do best when things are predictable and consistent.

If you're like me, the sleep schedule during the summer months is very different than during the school year. We ignore the recommended bed time and allow them to stay up later, making memories with the neighbor kids or camping in the mountains. I choose to be more relaxed, letting them stay up later and sleep in. I am going to miss this kind of flexibility, but I am also looking forward to getting back on an earlier schedule! We have two options for moving their bedtime earlier!

1. Quickly and swiftly! We can choose to rip the bandaid and shift bedtime to the necessary time for school starting immediately. You will want to give yourself a week or so to work through the kinks of this immediate change, so that they are used to it for night one of school start.

2. Take it slowly instead! You can shift bedtime earlier by 20-30 minutes, every few days. Take a little more time to slowly help their body adjust to an earlier bedtime. This approach may cause less of a fight at bedtime to fall asleep than above, but it will mean you are working through it for a little longer.

A solid bedtime routine is important for everybody, not just kiddos. It should be about 25-30 mins long and be the same each night. A calming routine will send a signal to your mind and body that it’s time to get ready to fall asleep. I also suggest turning off screens an hour or so before bedtime, because blue light will interfere with their bodies natal release of melatonin, and impact their ability to fall asleep with ease. So instead of tv or an iPad, get your child a great book and read it with them. Reading is great activity to do before bed (shocker, I know!)

Creating a soothing environment in the bedroom with help as well. It should be cool and dark. I suggest putting blackout blinds in all of the bedrooms of your home. Even the smallest amount of light can interfere with your natural release of melatonin. It’s summer time, the sun is still out until late at night and this definitely impacts our internal clock (circadian rhythm.), but ithe sun can also cause some confusion around whether it is truly bedtime for them. Lots of kiddos have FOMO and will not want to go to bed if they can see that the sun is still up. There are tons of really nice (sometimes expensive) blackout blinds out there, THESE are cheap and easy to install on any window. I promise this will help everyone get a better quality of sleep!

Lots of kiddos don't want a totally pitch black room, and that's okay! I was afraid of the dark so I totally understand wanting some visibility in their room. We can still use blackout blinds, but also also give them some small light to counteract any fears or stalling tactics. I suggest getting a toddler clock for this. If they are really young, you can even place the blame on the clock and walk away without any blame (parent win!) I have a podcast episode discussing my favourite toddler clocks, and how to use them (listen to it here!) You can buy the Hatch, or Groclock, on Amazon.

Another thing to consider is nutrition. You’ll want to avoid sugar and caffeine in the evening, as these give us energy. Eating right before bed can also hinder a good night’s sleep. If you go to bed with a full stomach, your body is not able to rest as it is too busy digesting your midnight snack! If you do offer your child a snack before bed, as I know many young children enjoy, be sure that it is something light (think fruit, small bowl or cereal or yogurt). Give this blog a read on how nutrition impacts sleep.

Lastly, a Reward Chart can be a great way to motivate you little one towards to the right behaviours. Download my free reward chart here! You will be sent an email with the chart and some tips on how to utilize it.

If your child, school aged or not, is having difficulty with their sleep, please don’t be nervous to ask for help! It’s not all common knowledge and there is no shame in seeking information. Book a free call here anytime :)

I hope that these tips help you make the transition back to school a little bit smoother. Good luck <3

Jane Anderson

Founder of Counting Sheep

Certified Sleep Coach