Lots of families are busily getting ready for the looming school term start, getting uniforms ready, organising logistics, preparing little ones for the changes ahead after the long summer holiday.
It is a busy time, making sure all of the essentials are covered. One that may not be on the list yet is taking care of their sleep. Late summer nights and early school mornings don’t really go together!
Consistently getting a night of good sleep makes a difference to mood, memory, ability to focus and learn, so it will really help with the coming school days.
Taking a couple of weeks to gently get back in to routine for early mornings can make the change less difficult, and a good blackout blind can make all the difference, creating a dark environment for going to sleep at a time of your choosing and to suit your kids. Slowly but steadily bringing both bedtime and waking time back to what will become the school day norm will make the transition so much easier and less of a shock to everyone’s system when term starts.
As a guide, we suggest gradually getting back on track in the fortnight or so before school starts. Depending on how far the summer holidays took you out of routine, bedtime can be brought back by 15 mins every few days. Similarly, a slow gradual adjustment can be made to prepare for early school mornings.
It also undoubtedly helps to have a good wind-down bedtime routine, so it is a calming, soothing, relaxing time. Switching off devices in good time, having a relaxing bath, reading a book or sharing bedtime stories with little ones all help to prepare for sleep. Phones, tablets and TV emit blue light which suppresses melatonin production - this is the hormone that tells us to go to sleep, so putting these down for the last hour before bed helps. Dimming the lights also helps to signal that it is time to wind down for sleep.
In addition, make sure the bedroom is conducive to good sleep - cover up any lights (from clocks, chargers etc.) and fit a good blackout blind so everyone can sleep beautifully in blissful darkness.
Adjusting to a new sleep schedule may feel challenging, so the longer you have to gradually adjust the better. Consistency is key, and habit-forming, so it should get easier. Be patient, take time, and sleep well.