As kids prepare to head back to school after the summer holidays, many parents are looking for ways to help them re-adjust to a healthy sleep schedule. Luckily, one expert has shared tips
As the countdown to the new school year begins, parents across the UK can soon wave goodbye to the chaos of the summer holidays. It’s been a hectic six weeks, and it’s no surprise if bedtimes have gone haywire amid all the fun.
Sleep guru Adeel ul-Haq from Bunk Beds has come forward with priceless advice to get your little ones back on track for a decent night’s kip with minimal meltdowns. He advocates a gradual bedtime shift approach.
He explained: “You can’t expect to wake your little ones up early for school when during the holidays they have stayed in bed longer than usual. This is going to cause them to be tired and irritable.”
“Instead, you need to make micro-adjustments to their sleep routine. To reset their sleep schedule, have your child go to bed 15 minutes earlier and wake up 15 minutes earlier each day. Repeat this every few days until they’re waking up at the right time for school.”
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Adeel acknowledges that snapping back into a regular routine after such an extended break isn’t easy even at the best of times, so he encourages parents to show some mercy towards their kids as they adapt.
He added: “If your child has spent the last few weeks staying up later than usual, and maybe spending more time on their iPads or mobile phones then getting them to put them down and relax can be a challenge.
“You should have your child put away any electronic devices around an hour before bed, and begin their nighttime routine. From here, your child can take a bath and brush their teeth before doing a relaxing activity such as reading a book.
“When it’s time to go to bed, you will need to make sure that their room is cool, quiet, and dark. If you have other children in the house it’s important that any activities they are carrying out aren’t disturbing them either.”
Adeel also suggests not trying to wear your kids out before bedtime – calling it a frequent error. He pointed out: “Regular exercise will help people of all ages fall to sleep better, but exhausting your children can make them overtired which will make it harder for them to fall asleep.
“The sooner your child returns to their regular schedule, the better. If you haven’t begun adjusting yet, now is the perfect time to start by gradually reducing screen time and encouraging an earlier bedtime.”
Echoing these tips on TikTok was Dr Cerissa Key, a paediatrician and mother to four. In her advice to viewers, she said: “I’m counting down the days until all 4 of my children are in school. We cannot forget to get them back on a good sleep schedule. So for most kids ages 3 to 5, they need about 10 to 13 hours of sleep at night. Kids ages 6 to 13 need 9 to 11 hours, and kids 14 to 17 need between 8 and 10.
“Now, every kids a little different. Some need less, some need more. You’ll know if your child is overly tired. If you’re having a really hard time waking them up in the morning, they’re really cranky, they fall asleep in the car on any extended car rides, those are signs your kid needs more sleep.
“How do we get them on a better sleep schedule? We want to wake them up about 15 minutes earlier every day. We also want to put them down at night time 15 minutes earlier every few days. You kind of adjust until you get to that sleep schedule.”
Viewers of the video appreciated the advice, with one user joking: “And 45-year-old pediatric nurse practitioners need 10-12 hours also! Great info doc!”
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