Back to School Sleep Tips

Mountains of Sleep Back to School Sleep Tips Calgary Alberta

Alright, moms and dads the time has come. We are entering our last summer long weekend before we send the kids off to another year of school.

Sooo…I have to ask, how is your child or children sleeping? I want you know that there is sincerely no judgement for what might have gone down the last couple months in the sleep department. As a parent I am well aware of all the fun activities that occur during these warm summer months. I am also guilty of pushing my daughter’s bedtime just a bit later so she can spend more time playing with her friends. I think its safe to say that between you and me all is forgiven but now we must unite to get our children back on track!

Sleep Tip 1 – Set a time for bedtime and stick to it

Whether your child is 1 year old, 5 years old or EVEN 12 years old their bedtime should be between 7:00pm – 8:00pm. Now I know some of you may be shocked by these times so let me tell you why they are important.

First and foremost, our little ones need at least 10 hours of sleep every night. If they get an extra hour or two of sleep AMAZING but the bare minimum should be 10 hours. Now that we know the required night sleep, we should ask ourselves how long do our children take to actually fall asleep and what time do we need them awake in the morning to get them fed, ready and out the door? By answering these questions, it will help gage you what time your children need to be in bed.

Mountains of Sleep Back to School Sleep Tips Calgary Alberta

Second, and I think you will like this one. A reasonable bedtime gives you time for…YOU! Everyone should have a least a couple hours a day child-free. We all deserve time to unwind, watch our trashy TV shows, have a glass of wine, catch up with our partner, time where we can just check out of our parent role and relax.

Hopefully that last paragraph caught your attention but now maybe you are wondering to yourself “this is all great Ashley but how do we get our kids back on track?” Don’t worry I’m about to share some tips to get you all back on the sleep train.

Sleep Tip 2 – Don’t leave it to the last minute

Hopefully you are reading this over the weekend and have a night or two to begin putting some plans in place before school begins. If the cabin and late bon fires kept you distracted not to worry as its never to late to start instilling healthy sleep habits simply begin these steps once you get home.

We talked above about setting up a bedtime. If you’ve decided on a time and your children are currently going to sleep a lot later try moving bedtime down by 15 minutes every night until you reach your desired time. Feel free to get creative by adjusting those clocks in their room.

Sleep Tip 3- Establish a bedtime routine

If you already have an effective bedtime routine but haven’t been using it consistently throughout the summer try to re-implement it as much as possible. The familiarity of your routine will help your child fall back into their schedule quicker and with less resistance than trying out something new.

Reading before bed Mountains of Sleep Back to School Sleep Tips Calgary Alberta

If you are new to implementing a bedtime routine, I want you to know that I call this my “foundation” for sleep success. By establishing a repetitive, predictable and constant routine you are cuing your child’s body to know that sleep is near. Their brain will start to associate things like bath, stories and pajamas means sleep is coming and cues up their melatonin production making sleep come easier. I seriously can’t preach enough the importance of having a solid bedtime routine.

Sleep Tip 4- Use a timer

While going through our bedtime routine it’s easy to get caught up in all the fun or your toddlers’ negotiations or shall I say stall tactics. One thing that can help you stay on track and keep things neutral between you and your child is having an external timer. A mom or dad can be reasoned with but a timer is unwavering. You could even incorporate your child into being apart of setting the clock or hitting the start button. I always find that when we include our children in the process, we gain their buyin and an additional level of commitment to sticking with the plan, especially with our older children.

Sleep Tip 5- Turn off those screens

No screen time before bedReading before bed Mountains of Sleep Back to School Sleep Tips Calgary Alberta

With school being out and homework being done it’s not uncommon during our summer break to see an increase in the time our children spend watching TV, looking at their phones or playing with the latest greatest video games. I’ll be honest when I can get a chunk of down time there is nothing I enjoy more then catching up with The Housewives of Beverly Hills. The issue with all this extra screen time is that it gives off a massive amount of blue light. Our brains associate blue light with sunshine, and sunshine equals daytime which causes our brain to suppress the production of our sleep hormone called melatonin. Research has shown that exposure to screen time prior to bed can double the length of time it takes for us to fall asleep so try to avoid any screen time for the last hour or two leading up to bedtime. Replace the screen time with a book, family board game or some relaxing music. This sleep tip is also great for adults who are also struggling with sleep.

Sleep Tip 6- Dark is best

The sun can play a big role of when we fall asleep. Like mentioned above our brains associate the sun to daytime which means being awake. I know personally living out west the sun doesn’t set until wayyyy past my daughters bedtime. If you notice your child’s room is still light during their bedtime, I highly recommend investing in some blackout blinds. You can find them fairly cheap; I personally use a combo of black out curtains and a travel black out blind to make my daughters room a nice dark cave. If you check out my Sleep Products page you can see what I use but if you need something like “right now” and don’t care about how it looks then garbage bags and duct tape will do the trick!

Remember darkness equals sleep and sleep is what we want for our children so the darker the room the better.

As I wrap up this blog and as you begin your journey to get your children back on track with sleep don’t be surprised if there is some resistance. Change is never easy particularly for our kids. They will likely try some stall tactics or strong debates on how they need those later bedtimes. Feel free to explain to them why these changes are being made especially if you have older kids but don’t give in to the pressure. Their bedtime isn’t changing for several years so the sooner they accept their new routine and learn that summertime was a special circumstance the easier bedtime will become for both them and you.

And that’s a wrap! I hope you all had a fabulous summer making some beautiful family memories and are all set to go for the new school year. Just remember the gift of sleep is one of the greatest back to school gift of all. A well rested child will be happier, more socially outgoing and ready to learn!

If you ever have any additional questions or are looking for some further support, know that Mountains of Sleep is here for you! Book your free 15 minute consultation call today