If your kids seem a bit bleary-eyed by the end of the school day, there’s a good reason. This time of year when school is just underway, most kids’ internal clocks are still on the summer schedule…staying up late and sleeping in. But that won’t cut it once classes start…as tired kids can’t focus and are more likely to misbehave in school. Doctors say they even suffer symptoms similar to kids diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.
Dr. Steve Lauer is a pediatrician at The University of Kansas Health System. He sees this same problem every year. In the video, he says the key is getting the whole family back on a schedule that includes meals, cleanup, homework and bedtime. He advises parents to figure out when their child needs to get up in the morning and count backward to come up with the bedtime. He says it could mean a bedtime as early as 7 or 8 pm for the younger kids…a big shift from summertime. He says kindergartners need 10-11 hours of sleep, fifth and sixth graders 9-1 hours and high schoolers 8-9 hours. He also says it’s important to take away devices like phones and tablets an hour before bedtime, and letting them wind down with a book or music instead. He advises not letting kids take a nap when they get home from school…that will throw off the sleep schedule even more. He also has thoughts on whether parents should use artificial sleep aids such as melatonin supplements. And he discusses the new vaccine requirements for Kansas students, and advises how to avoid the last-minute rush for school and sports physical forms from the doctor.
The video also includes various shots of children of all ages sleeping, doing family chores and participating in the classroom.
