How to establish your child's sleep schedule after summer

The spontaneous return of children to the school sleep schedule can cause insomnia for parents and teachers. How can you prepare for this when your child is used to going to bed later over the summer?

SSPDaily spoke to a behavioral neuroscientist specializing in sleep issues, Professor Andrew Coogan. The scientist revealed the peculiarities of children's sleep and the rules for falling asleep during the school period. He also shared tips on how to recognize the difference between an occasional sleepless night and a problem that may indicate a sleep disorder.

How to fit into the school routine?

"When we go back to school, to college, to work," Andrew Coogan says, "we lose control over our wake-up time. All we can control is the time we go to bed. In this case, you should go to bed a little earlier. And this rule applies to both adults and children."

Prof. Coogan also believes that a gradual change in the sleep schedule is better than an instantaneous one.

If bedtime was freer during the summer, gradually bring it back so that the transition to school is not too abrupt.

"Don't try to do it all in one piece. Do it in 10-minute segments. Just slowly get back to it."

How is the individual sleep duration formed?

According to the expert, the average sleep duration for an adult is 7-8 hours. The main changes in this schedule occur at the beginning of adolescence

"When we enter adolescence, our sleep time changes. For example, if it used to be natural for a child to get up at 7 a.m., for a teenager it can be at noon."

What affects the quality of sleep?

In fact, the professor believes that there are many indirect factors that affect the quality of our sleep. These include the birth of a child, shift work, and much more. However, the scientist believes that this does not mean that you have a long-term problem: it may just be a bad cycle that you have fallen into, and it can be interrupted if you wish.

"But what you should be afraid of," the expert says, "is uncontrolled daytime naps, a constant feeling of drowsiness, and a state of depression."

Such symptoms, he believes, may indicate a problem, especially if it lasts for a long time.

"On the other hand," Coogan says, "no matter how good your sleep is, if you don't feel excessively tired during the day, don't nap, get irritable, or have difficulty concentrating, then you're probably fine."

The professor is sure that periodic poor sleep is normal, but if the problems persist for more than a month, you may need the help of a specialist.