Bedtimes after the summer holidays
Summer vacation tends to make children's bedtimes later and push wake-up times back. This can lead to entertaining evenings for the family, and parents and caregivers can enjoy a refreshing break in the mornings. However, this becomes problematic when school starts again. In Germany, school usually begins around 8:00 AM, some even at 7:30 AM, so sleeping in until 9 or 10 AM during the school term is not an option. Returning to the school routine can be hard enough without difficulties going to bed and getting up. In this blog, we give you some valuable tips on how to prepare your children to get enough sleep and arrive at school on time when the new school year starts in September.
Holiday activities and sleep
There are numerous factors that can influence sleep during the holidays. It is important to be aware of how these factors may have affected your children's sleep during the summer break.
Screen time
During the holidays, children's routines often differ greatly from those of the school term, which can affect their sleep.
Since there is no obligation to get up early and go to school, children may spend more time in front of screens and devices. This is especially the case when parents or caregivers work from home during the holidays. Also, there is likely little need for homework or study material.
When this screen time occurs late in the evening, the increased light exposure can make it harder to fall asleep. Our brains need darkness in the evening to produce melatonin (the sleep hormone) and help us fall asleep. When we are exposed to bright light from tablet and laptop screens, it tricks our brain into thinking it is still daytime, resulting in less melatonin being produced.
Lack of physical activity
If children are less physically active during school holidays, this can also affect their sleep. It is common for children to be less active during holidays as there are likely fewer extracurricular activities and sports events. Also, the daily walk to school is omitted.
In general, we all sleep better when we are physically more active, both in terms of sleep duration and sleep quality.
When children spend time outdoors during the day and play actively, they get plenty of sunlight. This helps strengthen their circadian rhythm and makes them more awake during the day and sleepier at night. If this does not happen, the opposite applies.
Holiday bedtimes
The times when children wake up and go to sleep can also change during school holidays. Often, children go to bed later and get up later because they don't have to get up on time for school.
Although this is not a problem in itself, it can become problematic if school starts shortly before the holidays, as children may have a very different sleep rhythm than at the start of school. It's as if the children are "jetlagged" – they only feel tired later and are then forced to get up earlier than they naturally would to get to school on time.
Tips for bedtimes and the start of school
Gradually adjust bedtimes
If possible, it is a good idea to gradually adjust your children's bedtimes and wake-up times to the normal rhythm for the school term before school starts again. This way, the first day of school won't be a shock when your children have to get up much earlier than during the holidays.
You can make this adjustment gently by moving bedtime and wake-up times about 15-20 minutes earlier per day in the days before school starts. When you move bedtimes earlier, make sure to also move wake-up times by the same amount, which will likely require setting an alarm so they don't oversleep.
Encourage morning light
Exposure to natural daylight can help influence the circadian rhythm. If your children are used to waking up late and going to bed late, you can help them shift their rhythm earlier by going outside in the morning, whether to the park or for breakfast in the garden. The bright morning light helps them wake up earlier and fall asleep earlier.
Restore regular routines
During the summer holidays, the usual bedtime rituals may be neglected. Although late nights in social gatherings and relaxed summer evenings can be fun, most people sleep better when they have a fixed routine before going to bed.
A bedtime routine ensures that children know it is almost time to go to sleep. Doing the same thing in the same order before bed can help prepare the brain and body for sleep. For children, this routine may include turning off screens an hour before bedtime, engaging in a more relaxing activity like reading a book or solving a puzzle afterward, bathing or showering, putting on pajamas, drinking a glass of milk, brushing teeth, and going to bed. Return to the combination that is normal for your child and help them prepare for sleep and calm the mind before bedtime.
It is important to reintroduce this routine a few days before school starts, as this helps children get used to it again.
Limit screen time
If you are parents of a younger child or a teenager, you may have disabled parental controls on tablets and phones during the summer holidays to allow them more screen time. However, with the start of school, it might be a good idea to review these controls and limit screen time to the number of hours allowed on the device, as well as automatically turning off the device in the evening.
Too much screen time can affect sleep in various ways by keeping the brain too active and exposing it to too much bright light before bedtime. You should also make sure that night mode is activated and turns on every day around 6 or 7 pm on their devices to minimize exposure to bright blue light from screens.
Take time to talk about worries
Just before school starts again, it is normal for your child to have thoughts about the new school year. Instead of letting these thoughts circle around in their head at night and disturb sleep, it is a good idea to set aside some time earlier in the day to talk about worries. It is especially helpful to do this in a place other than the bedroom so that the bedroom does not become the place where they get used to worrying. You could discuss any concerns about returning to school at dinner, on the sofa between watching TV shows, or even better, while taking a long walk together in nature.
Children and Sleep Problems
It is completely normal for children to need some time to adjust to a new bedtime routine for the school period. By introducing regular routines and gradually adjusting bedtimes, you can ensure that your child gets enough sleep to handle the school day... even if it takes a while for normal routines to be restored.
However, if sleep problems persist, you may want to consider what is causing them and consider additional support. In this case, learn more about our services for children. I would be happy to help you.
With these tips, you can ensure that your children are well-rested and ready to reintegrate into the school routine in time for the start of school. By paying attention to a healthy bedtime routine and preparing for the transition, the shift into the school rhythm will go more smoothly for the whole family. Remember that sleep plays an important role in your children's health and well-being, and it is worth giving it special attention during the school year.
