Doctors say now is the time to reset kids' sleep schedules before school starts

As families prepare for the start of a new school year, East Texas health experts say one of the most important back-to-school preparations happens before students ever step into a classroom. 

Dr. Joshua Barker, a family medicine physician with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, said children often develop later bedtimes and wake-up routines during summer break. He recommends parents begin adjusting those schedules now rather than waiting until the night before school starts.

"It probably takes about three weeks for kids to develop a full habit," Barker said. "A lot of kids right now are used to staying up pretty late, so I would start trimming that down by about 30 minutes a night until we get to planning for the actual school year when they actually need to go to bed."

Barker advises parents to work backward from the school day's schedule. Start by determining what time a child needs to wake up, then calculate an appropriate bedtime based on the amount of sleep they need.

Elementary-aged children generally need about nine to 10 hours of sleep each night, he said. Parents should also factor in the time children need to get ready in the morning when setting a bedtime.

A lack of sleep doesn't always mean students will fall asleep in class. Instead, Barker said sleep deprivation can affect concentration, memory and academic performance.

"They may just be more distractible if they're having a lot of trouble paying attention in class or if they're not retaining information the way they typically should," Barker said. "Sleep is one of those things that can kind of sneak under the radar and create a lot of problems without you realizing it."

Screen time is another factor that can interfere with healthy sleep habits. Barker recommends turning off phones, tablets, televisions and other electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime, with two hours being ideal.

"The blue light from your tablets, your iPhones, your TVs is translated by your brain the same way sunlight is," Barker said. "When you're staring at your phone right before bed, that's telling your brain that the sun is out and it's time to get up and do some work and be productive."

Doctors say parents don't need to overhaul their children's sleep schedules overnight. Instead, moving bedtime earlier by about 30 minutes each night can help make the transition to the school year smoother while building healthy habits that last beyond the first week of classes.