CLEVELAND — Parents across Northeast Ohio are gearing up for the first day of school.
Health experts say now is the time to get your kids' sleep schedule intact and back on track.
They say it is essential to start the process now.
Do not wait until the day before school starts.
The sooner you prep, the easier your kids can adjust and transition into a sleep schedule.
"My wife and I just—we adore it. We get involved. We're actively involved," Paul Lesko of Cleveland said.
Lesko says there's no better job in the world than being a grandparent.
But getting five grandchildren back to school ready is a full-time job, especially when it comes to their sleep routine.
"They're very high-strung, still. The weather is very warm. Nobody wants to sleep in a 90-degree climate," Lesko said.
Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Sleep Specialist Dr. Brian Chen says it depends on your child's bedtime but starting the sleep schedule earlier now will save you a lot of stress later.
"If you can go 30 minutes to bed earlier every single week from now until school starts, that will make the transition a lot easier and it'll probably make the bedtime stick a lot better," Chen said.
So, how much sleep do you and your kids need to succeed?
Experts say:
-Adults should get seven to nine hours.
-Teens eight to 10 hours.
-The little ones even longer.
"Younger kids need even more sleep, which can be somewhere between nine to maybe even 12 hours of sleep. And the little children probably need even more sleep," Chen said.
Chen says to focus on winding down before even hopping into bed.
This means no rigorous exercise, caffeine, candy, or extended TV time.
For the best rest, make sure your child is in a dark, quiet, and cool climate.
Storytime helps too.
One of the most important and easiest things we can do is to reduce screen time.
Put the phone, tablet, and iPad on the other items on the side of the room so they're completely out of the way and will prevent distractions.
"If you can have those screens off an hour before bedtime, that would be wonderful. Two hours, even better. That way, your brain has time to naturally acclimate to the darker environments and start that sleep process," Chen said.
Finally, go out of your way to show your kids how great a good night's sleep can be.
"Parents gotta set a good example too. Maybe like we did. If you gotta lay down with the babies, that's the way it is," Lesko said.
"Perhaps we have to show them that when you slept well, you felt good the next day and make that whole bedtime scenario more enjoyable," Chen said.
Chen says parents should also pay attention to signs their child isn’t sleeping well.
It won't always show up as exhaustion like in adults.
Instead, your children will likely be more irritable, aggressive, and hyperactive.
If it becomes a bigger issue —call your pediatrician.
