How To Get Your Family Back In A School Sleep Routine

With school starting back up again, routines and schedules change. This may also mean that sleep schedules need to shift back to a more appropriate regularity to help optimize energy levels throughout the day. Read this article for everything you need to know about back-to-school sleep.

How To Set A Sleep Schedule For Your Family

Setting a sleep schedule for your family is similar to creating other types of routine. To be consistent with any kind of routine, there needs to be structure and habit that can allow for repetition to take place, allowing new changes to become a schedule.

For you or your kids, creating a bedtime that is realistic and that you can be consistent with is key. For example, if you set a bedtime of 8:30 p.m. for your children, helping them be in bed consistently by 8:30 p.m. most nights is critical. This also allows you to have your own scheduled bedtime and be in bed by a time that is appropriate for your lifestyle.

Setting a sleep schedule is integral for children and adolescents, as it can affect their ability to be successful in their studies and daily activities. One study published in BMC Public Health found that children who have irregular sleep schedules had [1]:

• Worse sleep quality
• Less efficient daytime functioning
• Increased rate of [fatigue](https://www.everlywell.com/blog/thyroid/fatigue/) and changes in mood

Since sleep affects the body’s circadian rhythm, disruption in sleeping habits affects a person’s biology and overall functioning.

To set up a sleep schedule that works for the whole family, it is also important to assess if your environment is properly set up for sleep. A study published in Current Epidemiology Reports found that the environment in which you sleep significantly impacts sleep quality as a whole. [2] If you are not getting adequate sleep due to your sleep environment, you are also less likely to look forward to going to bed and to adhere to a schedule.

What Are Recommended Sleep Times for Different Ages?

While there are no blanket recommendations for the time at which a child or adult goes to sleep, there are recommendations for sleep duration based on a person’s age. It is recommended that [3]:

• Newborns get between 14-17 hours of sleep
• Infants get between 12-15 hours of sleep
• Children (ages 6-13) get between 9-11 hours of sleep
• Teenagers get between 8-10 hours of sleep
• Adults (ages 18-64) get 7-9 hours of sleep
• Older adults (ages > 65) get between 7-8 hours of sleep

Generally, adhering to a sleep window that lines up with productivity during the day is advised. This means that if a child needs around 10 hours of sleep, they should ideally be in bed by about 9 p.m., which would give them a wake time around 7 a.m.

Sleep deficiencies are a serious matter and can affect children’s, men’s, and women’s health outcomes. Not sleeping enough in adulthood has been linked to increased rates of heart disease, kidney disease, elevated blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression. [4]

For children, not getting enough sleep is linked to a higher chance of injury. It is important to establish a strong sleep routine for all people’s health.

Tips For a Good Nighttime Routine and Falling Asleep

Tips for creating a good nighttime routine are somewhat similar between children and adults. Creating good routines to set yourself up for sleeping well involves minimizing activities that don’t promote rest.

Some tips for getting a good nighttime routine in place for children include minimizing electronics and excessively stimulating activities, such as running right before bed. A good nighttime routine should include soothing activities like bottle feeding, bathing, reading, or singing.

For adults, tips for maintaining a nighttime routine are similar. Try sticking to a set schedule and putting measures in place to encourage success. Other tips for better sleep include being mindful of your nighttime eating and drinking habits, creating a dark and cool bedroom, limiting napping during the day, staying active during the day, and managing stress. [6]

One study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that having helpful activities to set yourself up for a good nighttime routine is just as important as minimizing less helpful activities. [5]

There are also several sleep-tracking devices on the market. Investing in one to track your sleep patterns may be helpful for some people.

What To Do If You Can’t Sleep

If you've ever asked yourself the question, "Why can't I sleep?" you may want to seek help from a qualified healthcare provider. There can be many causes of insomnia and issues with sleeping, and there are tests that can be conducted to help you gain a better picture of what may be going on.

Everlywell has an at-home women’s health test and a men’s health test, which can help you get a better picture of your hormones for a more comprehensive look into your overall health and any conditions that may be affecting your ability to sleep. Sleep issues can feel debilitating, and this is not something you need to combat alone. Take control of your sleep routine with the help of Everlywell.

1. Kang JH, Chen SC. Effects of an irregular bedtime schedule on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue among university students in Taiwan. BMC Public Health. 2009;9(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-248. Accessed August 14, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
2. Johnson DA, Billings ME, Hale L. Environmental determinants of insufficient sleep and sleep disorders: Implications for population health. Current Epidemiology Reports. 2018;5(2):61-69. doi:10.1007/s40471-018-0139-y. Accessed August 14, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
3. Chaput JP, Dutil C, Sampasa-Kanyinga H. Sleeping hours: What is the ideal number and how does age impact this? Nature and Science of Sleep. 2018;Volume 10:421-430. doi:10.2147/nss.s163071. Accessed August 14, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
4. What are sleep deprivation and deficiency? National Institutes of Health. Published March 24, 2022. Accessed August 14, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
5. Mindell JA, Williamson AA. Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2018;40:93-108. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2017.10.007. Accessed August 14, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
6. Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep. Mayo Clinic. Published May 7, 2022. Accessed August 14, 2024. Medical Citation URL.