Get Your Student Back On The School-Sleeping Schedule

With about a month to go until the first day of school we want to know how you're adjusting your little kids' sleeping schedules. Do you try to get your kids off the summer late-to-bed-late-to-rise schedule and into the it's-a-school-night bedtime schedule? If so, when do you start?

We asked on Facebook what parents do and here is what they told us:

Laura Bilanski: We only vary our summer schedule slightly, except for special occasions. This makes it easier to adjust. I still have to work during the summer so going totally off schedule makes it difficult for me. We start the actual "school schedule" about a week before school starts. It helps to just have the kids get up and moving so the transition is easy. .

Nicole Revelen: The week before.

Denise Lauren Rastello: Two weeks before school is back in session we go back to the 8pm bed times.well actually be in bed in PJ's by 7pm read until 8pm and then lights out for the night.

And here's some advice from some experts:

Gradually reintroduce earlier bedtimes: Work towards getting your pre-teen to bed by 8:30. That gives them 30 minutes to fall asleep and 10 hours to sleep by the time they have to get up at 7:00 a.m. If they need to get up earlier, they should go to bed earlier as well. For teens, aim for a 9:00 p.m. bedtime—which means no more late-night TV watching.

- Besthealthmag.ca

Look Beyond Bedtime: “If we approach sleep appropriately," Family psychologist David Swanson, author of HELP-- My Kid is Driving Me Crazy,  says, "we look at a kid’s whole day. If you want your kids back to sleep on time, have dinner at a set time and limit the computer, TV, and video game time,” he says. “You’re not just trying to get them back to bed, but into a routine.”

- webMD.com

Turn off electronics: To help your kids wind down, all electronics — TV, video games, computers, and cell phones — should be shut off an hour earlier.

-everydayhealth.com

Be a role model: Set a good example for your child. Establish your own regular sleep cycle and maintain a home that promotes healthy sleep.

-sleepfoundation.org

How about in your house? Do you try to adjust your child's sleep schedule to prepare for back-to-school?