Health Tip: Back to School, Back to Sleep

Get kids on a regular schedule

August 14, 2009 RSS Feed Print

(HealthDay News) -- The end of summer signals back to school. And preparing for the school-year routine means getting into a back-to-school sleep schedule.

Children aged 6 to 9 require about 10 hours of sleep each night, and older children need at least nine hours, the Federal Citizen Information Center says. It offers these suggestions for making sure children get enough sleep:

Create a regular bedtime schedule, and make sure your child sticks to it.
Make sure your child avoids large amounts of food just before it's time to sleep.
Don't let your child have anything with caffeine at least six hours before bedtime.
After dinner, allow for play and relaxation time to begin winding down.
Create a bedtime routine that's relaxing and calming for your child.