Overview

• Pediatricians stress that sufficient sleep supports attention, learning and daytime functioning in children.
• Children’s sleep needs vary by age, with preschoolers needing up to 13 hours, tweens nine to 12 hours and teens eight to 10 hours nightly.
• Experts advise moving bedtimes 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night starting one to two weeks before school begins to ease the transition.
• Limiting screen time and heavy meals in the two hours before bed, along with relaxing routines, can reduce cognitive arousal and promote sleep quality.
• Exposing children to morning daylight and conducting trial runs like school visits can help reset sleep rhythms and ease first-day jitters.