(Cleveland, OH) — The Cleveland Clinic is offering tips on getting children back on an earlier sleep schedule for school with the school year starting soon for many in the U.S. Sleep specialist Dr. Brian Chen advises parents to start gradually getting children to bed earlier because that will be a lot easier than a flip to an earlier bedtime at the last minute right before the first day of school. He says having a good bedtime routine also helps and advises against phones, other screens and bright lights right before bed. He says blackout curtains should be considered to block out sunlight.
In other news, a new Colorado State University study shows children may sleep less and experience worse sleep quality when their parents are under increased stress. Researchers found the more stress parents carried over time, the more it affected their children’s rest and hormone regulation. In some cases, kids began sleeping more to adapt, though experts say that also comes with negative side effects. The study tracked daily patterns and found the most impact when parental stress levels rose day by day.
