Wake children earlier to reset school sleep schedule, adviser says

Children should be gradually woken earlier before the start of the school year rather than simply being told to go to bed earlier, psychologist and sleep adviser Kene Vernik said on ERR’s Terevisioon morning programme.

Vernik said the adjustment should begin about three weeks before school starts. She recommended moving wake-up time forward by around 30 minutes each day, saying that the time a child wakes determines sleep pressure and will gradually lead to an earlier bedtime.

“If a teenager goes to bed at two or three at night, we cannot suddenly force them to go to bed at 10 in the evening. They will not fall asleep,” Vernik said. “Everything starts with waking up.”

As school approaches, the changes can be made in larger steps. A child who currently wakes at 11 a.m. could be woken at 10 a.m., then 9 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and finally 8 a.m., she said.

Vernik also advised against letting children nap after school during the adjustment period, even if they have had to wake up early. From around the age of 12 or 13, a nap of about 20 minutes may be allowed, but only once the child has established a regular rhythm.

A daily schedule should begin with waking up and getting plenty of morning light, Vernik said. She added that teenagers should eat regularly rather than going hungry throughout the day and then eating a large, high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal late in the evening.

Exercise should also take place early enough, she said. Intensive training should end at least three or four hours before bedtime because late workouts can delay falling asleep.