Sleep routines sometimes go out the window when kids aren’t in school, but should parents worry about summer sleep disruptions?
FOX’s Lisa Brady reports in this week’s FOX on Family:
Over the summer, my kids are night owls and I worry about that change in sleep patterns. But FOX News Medical Correspondent Doctor Marc Siegel says the amount and quality of sleep is more important:
(Siegel) “Cause they don’t have the pressure of school on them, so they might sleep at different times, they might take more naps, they might sleep later, they might go to bed later-that’s for sure. That in and of itself is not a worry.”
His concern is when summer ends:
(Siegel) “Are the disruptions that occur during the summer going to continue and disrupt sleep during the school year and if so, will they interfere with the child’s performance at school and increase anxiety; that’s a definite possibility.”
In general, he says the younger they are, the more sleep they need to learn and grow and good habits make it easier, like shutting down technology well before bedtime:
(Siegel) ”Some of that we have control over. When do we get them into bed? It’s a discipline, it’s something that perpetuates itself. When do the lights go down? It’s something called sleep hygiene.”
Dr. Siegel suggests starting the transition back to normal sleep schedules, at least a month before school begins.
With FOX on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.
