Parent to Parent: School Daze: Getting Sleep

Mia Klein, mother of three
"Jackie, can I have the book please?"

Mia Klein, mother of three young boys, knows all to well about the struggle to get her kids to sleep.

Klein
"Lets put it this way. They are very good about going to bed. It’s staying in the bed that’s a challenge."

Mia keeps her kids bedtime routine as consistent as possible, even through the summer.

Klein
"At 7, we start the routine by getting ready with the showers and baths. And then by 7:30, they're getting ready for bed."

So how much sleep do kids need to be ready and alert for school? Well, experts tell us 9 to 10 hours for grade schoolers and 8 to 9 hours for teenagers

Dr. Kenneth Sassower, Massachusetts General Hospital
"In our busy world, we often cut the sleep short, and it’s really at a detriment to our children’s ability to learn."

So how can you get your little ones into a lullaby? Start by turning off the TV.

Dr. Sassower
"The notion is that sleep should be as natural as possible and to avoid excessive and unnecessary stimuli."

Computers and TV aren’t the only stimuli that might be effecting your kids zzzz's. Things like caffeine, sweets and even some medications can all impact your child during the night hours, and that in turn can impact your child during the day hours!

Dr. Sassower
"When children don’t get good sleep, it usually manifests in either behavior issues -- they're more honorary during the day time or irritable -- or they may have problems concentrating in school."

And one last suggestion if your little ones still seem to be up all night. Doctors say don’t drastically decrease their bedtime at once; do it slowly. Fifteen minutes every three or four days should do the trick. In the newsroom, I’m Byron Barnett, 7News.

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