One of the hardest parts of back-to-school, especially for teenagers, is the back-to-school sleep schedule. After a summer of being up late then sleeping until noon, that early morning alarm can feel like torture. The best way to get kids back on track is to start a few weeks before school.
Every night, move the alarm about 15 minutes closer to school wake-up time. Even high-schoolers need at least eight hours of sleep a night, so start getting them to bed earlier, too. According to the National Sleep Foundation, here's the recommended amounts of sleep for school-age kids:
- Preschoolers (3-5 years of age): 10-13 hours of sleep per day
- School-aged Children (6-13 years of age): 9-11 hours of sleep per day
- Teenagers (14-17 years of age): 8-10 hours of sleep per day
- Young Adults (18-25 years of age): 7-9 hours of sleep per day
Read more about sleep requirements for kids.