Avoiding a Sleepless Summer for Kids Begins in the Morning


DENVER - With schools on break for summer vacation, maintaining healthy sleep habits can become a challenge for both parents and children. Warmer nights can interfere with the body’s natural cooling process, making it harder to fall and stay asleep. Longer daylight hours and shifting routines can also disrupt bedtime schedules, leaving families feeling off balance and out-of-sync.

To help families keep their cool this summer, National Jewish Health pediatric sleep specialist Chafen Hart, MD, is sharing helpful tips.

Dr. Hart says it is helpful to think of the SLEEP acronym:

S: Set a wind-down alarm to signal the start of bedtime preparation.
L: Lighting should be dim, with blue light exposure at a minimum.
E: Exercise in the morning and eat no later than one hour before bed.
E: End screen time at least one hour before bed.
P: Plan the next day in advance to ease nighttime anxiety.

“Sleep routines don’t begin just before bedtime,” said Dr. Hart, “They are shaped by what happens all day long.”

In many southern states, summer heat can be too hot for children to safely play outside during the afternoon hours. That is why it is important to encourage physical activity earlier in the day, when temperatures are lower, because regular movement, exposure to morning sunlight and consistent daily routines all play a role in signaling to the body when it’s time to wind down.

Dr. Hart emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep. Instead, she encourages parents to find a routine that works best for their child, noting that individual sleep needs can vary widely. While elementary-age children typically fall asleep more easily, teenagers may struggle due to natural shifts in their circadian rhythms during puberty. It is okay for teens to go to bed and wake up later — the key is maintaining consistency.

“One of the most overlooked questions is how to prevent insomnia in kids,” said Dr. Hart. “If a child has not fallen asleep after about 20 minutes, they should get up, do a quiet activity in low light and return to bed once they feel sleepy again. This approach trains the brain to reconnect the bed with sleep and not with stress, frustration or anxiety.”

If sleep schedules shift during the summer, Dr. Hart recommends gradually adjusting bedtime in the weeks leading up to the first day of school. Advancing waketime and bedtime by about 30 minutes every three days can gradually reset the body’s internal clock and make the back-to-school transition smoother.

Establishing a healthy routine is more than just dimming the lights and using a fan at night. Start first thing in the morning to support better rest at night. Following these expert tips can help parents lay the groundwork for healthy sleep habits for their children through adolescence and well into adulthood.
 

National Jewish Health is the leading respiratory hospital in the nation. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish Health today is the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to groundbreaking medical research and treatment of children and adults with respiratory, cardiac, immune, and related disorders. Patients and families come to National Jewish Health from around the world to receive cutting-edge, comprehensive, coordinated care. To learn more, visit the media resources page.


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