FORT SMITH, Ark. — As students head back to school, there's likely one summer issue still lingering around: Sleep.
Many at home probably know this all too well: parents sometimes relax bedtime during the summertime, and that's why medical experts say it's more important now to help your students fix their routines.
Mercy Fort Smith's Doctor Andrew Bergeron says that creating a bedtime routine will help students sleep on time. That can include doing homework after supper, bathing, brushing teeth, and reading a book.
Dr. Bergeron, a third year resident physician, also suggests avoiding certain items before bedtime as they can make falling asleep harder.
"If we're drinking lots of caffeine in the afternoon, that could be a bad thing, and that could actually be something that causes them to have issues ... going to sleep at night I'd recommend water," says Dr. Bergeron.
However, Dr. Bergeron does warn against drinking too much water as it could cause a child to use the restroom at night, interrupting the sleep cycle. Toys near younger children's beds could also cause interrupted sleep.
Dr. Bergeron also suggests avoiding the use of electronics before bed.
"It's best to try to limit that to one hour before bedtime. That's really important. Because the screens, the blue light, and everything, just keep us more awake and more stimulated, making it more difficult for you to kind of calm down and go to sleep," says Dr. Bergeron.
He adds that there are many health issues that make sleep important, even more than just waking up in the morning.
"Sleep deprivation actually causes a lot of health issues, some that you won't even think about," Dr. Bergeron explained "Lack of sleep can impact memory, and the ability to process a lot of tasks. During school, students need to be able to think to get homework done and study. If you're not getting enough sleep, you might be a little bit slow with certain aspects of your schoolwork."
If students have already been sleeping super late, Dr. Bergeron suggests making small changes during this transition. He says that "If you do a lot of changes at once, it's going to make it harder for them to adjust."
Dr. Bergeron also recommends using melatonin in situations where you really need it.
You can visit the Mayo Clinic's website for more sleep tips to find out how much sleep your child needs.
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