Waking up for school can be tough on kids and parents. Shifting from summer to a busy (early!) school routine makes it tempting to cut corners on sleep.
But kids age 5 to 12 need 10-11 hours of sleep per night, and teenagers often fall short of the 8-10 hours of sleep they need each night. And it’s more than mere hours that matters. “Healthy sleep” requires appropriate timing, daily regularity, good sleep quality and the absence of sleep disorders, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Here are some tips to help your kids get the quantity — and quality — of sleep they need as they return to school: