By Nikki Eining CSW-PIP, QMHP
If bedtime has drifted an hour or two later over the summer, nothing has gone wrong. Late sunsets, camp schedules, vacations, and relaxed screen rules all nudge a child’s internal clock later. Pulling that clock back toward a school-year schedule is real work, and it usually takes a couple of weeks of consistent effort, not one good night. It is also normal to experience some protest, stalling, and a few rough mornings along the way. Sleep problems and irregular bedtimes are extremely common in childhood; roughly 20% to 30% of children are affected by insomnia at some point, so families who struggle with this are in the majority, not the minority.
It is important to be aware of the appropriate amount of sleep for your child’s developing body. The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses these nightly sleep targets:
– Preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours, including naps
– School age (6–12 years): 9–12 hours
– Teens (13–18 years): 8–10 hours
Sleep is one of the strongest levers parents have over a child’s mood and behavior. Getting the recommended hours is linked to better attention, learning, memory, emotional regulation, and mental health, while too little sleep is associated with depression, obesity, and high blood pressure.
The behavioral effects show up quickly. In studies where children’s sleep was experimentally extended or restricted, kids sleeping close to 10 hours had better emotional stability, less restless and impulsive behavior at school, and a more positive mood than kids sleeping about 8 hours. Short sleep impairs the brain’s “brakes” (impulse control and flexible thinking), which is why an under-slept child melts down over things they would otherwise shrug off.
If you find yourself just beginning to work on nighttime routine and sleep habits, there is good news. Children whose sleep improves over time show measurable declines in both emotional and behavioral problems. Working on sleep is not just damage control; it is an intervention to support wanted emotional and behavioral outcomes.
What are recommended strategies?
The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages using the 4Bs. Bathe, brush, books, bed. Using a consistent, predictable, calming sequence in the same order each night signals to the brain and the body that sleep is coming. This works for teens too, in an age-appropriate form.
Keep screens off for at least an hour before bedtime, and keep phones, tablets, and TVs out of the bedroom overnight. It is normal for children and teens to play music at night. Instead of using a tablet or a phone, purchase an alarm clock with digital music ability or a radio. Creating a nighttime playlist that can be played nightly is a predictable and consistent habit that signals to the brain and body it is time for sleep.
Consistency is what makes falling asleep and waking up easier. Try to keep weekend and vacation evenings consistent with weekdays.
Sunlight in the morning helps reset the internal clock. Open windows, turn on a light, or even get outside if you can.
Monitor caffeine intake. School-age children should not consume caffeine after noon. Common hidden sources include iced tea, chocolate, soda, and certain flavored waters. In a world where energy drinks and Starbucks are popular, educate your adolescent about how caffeine impacts sleep. Research identifies that adolescents consuming energy drinks are 4.5 times more likely to sleep fewer than 6 hours
As always, annual well-child visits with your Primary Care Physician are vital. This is an opportunity to work together on strategies to support healthy sleep habits and to discuss if your child snores regularly or has pauses in breathing, is very sleepy during the day despite adequate time in bed, takes a long time to fall asleep most nights, or wakes repeatedly. These difficult experiences are treatable, and they deserve evaluation rather than more willpower.
The American Academy of Pediatrics healthychildren.org is a great resource for parents. Under the “Healthy Living” tab, you will find multiple articles and resources on exploring appropriate curfews, bunk bed safety, separation anxiety, and more.
Resources
The Role of the Pediatrician in the Promotion of Healthy, Active Living. Pediatrics. 2024. Muth ND, Bolling C, Hannon T, Sharifi M.
Longitudinal Association of Nighttime Sleep Duration With Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Early Childhood: Results From the Danish Healthy Start Study.
Sleep. 2021. Zheng M, Rangan A, Olsen NJ, Heitmann BL.
Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for Healthy Children: Methodology and Discussion. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine : JCSM : Official Publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. lullab2016. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C.
Association Between Objectively Measured Sleep Duration and Symptoms of Psychiatric Disorders in Middle Childhood. JAMA Network Open. 2019. Ranum BM, Wichstrøm L, Pallesen S.
Nikki Eining is a private independent practice licensed social worker who serves as the Statewide Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program Coordinator for The USD Center for Disabilities and Owner of Grace Grit Growth Counseling LLC in Brookings, SD. Nikki brings a diverse set of experiences and passions spending over 18 years working in the mental health field. Her previous experience has focused on supporting youth and families in office, school, and community settings without outpatient behavioral health services and prevention programming. She has professional experience in clinical mental health, education, research design, non-profit, program development, and trauma-informed care practices.
Nikki is passionate about trauma and healing-informed practices, the power of protective factors and collaboration across communities to help decrease barriers for youth and families. Nikki is a Theraplay Level 1, 2 and Group trained therapist, SAPST trained prevention provider, and an ACE Interface Certified educator.Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tik Tok. Prairie Doc Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm on YouTube and streaming on Facebook), 2 podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB, Sundays at 6am and 1pm).