FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Many kids are returning to the classroom and this can come with the challenge of staying awake for some students.
Sanford Health recommends that students turn off any cell phones or devices well before their designated bed time, avoid a big meal before going to sleep, create a calm and soothing sleep environment, and to establish a healthy pre-bedtime routine.
“This includes consistent bedtime, same bed time, same wake up time, no blue light before going to bed,” said Dr. Arveity Setty, a Pediatric Sleep Physician for Sanford Health. “We prefer there is no blue light at least one hour before they go to bed, if not at least 30 minutes before they go to bed.”
It is also advised to not use the bed for everything such as doing homework on it, watching television, or eating on it.
“If you go there and stay there for 15 hours in a 24 hour period, you do homework, watch tv, you do everything, then your bed does not get associated with sleep,” said Setty.
Dr. Setty also says that the most important aspect is to be consistent with the sleep schedule and if a parent notices a consistent trend in their child having a hard time falling asleep it is best to have them checked by a professional.
