He says your child could be sleep deprived and you may not realize it. While older kids may yawn and fall asleep in class if tired, pre-teens and younger children express sleepiness as agitation. To make sure your children get enough sleep once school starts, begin gradually moving up their bedtime several weeks before classes begin. A gradual readjustment probably will work better, in which you go to bed maybe 20 or 30 minutes earlier every evening. Children ages 5 to 11 years old need between 9.5 to 11 hours of sleep a night.
Older children can get by on as little as eight.
Also, keeping your children on their school day sleep schedule, even on weekends, will help them get enough sleep during the school year. Copyright 1999 by NewsNet5. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Information about this site , our terms of use , our privacy policy , our ad policy and the people who care for and feed it.