Parents as Champions
August 1, 2014
First Day Jitters
August 19, 2014
We are two weeks away from the start of school in some districts in the community. Our kids have been playing video games, watching movies, having sleepovers and generally going to bed late and getting up late. What will happen when they have to get up at 7:00 on the first day of school? It won’t be pleasant!
Start now to get that Circadian rhythm (the sleep/wake cycle) adjusted to school hours. If your children are going to bed about three hours past their school night bedtime, try getting them to bed 15 minutes earlier each night.
Remember to turn off electronic media that involves looking at a screen about two hours before bedtime. This allows the brain to produce the hormone melatonin, which helps the brain prepare to sleep. Light emitted by a screen interferes with the production of melatonin. It would also be a good idea to confiscate the devices, as children have been known to continue watching movies or playing games in bed with the covers pulled over their heads! Try to keep the same bedtime even on weekends until after the beginning of the school year.
Blogger Mary Ann Mulcahey, PhD, shares her expertise in assessment and diagnosis of learning disabilities and ADHD, and the social/emotional adjustment to those issues. If you have questions, please contact Mary Ann at .
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