Pediatrician shares importance of back-to-school sleep schedules for kids

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - With most schools in the Lubbock area starting school in just nine days, doctors say now is the perfect time to start getting the kids back into a sleep routine.

The alarm ringing on the first day of school can be a hard adjustment after those late summer nights. Dr. Ana Montanez, a pediatrician at TTUHSC, says the sooner a child gets back on a schedule, the easier their first day of school will be.

“Now is the perfect time to start getting on that sleep schedule,” Montanez said. “You definitely want them to have an adequate amount of sleep so they can concentrate, they can focus, their memory is better especially when they get sleep.”

Montanez says the perfect amount of sleep varies based on age and activity level. However, she encourages all parents to shoot for ten hours each night. Although that may seem optimistic, she says it will have a huge impact on a child’s overall health.

“All of the issues that go into their overall health behavior, emotion, the mental state, that all improves with a good amount of sleep,” said Montanez.

Concentration aside, Montanez says sleep can also protect children from back-to-school germs.

“Sleep definitely helps to reset all of those good important parts of our immune system that help protect us from even getting sick,” Montanez said.

TTUHSC provided the links below for more information on back-to-school health.

• Back-to-School Tips
• Sleep in Middle and High School Students
• Bedtime Calculator
• Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?

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