A Good Night's Sleep Means a Good Day at School, by Dr. Brad Schwall

For the web version of these tips and the link for the tips in English and Spanish, go to www.coolkidschannel.com/e-tips/sleep

A lack of sleep can interfere with learning at school. Tired youth have more difficulty concentrating and behaving positively.  A good night's sleep can help academic performance, behavior, and overall emotional health.

Develop a Sleep-friendly Routine

• Create a calming environment
  
• Gradually slow down activities
  
• Make the lighting dimmer as bedtime nears
  
• Turn off TVs, cell phones, and computers
  
• Read with children
• Encourage older youth to focus on doing things that encourage winding down and relaxing, such as reading or listening to mellow music

Problem-solve

• If your child is worried or has fears, guide your child to turn off those thoughts and turn on thoughts about pleasant things, such as a relaxing scene, a fun activity with a friend, or a vacation spot
  
• Take the time to give positive attention as a part of the routine
  
• If your child gets up from bed, return your child to the bed with as little interaction as possible
  
• Build the final drinks of water or other requests into the routine - create "good night" rituals
  
• Brainstorm with your child ideas for creating a calming sleep routine and setting
• Stay calm when dealing with sleep problems

Don'ts

• Avoid caffeine later in the day
• Avoid all screen activities, such as texting, e-mailing, working on computers, or watching TV, 30 minutes before bedtime
• Don't send children to bed as a consequence or reward children with a later bedtime
• Avoid transitioning from being very active to expecting sleep too abruptly