The final week of the winter school holidays is here, and it’s tempting to squeeze in more late nights, sleep-ins and movie marathons. But hear me out, this week is the perfect time to slow the late nights and help your child’s body clock get back on track. Yes, it’s time to start thinking of getting back to school after the winter holidays. here are 7 sleep tips to help your child thrive throughout the rest of the year.

Whether your child is excited to head back to school or counting down the days with dread, one thing remains true:

Sleep is one of the biggest predictors of how well they’ll cope, learn, concentrate and regulate their emotions.

A well-rested child is more likely to:

• Focus in class
• Remember what they’ve learned
• Manage big emotions
• Have more patience and resilience
• Enjoy school (or at least cope with it a whole lot better!)

The good news? You still have time to reset routines before the first day of term three.

Here are my favourite sleep tips to help your family ease back into school.

1. Bring bedtime forward (starting tonight if need be!)

If bedtime has drifted later over the holidays, don’t wait until the night before school starts. A change of more than half an hour can feel like jet lag and throw your child’s body clock off. Instead, move bedtime earlier by around 15-30 minutes each night until you’re back to your normal school routine times. Do the math now and figure out when you need to start this process, so you’re back on track BEFORE Monday.

For most preschool and primary-aged children, bedtime generally falls somewhere between 7:00pm and 8:30pm, depending on their age and sleep needs. Not sure what’s appropriate for your child?

A simple question to ask yourself is this: Do you have to wake your child on a school morning?

If the answer is yes (especially if they’re difficult to wake), they’re probably not getting enough sleep. Most school-aged children still need around 10-12 hours of sleep every night, with many teenagers benefiting from close to 10 hours as well.

An earlier bedtime often makes school mornings much calmer, for everyone!

2. Put the screens to bed early

Yes, you’ve heard that screens should be off an hour before bed, but do you know WHY?

Our brains rely on darkness to start releasing melatonin, the hormone that helps us feel sleepy. But blue light will suppress melatonin release. Thus, the blue light emitted from TVs, tablets, gaming consoles and phones can delay this process, making it much harder for children (and adults!) to fall asleep.

Aim to switch off screens around dinner time or at least one hour before bed. And instead replace screens with quieter activities like:

• Reading
• Drawing
• Puzzles
• Lego
• Colouring
• Family games

(And yes… this applies to parents too!)

3. Bring back the bedtime routine

Children thrive on predictability. And a calming bedtime routine signals to the brain that sleep is coming and helps the body naturally wind down. You can read more about how a bedtime routine helps HERE. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be predictable. Think:

• Bath or shower
• Pyjamas
• Teeth
• Toilet
• Story
• Cuddle
• Lights out

Following the same order each night helps bedtime become something their brain expects rather than something to fight.

4. Use a timer to beat the bedtime battles

If your child is an expert dawdler (you know the type), a timer can become your best friend. Using a timer can turn bedtime into a game. Set a timer for getting ready. Then, instead of reminding them ten times, let the timer be the boss.

Many children love trying to “beat the clock.” Can they put on their pajamas before the timer goes off (for example)?

You could even use a sticker chart and celebrate a week of smooth bedtimes with a simple family reward.

5. Keep reading before bed

Reading is one of the best pre-sleep habits you can build. Not only does it encourage literacy, but the slower pace naturally helps the brain relax before sleep. The way our eyes track the words over the page is calming. Older children can enjoy some quiet independent reading before lights out. But if your child isn’t reading independently yet, read together.

It’s one of the simplest ways to make the transition from busy day to restful night.

6. Keep bedrooms cool, dark and cosy

Winter naturally gives us darker evenings, which is wonderful for sleep. But don’t heat the room too much. Bedrooms should be comfortably cool (around 18°C, give or take a few degrees), as well as quiet and as dark as possible.

If your child likes a night light, choose one with a warm amber or red glow rather than bright white or blue light.

A cosy sleep environment helps children fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

7. Don’t forget the morning routine

Good sleep isn’t just about bedtime. Getting up at roughly the same time every day, even during the last few days of the holidays, helps reset your child’s internal body clock. So, open the curtains, let natural light in and enjoy breakfast together if you can.

Morning sunlight is one of the quickest ways to help the brain know it’s time to be awake and ready for the day.

Give your child the best start to Term 3

A successful school term starts long before your child reaches the classroom. It starts with enough quality sleep.

The last week of the winter holidays is the perfect opportunity to gently reset routines, bring bedtime forward slowly and help your child head back to school feeling rested, refreshed and ready to learn.

And if bedtime has become a nightly battle, your child is waking throughout the night, or you’ve never quite managed to establish healthy sleep habits, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

At Cherished Sleep, I’ve helped nearly 1,000 families in New Zealand and around the world achieve better sleep. Every family is different, which is why my support is personalised for your family.

Book your FREE 15-minute discovery call and let’s chat about how we can make sleep easier for your whole family.

Because when children sleep well… The whole family thrives.