My kids are on a summer schedule. How can I get them to bed early again.

Truthfully, your child’s back-to-school sleep schedule starts over the summer.  According to Nadav Traeger, MD, Director of Pediatric Sleep Medicine at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, some kids shouldn’t even have separate bedtimes over the summer.

“Younger children, first to third grade, should probably have very little change from school to vacation, because of how sensitive they are to problems with sleep deprivation.” He adds, “Older kids can have more leeway.”

For the older ones, it’s best to start moving back to the school year routine a few weeks before summer ends. That, says Dr. Traeger, is a matter of “resuming the entire bedtime routine that was done and worked during the school year—all the steps in the same order and at the same time.” And though bedtime is a notoriously contentious parent-child issue, be tough, recommends Dr. Traeger: “Draw the line in the sand and make sure it’s done.”

For more about pediatric sleep medicine, go to: Pediatric Sleep Medicine