From Summer Nights to School Mornings: Resetting Sleep & Screens
Small shifts = big payoff: calmer nights, smoother mornings, and kids ready to learn
Whew, we all survived summer, and by now most kids are heading back to school.
As both a pediatrician and a mom, this is the time of year when I start thinking about transitions: shifting from flexible, free-flowing summer days into structured school routines.
This year, I’ve been especially mindful of two big things:
Schedules (especially sleep!)
Sedentary screen use
And yes, these two are more connected than we sometimes realize.
Sleep: The Cornerstone of Learning and Behavior…and a parenting challenge
During summer, our schedule was looser. Even camp weeks were casual, and bedtime? More like “bed-ish” time. That meant later nights - sometimes a 9 p.m. “bedtime” slipping into 10 p.m. before the 💤 was really happening.
But here’s the problem: school mornings don’t flex. For my elementary-aged kids who need to wake up by 7 a.m., late summer bedtimes - they’re out.
Here’s a quick reminder of the recommended sleep ranges by age (American Academy of Pediatrics & American Academy of Sleep Medicine):
Toddlers (1-2 years) 11-14 hours including naps
Preschoolers (3-5 years) 10-13 hours including naps
Grade schoolers (6-12 years) 9-12 hours
Teens (13-18 years) 8-10 hours
So, I did the math 🤨:
😴 by 10 p.m. → ⏰ at 7 a.m. = 9 hours (the bare minimum 😕).
😴 by 8 p.m. → ⏰ at 7 a.m. = 11 hours (right in the sweet spot 🎯).
But oh wow- asleep by 8pm, that’s a challenge. The key? Consistency. A predictable routine helps kids fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Ok…What About Screen Use and Sleep?
Screens aren’t inherently “bad,” but timing and type do matter.
Research shows:
Exciting or interactive content before bed can wind kids up instead of calming them down.
Passive scrolling or watching displaces healthy routines like reading, family connection, or play.
Light from screens (especially blue) may delay melatonin release, though the research is actually mixed.
A few practical strategies backed by pediatric recommendations:
Power down at least an hour before bed. (If that sounds impossible, I like this tip sheet from Children and Screens).
Keep screens out of bedrooms. This is one of the strongest protective factors for sleep (kids and adults).
Swap pre-bedtime screens for calming rituals: reading, drawing, puzzles, or listening to music.
In our house, the last half-hour before bedtime is sacred: we all head upstairs, dim the lights, and read together. That anchor makes earlier bedtimes possible.
Here’s the secret parenting sauce…
Exercise by Day, Calm by Night
One of the best predictors of good sleep? Movement during the day.
My kids were much more active over the summer, and I worry a lot about the limited movement they get once school starts (did you know that most states only mandate 30 minutes of daily physical activity at school!?). We try to sneak in activity by biking or walking to school, but I know that isn’t possible for every family.
Here’s what pediatricians know: kids who run, climb, bike, or dance (a.k.a. moderate to vigorous activity) more during the day fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
After-school is for big play, parents should have plans to maximize after school physical activity even when weather or schedules make outdoor play hard. The other half of the equation: winding down at night with a calm later evening routine.
The Transition from Summer Screens to Back-to-School Screens: A Different Option
This is the first school year where my kids’ routine include almost no sedentary screen time - true, this may not be right for all families - but we are going to give it a try! Their old tablet habits have been replaced almost entirely by active play.
So on school nights, when they ask (on repeat)…
“Can I have screen time?” I plan to reply:
“No… but you can have Nex”
And that feels like a win-win, for their sleep, their learning, and their health.
Quick Recap -
💤 Kids need enough sleep. Aim for 10–12 hours- count from actually asleep to awake.
📱 Screens and bedrooms shouldn’t mix and power down an hour before bed.
🏃 Movement fuels sleep. The more kids move by day, the easier they rest at night.
Small shifts = big payoff: calmer nights, smoother mornings, and kids ready to learn.
👉 What’s worked (or totally flopped 🙃) for screen-time and bedtime in your house? Drop your best hacks in the comments so we can learn from each other.
✨ Keep moving,
Dr. Emily Greenwald