KC Parent: Finding a rhythm with summer sleep

By Allison Gibeson

Summer days can mean fun in the sun, swimming, camps, playing sports, vacations and other activities. There can also be summer days filled with inconsistent routines, staying up late, sleeping in and more screen time than normal. Even with all the changes to the schedule, making sure kids get enough rest during the summer months is essential to their health.

While it might be difficult to ensure proper sleep during the summer, it can be accomplished with a few considerations.

“Even though it’s summer, kids still benefit from a consistent sleep schedule,” says Kevin Smith, PhD, pediatric psychologist with Children’s Mercy Kansas City. “Healthy sleep patterns help improve memory, mood and more.”

Smith says preschoolers ages 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours of sleep, school-age children 6 to 13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep, and teenagers 14 to 17 need 8 to 10 hours.

One of the first things to consider when ensuring adequate rest, according to Smith, is the child’s sleep environment. He says the sleep environment needs to be generally quiet, although some white noise can be helpful. It also needs to be dark, but it does not have to be completely dark as a night-light can help foster sleep.

Read the full article via KC Parent

Learn more about the Children's Mercy Sleep Center