CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As we are now in the month of August, school is right around the corner for most kids in north Carolina.
Soon many will have to adjust those alarms to wake up earlier, but doctors recommend starting now-so kids can get used to the new schedule. Summertime usually means sleeping in and staying up late for kids, but that alarm is almost back to some really early times. So how can parents help ease that transition?
"What I recommend to families is start now cause some people only have days or weeks before the school year starts," Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer for WedMD said.
Whyte also recommends easing kids into it by pushing their bedtime up by 15 minutes every day or every other day.
"That wake up time shifting that 15 minutes as well every couple of days that includes on the weekend as well," Whyte said.
Dr. Whyte said kids need at least nine to 12 hours of sleep to be productive and not adjusting the schedule over time could shock their system.
"It's going to create challenges later kids aren’t going to be able to wake up on time they are going to b rushed they may have trouble concentrating in class," Whyte said.
The Cleveland Clnic also suggests not drinking too much caffeine or sugary drinks during the day or not having a meal too late at night. And if your child is exercising, they suggest doing it during the day not at night.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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