FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)– It’s one of the worst things to hear at the end of your summer break as a kid: “Time for bed! You have school in the morning!”. While going to bed early isn’t every child’s favorite thing to do for the school season, it’s crucial to their performance in the classroom as well as everyday life.

We spoke with Aaron Roberts, M.D., from Parkview Physicians Group – Sleep Medicine. Roberts said, “You want to try and get your kids back on a normal routine a couple weeks beforehand,”.

In addition to this, when you begin this new sleep routine for your children, you want them to stay consistent with it. Yes, this means an early bedtime on the weekends! Another big factor is keeping an eye on how long your child is spending time with their electronic devices.

“Electronic devices, or light in general, usually suppresses your melatonin production which is directly related to sleep initiation and sleep quality. We usually recommend at least one hour before you go to bed to avoid electronic devices and bright light.” said Roberts.

Despite our days slowly getting shorter as we approach fall, there’s still a fair amount of daylight present at the end of the day when your child should be heading to bed. One solution for better sleep is to purchase blackout curtains for their bedroom. Other things to keep in mind as the first day of school gets closer include avoiding heavy physical activity in the evenings, monitoring caffeine and sugar intake, as well as cutting back on those late afternoon naps.

Getting a good night’s rest not only helps prevent behavioral problems, but it also leaves you rested and ready for the day. In general, it’s recommended that young kids sleep for 9 to 11 hours, older kids and teens for 8 to 10 hours, and adults for 7 to 9 hours.

Overall, one of the best things you can do as a parents is to be a role model for your children. Setting a good example for your children not only creates healthy habits for you, but it also paves the way for your children to follow.