Kingsdown's Sleep Expert Says Now Is The Time To Begin Transitioning Children From Their Summer To School Night Routine

MEBANE, N.C., Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning in mid-August, elementary, middle and high school students will start making their annual trek back to classrooms and with that comes a familiar parental struggle to restore the nightly sleep routine in many cases lost to summer schedules.

According to Dr. Robert Oexman, director of Kingsdown's Sleep to Live Institute, there are four key things parents can do to assure their child gets a better night's sleep and perform better in school. He, along with most experts in the field, believes a full night's sleep between nine to 10 hours is vital to a child's mental and physical health, yet most don't get the recommended number of hours per night, and possibly even more required for teenagers.

"Children tend to follow irregular sleep schedules in the summer, whether it's because they are allotted a later bedtime, go to summer camp, daycare or stay up later. And sleep doesn't just recharge how a child feels, it recharges their entire body," said Oexman. "A full night's sleep increases muscle repair which maximizes injury prevention, as well as their endurance, further enhancing their abilities to play outside, run around or play sports. Sleep is completely mentally, physically and psychologically recharging, especially for a child, and it's important to transition them back into a 'school year sleep schedule' before it actually starts."

TIPS:

1. De-clutter – Technology is a big part of our world, this creates a conflict around bedtime. Make sure to remove technology from the bedroom to ensure your child gets to bed in a timely manner.
2. Temperature:  A child's bedroom should optimally be 65-68 degrees. Oexman recommends cracking open a window, turning on a fan or the air conditioner to cool down at night
3. Mattress/Pillow:  It's important to choose a child's mattress and pillow based on their body type.  Oexman recommends using resources like bedMATCH, a tool designed to help consumers choose bedding based on their bodies.
4. Light:  A child's bedroom should be completely dark. Cellphones, TVs, alarm clocks and bright nightlights can inhibit melatonin production, which humans use to fall asleep. 
5. Noise:  It's important to eliminate noise from the bedroom. If that isn't possible, Oexman recommends investing in a white noise machine.

Kingsdown, Inc., founded in 1904 and headquartered in Mebane, N.C., is a manufacturer of premium mattress systems serving leading retailers across the United States and more than 20 countries. Each product is manufactured using handcrafted techniques combined with state-of-the-art research, materials and equipment. Research and development, training and distribution facilities, as well as its manufacturing facility, are also headquartered in Mebane.  www.kingsdown.com

SOURCE Kingsdown, Inc.

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