Back to school: Getting into a proper sleep routine

Here we go! The summer -unfortunately!- is ending, a new school season, however, full of beautiful adventures is ahead of us! The first and most important change that parents have to deal with in this phase is the transition from the relaxed summer sleeping schedule, to the strict school schedule and waking up in the morning, which also means going to bed earlier at night. Challenge! Many children lose their proper sleep routine during the summer, as the longer days and the need to relax after a busy season offer plenty of opportunities for fun (and a little late night)! It's this change, however, that makes the transition to a school sleep routine a challenge for any parent...which you'll tackle even better by following the guidelines below from the Orion Strom team! Start gradually! No one likes sudden changes! To help your child gradually adjust to a different bedtime, simply put them to bed 30 minutes earlier a week before the first week of school. In case your child still sleeps late, you can try waking him up a little earlier in the morning so that the sleep clock gradually begins to shift to another zone. Sleep, the essential! Quality sleep and school performance go hand in hand! However, many parents still underestimate the amount of sleep their child really needs. In fact, it is very important for parents to ensure that children get enough sleep, as sleep deprivation can negatively affect their learning and behavior in the school environment. Establish and implement a healthy sleep routine early each night You might be surprised to find that for school-aged children, the entire evening routine is important! This even includes dinner. Did you know that children take longer to digest a meal than adults? Enjoy dinner with them at least two hours before they go to bed, and once they go to bed, it's important to rely on a relaxing routine to help signal that it's time for them to wind down and sleep. Choose 3-4 things that need to happen every night such as bathing, brushing teeth, choosing clothes and packing a school bag for the next day. At the same time, turn off electronics at least an hour before bed. The light produced by TV, computers, tablets, etc. it can actually inhibit melatonin production. Invest in relaxing activities A child's daily schedule is extremely busy! Regardless of all the activities the kids have to do, make sure they enjoy a relaxing break in the afternoon, or even a leisurely walk in the park or neighborhood. At the same time, activities such as puzzles, reading extracurricular books, or even making toys as we approach the hours leading up to sleep, are still some "smart" occasions to relax the mind and gradually transition into a sleep phase. Children's room and... children's mattresses All of the above are ways to lead your child to sleep in a good mood. But if the bedroom environment and the mattress are not ideal, then it is very likely that the child will not be able to enjoy a restful and beneficial sleep! Create a calm, dark, clean and healthy bedroom environment that induces sleep. At the same time, take care of the appropriate mattress that will help the child's body feel comfortable and rested. But what does it mean to choose a mattress for children? Every age has its own needs! The school period is distinguished by various phases of the child's development, with the transition from childhood to preadolescence and from there to adolescence, often treated in the same way by parents in terms of mattress properties. In many cases, the same mattress from 1st grade follows a child's sleep until high school, even though the changes in the body are great. For this reason, the purchase of a good children's mattress around the first school grades, must be included in the plan of at least one replacement in adolescence, in order to ensure the ideal response to the new physical needs of the child. Let's not forget that sleep may be necessary for young children who are in the development phase, however, in the high school years as we move towards the Pan-Hellenic exams, the demands at school are high and by extension, quality sleep for the teenager can prove to be an important detail in school performance. Appreciating the needs of childhood for quality sleep, the Orion Strom team proposes from its collection the Star Plus Coco mattress , which is an excellent solution for quality sleep. For more information on choosing the ideal children's mattress, contact sleep Orion experts​ Strom !