Start Preparing Now For Start Time Changes

With changes to school start times this fall, now is the perfect time for families to begin preparing. Establishing healthy sleep routines over the summer can make a big difference when the school year begins.

New School Hours

• Elementary: 7:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
• Middle Schools: 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
• High School: 8:35 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.
• St. Croix Valley ALC & Bridge Transition: 8:45 a.m. - 2:55 p.m.

Why Sleep Is Important  

Research demonstrates that children who get more sleep: 

• Have higher grade averages. 
• Perform better on reasoning and mathematical skills. 
• Have higher reading scores. 
• Experience fewer accidents. 
• Get along with others better. 
• Focus. 
• Get sick less frequently. 
• Are less likely to be overweight. 

How Much Sleep Do Children Need? 

• Children 5 to 6 years of age need an average of 11 to 12 hours of sleep in a twenty-four hour period. 
• Children 7 to 11 years of age need an average of 10 to 11 hours of sleep in a twenty-four hour period.  
• Teens need an average of 8.25 hours of sleep in a twenty-four hour period.

You Know A Child Is Not Getting Enough Sleep If They: 

• Do not wake up on his own in the morning. 
• Lose it over “little things”. 
• Experience stomach or head aches. 
• Are crabby, anxious, or uncooperative in  the morning. 
• Crave carbohydrates. 
• Can’t get along with others. 
• Have trouble staying on task. 
• Talk excessively. 
• Is hyper – especially at bedtime. 

You Know A Child Is Getting Enough Sleep If They:    

• Are cooperative in the morning. 
• Listen well. 
• Stay focused on tasks. 
• Can easily solve problems with you. 
• Get along well with others. 
• Eat well at meals. 
• Are able to cope with changes in routine or surprises. 
• Are healthy. 
• Fall asleep easily at night. 

Children who don’t wake up on their own in the morning need an earlier bedtime. 

Tips For Bedtime: 

• Have a regular routine each night (brushing teeth, books, songs and stories, visiting,  back rub) 
• Bedtime should be about the same time 7 days a week. (No more than an hour different on the weekends) 
• If a child’s bath excites them, avoid bathing at bedtime. 
• No TV or computer in the bedroom 
• Limit “screen time” (TV, video games, computer) to 30-60 minutes a day –No screen time in the evening before bed.
• Take time to connect at bedtime. A calm child falls asleep more easily and stays asleep.

This guidance comes from Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, author of Sleepless in America and Raising Your Spirited Child, and Kim Mueske, teacher in School District 196.

Additional Resources:

• How to reset your child's sleep schedule for back-to-school

• Healthy Sleep Habits for Older Children and Teens