TYLER, Texas — In the spirit of school starting soon, it's important your children are well-rested.
Sleep expert Dr. Raghavendra Ghuge from the Sleep Institute of Texas in Tyler has some tips on how to train kids to get back into a good sleep routine.
The first thing he said parents want to do is about a week or two before school starts try to get their kid to bed about an hour earlier each night until they reach the desired time.
Typically, Ghuge said parents want to shoot for 9 p.m. and get the kids up by 7 a.m.
Ghuge suggested taking away technology devices like tablets and cell phones at an earlier time, typically by 7 p.m.
Kids also shouldn't have caffeine, such as sodas or chocolates, late in the evening. Parents should make sure the kids drink plenty of water, get a lot of physical exercise and maintain a proper diet, Ghuge said.
He said grade school kids need at least 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night. Without sufficient sleep, it can be hard for a child to retain and pay attention to the information they learn in school.
"Your ability to recall what you learned, your ability to play hard in any sport that you play, your ability to grow physically, emotionally, mentally, all of them can be hampered. Kids will start getting depressed, they start getting headaches, ADD and they start gaining weight," Ghuge said.
He also said, as people get older naps shouldn’t be necessary anymore, especially if they're getting enough sleep at night. He said napping as an adult can also lead to an increased risk of heart disease like stroke or dementia.
For those having trouble sleeping, Ghuge recommends getting checked out by a sleep expert for a sleep test and to fix any problems.