I am not emotionally prepared to say goodbye to summer. The long days, the late nights, the obscene amount of ice cream I have ingested recently — it’s all been a dream. That said, reality (and algebra) is looming, and it might be time to start reeling in that “stay-up-till-2-a.m.-watching-random-YouTube-videos” sleep schedule.

Let’s be honest: teens and tweens act like sleep is optional — like something they can pick up at the gas station when they feel like it. Meanwhile, science says otherwise. It turns out that staying up until the birds start chirping and then sleeping until noon isn’t a sustainable plan once that school bell starts ringing again.

According to researchers (and every parent who’s ever tried to wake up a teenager), school schedules and a teen’s natural sleep cycle go together like oil and water… or more accurately, like teenagers and mornings in general. Teens are biologically wired to be night owls — which is cute until the first 7 a.m. bus stop selfie looks like a crime scene.

Still, kids of all ages need sleep. A lot of it. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends:
– Ages 6-12: 9-12 hours of sleep (aka, more than most adults even dream about)
– Teens: 8-10 hours (good luck with that)

And if your kid is getting fewer than six hours? According to a 2023 study out of Carnegie Mellon, that’s when things really start to unravel. Think: foggy brains, forgotten homework, GPA drop-offs, and using ketchup packets as a food group.

The science is clear: sleep helps the brain file away the important stuff (like math equations and the lunchroom schedule) and toss the junk (like whatever TikTok trend peaked yesterday). Without enough shut-eye, the brain’s like a cluttered closet — no idea where anything is, but lots of yelling involved.

So how can parents help their kids ease back into a healthy sleep routine without full-on mutiny? Try these battle-tested, sanity-saving strategies:

1. Set a bedtime. Stick to it. Bribe if necessary.

A consistent bedtime helps reset those summer-fried sleep cycles. If your kid goes from staying up till 1 a.m. on weekends to a strict 9 p.m. on Sunday, you’re in for drama. Ease them back in slowly. Weekends can have some flexibility — not full Vegas hours.

2. Wind ‘em down like a fancy clock.

Trying to get a kid to sleep right after a VR marathon is like trying to put a cat in a sweater — possible, but you’ll both end up crying. Instead, do calm things before bed: read a book, lay out clothes, silently question your life choices — whatever works.

3. Avoid bedtime brawls.

If your kid is in bed, reading quietly and not trying to start a dance party — let it be. They’ll fall asleep eventually. Not every night needs to be a showdown at the Not-OK Corral.

4. Make sleep sound appealing.

Nothing says “I don’t want to go to bed” like hearing your parents laugh at grown-up jokes in the living room. Try to keep things low-key after lights-out. Turn the TV down, talk in hushed tones, and avoid loudly unwrapping snacks unless you’re OK sharing.

Or, you can do it like we do in my house and put the adults to bed before it’s even totally dark out. Whichever makes your heart happy.

Bottom line: kids need sleep like parents need coffee — desperately and on a regular schedule. The better rested they are, the more likely they are to thrive in school (and maybe even remember to bring their lunchbox home). So yes, summer’s winding down — but if we play it right, bedtime battles don’t have to wind up.

Now go hide the tablet and pretend you weren’t just watching TikToks until midnight.