School is finally out for many children across the U.S., and the sun lingers in the sky later each evening. However, medical professionals caution that this should not signal the end of bedtime routines. Sleep is critically important for developing brains and bodies, and federal guidelines recommend 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night for children aged 12 and under.
Adequate sleep also helps protect against chronic diseases, mental health problems, and injuries. That is why it is essential for children involved in sports and other activities to maintain a bedtime even during the summer break, according to Dr. Brian Chen, a sleep specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.
“Children at different stages of life may naturally go to bed and wake up at different times. Younger kids generally wake up earlier, while older kids and teenagers tend to sleep in later,” Chen explained. “But whether they need a schedule depends on what they have planned during the summer.”
Bedtimes help regulate the body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, which influences body temperature, hormone release, and the sleep-wake cycle. A 2013 study of 10,000 U.K. children found that those with late and irregular bedtimes were more likely to exhibit behavioral issues compared to peers with consistent bedtimes. Recent research supports these findings, showing that greater variability in bedtimes correlates with worse behavior.
“If you change bedtimes frequently—say, 7 p.m. one night, 9 p.m. the next, 8 p.m. the next, 10 p.m. the next—you induce a jet-lag effect that makes it very difficult to regulate behavior,” said Yvonne Kelly, a professor at University College London and co-author of the 2013 study.
For less active children, there may be some flexibility, but shifting too far from the school-year schedule can make it harder to readjust. “We generally recommend shifting no more than one hour earlier per week,” Chen advised. If schedules become off track, he suggests a gradual adjustment: “Little by little, shifting up by about 10 minutes a day over a month should work fine.”
Nevertheless, many U.S. children are not getting enough sleep overall. Federal data indicates that children in southern states are disproportionately affected. Heat disrupts sleep by preventing the body from cooling down—a crucial step for falling asleep—and reducing time spent in restorative deep and REM sleep, according to Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California.
