Kids should stick to a sleep routine on vacation

School holidays are here, and children and teenagers no longer have that hectic routine of going to school, having extracurricular activities and other commitments. But during this period, it is important for parents to pay attention to the quality of their sleep and not let their children sleep and wake up whenever they want.

Pediatrician Gustavo Moreira, a researcher at the Instituto do Sono, says that it is normal for students to sleep more in the first week to regain sleep and rest, but that parents should be aware and set limits with times to go to bed and get up from it .

“Children and young people have been spending a lot of time in front of screens and this is very harmful. As a result, they tend to go to bed later and later and many switch from day to night”, he says. He notes that, during the pandemic, some children spent up to 12 hours in front of screens and that many have not abandoned this custom now that classes are no longer remote.

The doctor advises parents to control their time in front of screens and offer activities during the day so that children can play and practice sports, for example. “Travel is always a great alternative, as it offers more experiences and leisure time. If you can’t, it’s worth looking for activities in parks, squares and other attractions to do in your city to take the kids off the screen.”

In the case of long-distance international travel, the doctor says it is important to be aware of jet lag (an English term used to designate a temporary sleep disorder, which occurs when there is a lack of synchrony between the body’s biological clock and the time zone of the place of destination). “As they sleep poorly on the plane, travelers tend to go to bed earlier when they arrive at their destination. The next day, the ideal thing is for them to get out of bed and expose themselves to sunlight to show the brain that the day has started, which helps the organism to get in synchrony with the local reality.”

Deborah Coghi, a family mentor specializing in children’s sleep, observes that many children and young people have two months of vacation and parents cannot have the same amount of time off, which is very difficult to reconcile work and child care. She suggests, among other strategies, rotating the children at friends’ houses to have a vacation schedule when it is not possible to travel and go on outings.

“If the child starts to have more outdoor activities, with intense movement, with access to the sun, earth and water, the tendency is for him to sleep more, because the experiences of a sensorial nature stimulate sleep. However, if this child who is on vacation, she has more access to screens, games and ends up spending most of her day sedentary, the tendency is for her to sleep less and worse.”

Vacations, says Coghi, are not just for parents to wish that time would pass soon, but a time to allow their children to experience activities that add learning to their lives. “It is necessary to keep in mind that every moment they are in front of a screen, having access to the virtual world, they are missing a moment of learning. They need to have experiences.” She suggests options such as summer camp, recreators who are hired to go to the condominiums, in addition to calling friends to play at home.

Best times

“I often say that smart parents plan their children’s bedtime when they wake up. at the most appropriate time for the relevant physiological processes that occur in childhood,” said Coghi.

“Holiday schedules will vary more or less, but it is important to keep a window of 30 minutes or an hour so as not to disrupt their biological clock so much and the tiredness becomes excessive, it is not possible for a child who wakes up every day at 7am, wake up at 10am on vacation. She can, for example, sleep until 8am,” says Coghi.

Sleep consultant and obstetric nurse Sônia Masson Sertório agrees and says that on vacation parents should pay attention to sleep, but also to two other factors: good nutrition and physical activity. “Holidays are times to relax, but without letting the routine become chaos. Sleeping too late will make children more irritable, in addition to messing with their appetite and greater desire for fatty and sugary foods.”

naps during the day

Young children, up to four years old, also need at least one nap a day. “It’s worth taking a nap on your lap, in a stroller or even on a yoke spread out on the beach sand under a good umbrella. Sleep is essential for good motor and cognitive development and is also linked to the regularization of all body hormones”, says Sertorius.

“The nap should last up to one hour and always after lunch, that is, it should not exceed 2 pm so as not to interfere with going to bed at night”, says Coghi. For children over four years old who feel the need to sleep during the day, she observes that sleep at night has probably not been restful, that is, they have been sleeping less than they need.

Can you sleep late on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve?

Some children and teens will stay up past midnight at holiday parties, such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve. According to experts, as it is a one-off situation, there are no problems.

“But, it’s not worth forcing. Only if the child is in a good mood, because a child who is too tired gets tearful and irritated, which doesn’t help at all in the party atmosphere. An afternoon nap can be a solution for these days when it is known will sleep much later than usual”, advises Coghi.

Doctor Moreira adds that, in this specific case of the end of year festivities, they can catch up on sleep the next morning. What cannot, says the pediatrician, is to become routine.

back to school

And when the holidays are ending, it is important at least a week before returning to school to gradually reduce the start and end times of the day so that the children are ready for the school routine.

By taking care of the vacation routine, the child suffers less to go back to school. “Adapting to school happens much more smoothly if the children are well rested. A tired child is synonymous with an irritated child. Nothing is better than a great family interaction if everyone is enjoying the moments together. So, let the children sleep well”, said Sertório .