With a new school year starting for many this month, your kids are now used to staying up late as well as sleeping in during their summer break; they would have a tough time waking up if school were to start tomorrow. It is NOW time to start their back-to-school sleep schedule, so they are getting enough sleep to feel refreshed and well rested for their first day. Keeping up with school work and after school activities is hard enough without fighting afternoon sleepiness caused by not getting enough sleep at night. Lack of sleep can cause your child to develop learning difficulties, lack of focus and delayed physical reactions in addition to showing signs of ADD (attention deficit disorder) and weight gain. Your child needs to ease into this sleep schedule gradually at least two weeks before school starts so they can fall asleep easy by the time school starts. Keeping healthy sleep habits throughout the school year and even on the weekends will help them wake up with the amount of sleep they need for their age. According to the National Sleep Foundation, children between the ages of five and 11 require 10 to 11 hours of sleep. Since children older than age five usually don't nap at school, this means that they need 10 to 11 hours of sleep at night. Children ages 13 to 18 generally require 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep, just a little more than required by those 19 and older. See How Many Hours of Sleep do Teenagers Need for more information. Read more »