Enjoying Summer WITHOUT Sacrificing Sleep

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Schooooooool’s out for the SUMMER! 

Sunday, June 20 officially marked the first day of summer! School has ended in many places and summer camps are starting. Perhaps you are starting to look forward to some summer trips as COVID-regulations continue to loosen. 

However, summer also has a tendency to reak havoc upon our little one’s sleep if we aren’t conscientious of it. I’m not trying to be a total debbie-downer here - I want everyone to enjoy summer to the fullest, especially the especially challenging last year we’ve all had! 

But, we also know what overtired, underslept toddlers and preschoolers are like - 

They are crabby and disagreeable. It’s no fun to take crabby, disagreeable kids to restaurants and on outings. 

Overtired kids have a tendency to wake EARLIER the next day, kickstarting a vicious cycle of continuing to be overtired, irritable, and the like. 

Here are 5 tips to help have a great summer without sacrificing sleep!

Prioritize a Regular Bedtime.

Most toddlers 1-2 years old need about 11-14 hours of sleep spread between night sleep and nap(s). Preschoolers (3-5 years old) need about 10-13 hours of sleep over 24. 

Although I like to keep bedtime *somewhat* flexible, based on nap quality and activity level throughout the day, having a consistent range that bedtime falls in really helps our littles sleep well. A consistent, early bedtime (between 6-8:00 p.m.) has been shown to help improve behavior in our littles. 

I know, I know: an early bedtime doesn’t always coincide well with fun summer nights. You can TRY to shift your NON-NAPPING preschooler’s schedule by bumping bedtime back 15 minutes at a time every 3-5 days to see how it works out for them. Try being the key word here.

To consider this successful, we would want to see your child sleeping 15 minutes later in the morning. Now, I don’t encourage shifting it by a large amount, but a 7:00 p.m. bedtime MAY be able to shift to a 7:15 or a 7:30 p.m. bedtime. If your child’s morning wakeup time doesn’t shift with the later bedtime - or, even worse - it shifts earlier, then it’s safe to say the later bedtime just isn’t worth the lost sleep. 

DARK, DARK, DARK & Cool Room

You’ll hear me preach this over & over again, a DARK room is a HUGE piece of our healthy sleep puzzle. However, the later sunsets and earlier sunrises don’t always help our little one’s sleep if the light is creeping into their rooms. 

If you aren’t using them already, consider adding blackout curtains to your child’s room. Amazon has a great blackout blind, EZ Window covers are excellent, or if you want a cheap/free solution, taping Tin foil completely across windows isn’t the prettiest look, but it sure is effective!

Also, as temperatures rise in the summer, make sure your child still has a cool room to sleep in. Change up their pajamas so that they aren’t too warm overnight. The ideal sleeping temperature falls between 68-72 degrees, so set the A/C accordingly or open windows and use fans to keep the bedroom cool overnight.

Start with a Strong Sleeper

Well-rested children tend to be more adaptable to schedule shifts and changes to their sleep routine better than kiddos that don’t have consistent sleep habits in place. If your little one is used to their consistent bedtime, routine, and sleeps well throughout the night, they are much more likely to seamlessly return to their normal sleep habits after a late night.

Utilize Light: Get Some Sun

Get outside first thing in the morning and also in the afternoon. Sunshine exposure at those times helps set our circadian rhythms, which is extremely helpful for healthy sleep habits. Don’t forget the sunscreen! You can also use light exposure at the end of the day to help your child prepare for bedtime by dimming lights in the house in the hour or so before bedtime.

80/20 Rule

I WANT you to have a great summer with your kiddos and I think a sleep/life balance is super important! Practicing an 80/20 rule with sleep allows you to have the occasional late night without throwing sleep all out of whack. 

In practice, this could look like one late bedtime each week. That’s usually what happens in our household. For napping littles, consider bumping bedtime earlier if you ended up skipping their nap for a fun day out. Or, if you know you have a late night planned, prioritize getting their nap in (or some post-lunch quiet, down time for the non-nappers) to help them handle the late night ahead. If you want to read more about my thoughts on balancing your child’s sleep needs and life, read here! 

I totally understand how our children’s bedtime can feel like a crutch to a fun summer, but knowing that the alternative (fussy, whiny, disagreeable littles) isn’t exactly ‘fun’ either - consider prioritizing your children’s sleep needs in order to make the late nights and busy summer days you DO choose to partake in more enjoyable for everyone. 

If you need help establishing strong sleep habits with your toddler or preschooler, I’m here for you!! Click here to learn more or here to schedule a free introductory call with me!