Structure and routines and sleep schedules, oh my!

Preparing for back to school means more than just gathering pencil cases, binders, pens and new shoes. Back to school (in whatever form it takes this year) also means a mindset shift with respect to schedules. The summer days of late nights, lazy mornings and no homework are coming to a close (insert sad face here!). For many families, this means that the words routines and sleep schedules are a reality. 

Routines

What do you think of when you hear the word “routine”? Does it send shivers down your spine with thoughts of calendars, schedules, task lists and to-dos….and maybe also of trying to get your kids to follow all of these routines? Well, whether you have a love-it or despite-it relationship with routines, we know that they are important for kids. 

“Our children are counting on us to provide two things: consistency and structure.” 

- Barbara Coloroso

So why are routines important, especially for our kids with learning differences? Routines provide: 

  • Predictability (knowing what is coming next, understanding what the day will look like)

  • Clear expectations (knowing what is expected of them, lack of grey areas)

  • Stability (decreases surprises and unknowns)

  • Simplicity (rhythm and flow of the day)

We had Bestselling Author of Simplicity Parenting, Kim John Payne as a guest expert in one of our SYT Learn live calls (check it out here!) where he talked about the benefits of rhythm in our daily lives. Kim talked about how rhythm, simplicity and predictability bring our brain out of survival mode while also providing familiarity and a sense of safety. 

“Increasing the rhythm of your home life is one of the most powerful ways of simplifying your children’s lives” - Kim John Payne

Structure can be created by setting expectations for responsibilities, creating schedules for some of the main events of the day (wake and bedtime, mealtimes, homework etc) and keeping communication open about the flow of the day that works best for your family (involve your kids in decision making about what the new routines will look like where possible!). A few things to keep in mind as we set out new routines for our kids (and especially for our kids with learning differences):

  • Allow lots of time for them to complete the tasks/routine

  • It will feel new, and you may get push back at first...until they see the routines are part of their new reality, and they become a familiar part of their day

  • Provide visuals of the routine (think pictures, charts, spreadsheets or lists)

  • Provide lots of time for practice and repetition of new routines (set them up for success!)

Sleep 

One of the keystones of a good routine is sleep. A long-debated topic between parents and children (our kids seem to become hungry, thirsty, voracious book-readers at bedtime!). We know that getting our kids (and teens!!!) to get enough sleep is important...right from the very start of parenthood, it becomes one of the most talked-about topics in parenting circles - how is your child sleeping? 

So what are the recommended sleep amounts? It depends on the age of your child. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that preschoolers get 10-13 hours per day (including naps), school-aged children 9-11 hours, and teenagers 8-10 hours a day. However for many, including those children who have learning (dis)abilities hitting these targets can be a struggle.   

One 2014 survey stated that “over 80% of parents report sleep difficulties in their children who have LD, with one quarter saying the sleep problems are severe” (West London Mental Health).

So why is sleep so important? Lack of sleep can have a negative effect on your mental health such as: 

  • How you think - concentration, decision-making, problem-solving

  • Your behaviours - how you act and the activities you choose  

  • Your feelings/emotions - increased anxiety, stress, grumpiness

  • Your physical body - feeling tired, feeling like you are sluggish

“An accumulating body of evidence shows that insufficient sleep is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes. For example, a recent systematic review that examined the relationships between sleep duration and various health outcomes in children and adolescents from 40 different countries found that longer sleep duration was associated with lower [obesity], better emotional regulation, better academic achievement and better quality of life/well-being”  (Michaud & Chaput, 2016)

Sleep issues can be a symptom that there are other issues that need to be identified including mental health issues (such as anxiety or depression) or medical issues. Those with learning disabilities may also have additional risk factors for sleep issues due to different brain structure, medications they may be on, or issues related to hormones and circadian rhythms (which may be prevalent in those with ld’s) (Bruni and Novelli, 2010). There are so many layers to our sleep experience, it can be an overwhelming part of setting up a routine and understanding how to improve our quality of sleep.

So how do we set ourselves and our kids up for a good night’s sleep? Ashley Olivine, a sleep specialist (who will be one of our guest experts in our Online Summit this November!), has lots of tips, here are a few to get us started: 

  • Dim the lights leading up to bedtime to get your body ready for sleep

  • Stick to a routine to create a rhythm in your body

  • No screens before bed

  • Keep sleep routines consistent on weekdays and weekends

  • Turn off your mind and try to relax

  • Get out of bed if can’t fall asleep - treat your bed as a place to sleep and move to a chair or another location if you need some time to wind down before you are ready to try to again to get to sleep

  • Keep a journal or notebook beside your bed to get your thoughts out of your head

Routines and sleep schedules may not be our favourite things to implement as parents, but research demonstrates that the benefits of this type of structure are multi-layered. This process is often much easier for younger children who are more apt to want to please their parents by following (or attempting to follow!) the rules and expectations that you have outlined. However, this process often seems harder with tweens and teens, doesn’t it? Studies found that around one-third of Canadian adolescents sleep less than the recommended amount (Michaud & Chaput, 2016). In addition, setting up new structures or routines at a time when teenagers are trying to gain independence over their lives, can be more of a challenge. We get that. We all just do the best that we can. 

Getting back to routines and schedules may not always be an easy transition after the summer months, but let’s work together to try to embrace the to-dos, the rhythms and the structures that will help our kids to thrive. 

Anxiety, ADHD, Dyslexia, Learning (dis)AbilitiesSusan Schenkback to learning series, sleep struggles, your child's sleep, back to school, routine, ADHD, dyslexia, learning differences, learning disability, anxiety, brain structure, not enough sleep, physical health, mental health, no screens, dim lights, get to bed