With the new school year underway, many families face the same challenge: getting kids back into a healthy sleep routine. After long holidays and late mornings, early starts can feel tough on everyone. According to sleep and rest expert Amanda Slinger from The Sleep Spot, the key isn’t just earlier bedtimes. It starts with the morning.
Amanda recently joined Mornings with Doug to share practical, science-backed advice for helping children (and adults) reset their body clocks and enjoy better sleep.
Why the First Weeks Back Feel So Hard
The first fortnight of school can be exhausting. Children often wake later during holidays. When school resumes, early mornings suddenly return. This can trigger what Amanda calls the “overtired trap.”
Early mornings can actually create later nights. When children become overtired, their bodies release stress hormones. As a result, kids get a late-night “second wind.” This isn’t bad behaviour. It’s physiological.
That’s why bedtime battles often intensify when routines change. The solution is not stricter discipline, but smarter rhythms.
The Most Important Sleep Habit: Wake-Up Time
Many parents focus on getting kids to bed earlier. However, Amanda says the most important habit is actually wake-up time. “Our body clock is reset every day by the time we wake up,” she explains.
Choosing a consistent wake-up time anchors the entire sleep cycle. This applies across the week and, as much as possible, on weekends too. Ideally, children should wake within an hour either side of their usual school-day time.
Too much variation creates what Amanda calls “social jet lag.” Kids may struggle to wake, feel groggy, and have difficulty focusing at school. Over time, this sets them up for poorer sleep and harder days.
Why Morning Sunlight Matters
Once kids wake up, light becomes the next powerful tool. Amanda describes light as “the best medicine.”
Natural sunlight within 15 to 30 minutes of waking sends a clear signal to the brain that the day has started. It switches off melatonin (the sleep hormone) and sets the clock for melatonin to return 12 to 14 hours later. This helps children feel sleepy at the right time in the evening.
Getting outside is essential. Light through windows or car windscreens is far less effective. Even ten minutes outdoors can help on a bright day. Walking to school, playing briefly outside, or standing under a veranda all count.
Sunglasses, however, block the light signal. Regular glasses are fine.
Adjusting Sleep Times Gradually
If your child has slipped into very late mornings, don’t panic. The body clock cannot shift quickly. Amanda recommends moving wake-up times earlier by 20 to 30 minutes per day. Slower is better. Trying to change too fast may work briefly, but the body will bounce back to its old rhythm.
This gradual approach works for children and adults alike. It also applies before travelling across time zones.
Protect the Hour Before Bed
While mornings set the clock, evenings still matter. Amanda encourages families to protect the final hour before bedtime. This means dimming the lights. Turn off unnecessary overhead lighting. Use lamps or task lighting instead. Dimmers are ideal if you have them.
Calm activities help the nervous system slow down. Reading, quiet play, or gentle conversation can all help. Screens are not always the enemy, but stimulating content and bright light can be. Sleep is not an on-off switch. Children need help transitioning into rest.
Small Changes, Big Difference
Healthy sleep routines don’t need to be rigid or “military-style.” They just need to be predictable. A steady rhythm helps calm the nervous system, improves focus at school, and reduces bedtime stress.
With consistent wake-up times, morning sunlight, gradual adjustments, and calmer evenings, families can reset sleep patterns more smoothly. And as Amanda reminds us, these habits don’t just help kids. They benefit parents too.
You can check out Doug’s full chat with Amanda Slinger below.