7 Tips to Help Kids Sleep Better After Summer Break

Still Struggling With the Fall Schedule? Real-Life Sleep Solutions for Back-to-School Transitions

Summer has a sneaky way of unraveling even the strongest sleep habits.

Later sunsets turn into later bedtimes. Ice cream becomes part of the evening routine. Vacations, pool days, and “just this once” decisions start stacking up. None of those things are “bad” but there’s definitely a season for them where your days are lazier and you have fewer set obligations.

Now that school or daycare is back in session, if you’re still functioning on those summer schedules, your child probably is overtired, hard to wake in the morning, or up before the sun. Sound familiar?

Even if your child has a solid foundation for sleep, transitions like this can still throw things off. That doesn’t mean you need to start over or panic. It just means their body clock needs a little support getting back on track.

The good news? With a few simple changes, you can help your child reset and bring back smoother bedtimes and wakeups at the right time in the mornings, which will help everyone be in a better mood! (And if you have some time before they go back to school, I recommend this post with actionable tips on moving the bedtime schedule back to the “regular” bedtime.)

Here are seven strategies I recommend to shift back into routine without bedtime battles or (parent!) burnout.

1. Shift the Whole Day, Not Just Bedtime

One of the most common mistakes I see is trying to fix bedtime in isolation. If your child has been going to bed at 8:30pm all summer and now you want them asleep by 7:30pm, that’s a big ask. Instead of focusing only on the end of the day, look at the full 24-hour schedule.

Start by waking them up a bit earlier in the morning, even on weekends. Move meals earlier by 15–30 minutes. Shift any naps (or quiet rest time) a little earlier. Start the wind-down routine sooner. When the whole day moves, bedtime becomes easier to adjust.

Body clocks run on patterns, and they’re much more responsive to consistent daytime signals than they are to just being told “It’s bedtime now.”

2. Use Late Afternoon Sunlight and Snacks

Late afternoon can be a tricky time. Your child might come home from school or daycare overstimulated, tired, or bouncing off the walls. That energy burst can mess with the rest of the evening if it’s not channeled well.

Try this instead: get them outside for some natural light around 4 or 5pm. Even just 20 minutes helps regulate melatonin. Pair that with a balanced snack that includes protein and fat—think cheese and fruit, hummus or nut butter with crackers, or yogurt with chia seeds. Avoid sugary treats in this window. This combo helps stabilize blood sugar and gives your child a calm energy boost instead of the dreaded spike-and-crash situation.

3. Shut Down Screens at Least 90 Minutes Before Bed

If you made exceptions for screen time over the summer, you’re not alone. But the start of a new season is the perfect time to bring back a consistent evening boundary. The blue light from screens delays melatonin and revs up the brain. Even “calm” shows can get in the way of sleep readiness.

Try turning screens off at least 90 minutes before your target bedtime. That includes tablets, TVs, phones, and even those “quiet” educational videos. Replace them with low-stimulation options like audiobooks, coloring, puzzles, or building with blocks. This shift alone can lead to easier bedtimes within just a few days.

If this is something you particularly struggle with in your house, I recommend reading my post How Screen Time Affects Your Child’s Sleep (and how to limit it without a fight!)

If your child is starting to read before bed, I HIGHLY recommend these glasses to block the blue light! (Opt for ones with amber lens which filter almost all of the blue blue, as opposed to the clear lens that only block half.)

4. Rein in the Summer Sugar

If your summer included nightly popsicles, ice cream runs, or s’mores, it’s completely normal to see bedtime struggles now.

Sugar messes with more than just teeth. It can hijack your kiddo’s nervous system. That quick hit of sweetness sends blood sugar soaring, which might give them a burst of energy and a temporary mood boost. But what goes up usually comes down fast. Cue the crash, which can leave kids feeling cranky, foggy, or just off. Not exactly the vibe you want before bed.

Start dialing things back by making dessert an occasional treat, not a nightly one. If you still want to offer a treat, move it to earlier in the day. Consider swapping in fruit with nut butter, frozen bananas with dark chocolate chips, or smoothies with added fat and protein. You’re not being the “no fun” parent…you’re setting them up for restful sleep and better behavior tomorrow.

5. Try a 3-Question Wind Down

Sometimes the body is tired but the mind is still buzzing. If your child has a hard time settling at night, it could be that they haven’t mentally processed their day.

Adding a short emotional check-in to your bedtime routine can make a big difference.

I recommend reading this post with the three questions to ask your preschooler during the bedtime routine.

This small moment of connection helps your child offload anything that’s bothering them and settle more easily.

6. Make a Goodbye Summer Ritual

Kids do better with transitions when they feel intentional. Rather than snapping back into school mode, give your child a chance to say goodbye to summer and embrace a new rhythm.

You might build a small bedtime book basket with back-to-school or fall-themed stories. Let your child pick a “special sleep buddy” just for this new season. Create a visual bedtime chart together using stickers or drawings or get this ready-made bedtime routine chart. None of this needs to be fancy—it just needs to be meaningful.

These small rituals create a sense of structure and give your child the emotional stability they need to move forward with confidence.

7. Keep the Same Sleep Schedule on Weekends

This one is easy to overlook. If you let your child stay up later or sleep in on the weekends, Mondays will continue to feel like a crash landing.

Try to keep their schedule consistent seven days a week. That means wake-up time, nap or quiet time, and bedtime all stay within about 15-30 minutes of their weekday routine. You can still keep weekends special, but try not to swing the sleep schedule too far out of sync.

Consistency is what helps their body clock settle into a rhythm they can rely on.

Final Thoughts

Transitions are hard enough even when your child knows how to sleep well. And after a long, relaxed summer, it’s completely normal for bedtime to feel off. The key is not to start from scratch but to gently guide things back toward structure.

With small daily changes and a bit of patience, you’ll see progress. If the schedule still feels sticky after a couple of weeks or if your child is constantly overtired, don’t hesitate to reach out. I offer one-on-one support for families who need help fine-tuning routines or troubleshooting persistent sleep issues.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. You can schedule an evaluation call here!

From Summer Chaos to School Nights: Reset Your Child’s Sleep Schedule Fast

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This post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you, your child and/or your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your child’s physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.