After the vacations, a period of adaptation is necessary to ensure a return to school routine that is not traumatic for children.

September marks the end of summer and with it the return to school. During the vacation months, parents tend to show more flexibility when it comes to maintaining their children’s sleep habits. In addition, throughout the summer there are changes of bedding (hotels, beach apartments, camps, etc.) that influence an alteration of sleep habits.

In the return to the usual routine, special care must be taken to respect the importance of sleep in school life. Therefore, parents should make sure that the sleeping equipment for their children is appropriate for their age and weight, as not all are the same and do not have the same characteristics. The right mattress for a seven or eight year old may not be the right mattress for a thirteen or fourteen year old preteen, negatively influencing their daily activities. The Spanish Bed Association, ASOCAMA, recommends having a sleeping equipment in perfect condition (base, mattress and pillow) to enjoy a few hours of sleep of optimum quality that allow children to develop properly both physically and mentally.

For a correct transition from the holiday period to the school period, it is advisable that, a few days before the start of classes, schedules are adapted to adapt them back to the usual routine. It is especially important to try to correct night schedules in order to prepare for the return to the classroom. The routine of dinner, bath and bedtime should be brought forward little by little so that the change of schedules is not abrupt for the children and they arrive at the first day of school sleeping enough hours to ensure an optimal use of the classes.

In addition to adapting the schedule, parents should adopt a positive attitude towards the change of routines and let the children participate in the back-to-school preparations with them, buying school supplies or clothes. In addition, parents have the task of awakening the child’s interest in the course that is beginning, for which they should look through the new books with him or prepare the portfolio.

ASOCAMA, through its website (www.asocama.es) offers advice on how to enjoy the benefits of a correct rest that contributes to a perfect development of children in their school years.