PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

It’s summer, which likely means later bedtimes. But how do you make sure kids are still getting enough rest?

According to Dr. Joseph Aracri, the system chair of pediatrics with Allegheny Health Network Pediatric Institute, it all depends on their family’s activity level.

For working parents, the family’s routine may not change much because everyone is still getting up in the morning to head to childcare or summer camp. For families with kids at home during the summer months, there are numerous factors that play into their sleep schedule.

“For the stay-at-home parent, [if] the child doesn’t have any activities on a daily basis, I think it’s OK to be a little bit slack,” says Aracri. “It’s OK to let your child sleep in a little bit longer in the morning, play outside later. The whole idea is playing outside.”

For example, if children are swimming, they’re likely going to tire themselves out and fall asleep earlier.

“I think the real thing to focus on in the summer is activity, getting the kids used to being outside, playing, away from screen time, away from TV, away from gaming devices and really just take advantage of the extended day and just play until the old-fashioned, you play ‘til the streetlights come on.”

For families who have to keep to a routine in the summer, it’s important to maintain that routine, he says. The days are longer, so ensuring kids’ rooms have shades or curtains and wind down a little before their actual bedtime is important.

“Every child is different … You just have to read your child and know your child as far as how much sleep they would need in the summer,” he says. 

He cautioned against letting kids stay up later while school is still in session, as much as they may be eager to enter summer mode. 

“You want them to still be able to function in school so you do have to maintain your school schedule until school is out,” he says.

When fall approaches, Aracri says that’s the time to bring bedtime back into alignment, beginning two to three weeks before school starts to get them used to the schedule, slowly bringing their bedtime earlier and waking them in the morning. 

“But in the summer, just let the kids be kids. Let them do what they need to do,” he says.