Schools are about to reopen after a two-month vacation in most locations, and parents everywhere are thinking about “back to school” shopping for new clothes and school supplies. Everyone has one eye on the swine flu and schools are preparing for immunization clinics and procedures to follow if children become ill.

These are all necessary steps for the new school year. But perhaps the most overlooked preparation for school, for children of all ages, is adequate sleep. Keeping children physically and mentally strong requires that they have an adequate amount of sleep to nourish their growing bodies. But at the end of summer, going to bed early is the last thing children want to do, and it’s very hard to get in the habit of an adequately early bedtime when it’s still light out and hot to boot.

One simple way to deal with this and make sure your children have sufficient sleep each night is to start moving bedtime back by fifteen minutes each night until you have accomplished your goal. And how much is enough sleep?

Between the ages of 4 and 14 (the ages discussed on this blog) the National Sleep Foundation reports that children need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each night, the greater amount at the younger end of the spectrum. Their studies reveal that most American children get closer to 9 hours than 11.

Many sleep experts point out that different children seem to require different amounts of sleep, so there’s no “normal” range that fits all children. But these experts hasten to note that many American children are not getting enough sleep, regardless of what the ideal amount for them might be. They note also that lack of sleep does take a toll on learning and behavior.

So, enjoy the last days of vacation and try to help your children develop some good getting-ready-for-school routines…getting to bed a little earlier each night and also starting back into the habit of reading before bedtime if that has slipped away over the summer.