Sleep Routines for Children: A 7-Step Routine for the Transition to a New School Year

As the start of the school year approaches, many parents are asking the same question: How can children’s sleep routines be reestablished? It’s not easy to adjust bedtime and wake-up times—which have shifted to later hours over the summer—to the school schedule overnight. To ensure a smoother transition to the new school year, it’s important to address the child’s biological rhythm, evening habits, and the home’s overall rhythm together.

The final days of summer vacation look much the same in many homes. Bedtimes have shifted a bit later. Mornings have stretched out. Dinner is eaten later, screen time has increased, and the comfort of knowing “we don’t have to get up early tomorrow” has quietly altered the home’s rhythm.

Then school starts.

Suddenly, the child is expected to wake up at 7:00 a.m., eat breakfast, get ready, go to school, stay focused throughout the day, and go to bed at a set time again in the evening.

The problem is often not that the child “doesn’t want to sleep.”

Their body may still be on summer time. For this reason, the return to school shouldn’t be thought of solely in terms of back-to-school shopping, the school bus schedule, and the class schedule. One of the most important preparations for the new school year is reestablishing sleep and daily life rhythms.

Moreover, this isn’t just a matter for children. When the school year begins, parents’ routines also change—from mornings and mealtimes to the evening pace and even phone usage habits. One of the most effective ways to help a child adjust to the new routine is to establish a predictable evening rhythm throughout the entire household.

Why can’t sleep be separated from academic success?

Sleep is not merely a passive time when the body rests. It is closely linked to learning, memory, attention, emotional regulation, and the processing of information acquired during the day. Studies examining the relationship between sleep and school performance in children and adolescents support this.

In a meta-analytic review by Dewald and colleagues covering children and adolescents, significant correlations were found between sleep quality, sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and academic performance. The link between daytime sleepiness and academic performance was particularly striking.

In other words, the issue is not simply: “How many hours did they sleep?”

It’s also about:

• Can they fall asleep at a regular time?
• Do they wake up feeling rested in the morning,
• Is their sleep frequently interrupted at night,
• Do they feel sleepy during the day,
• and whether there is a significant difference between weekday and weekend sleep schedules—these questions are also important.

The issue becomes even more complex during adolescence. While adolescents’ biological sleep rhythms naturally tend to shift to later hours, school hours may still start early. A systematic review examining studies on delayed school start times found that later school start times can increase nighttime sleep duration in adolescents.

So, not every young person who struggles to get out of bed in the morning is “lazy.” Sometimes, biology and the calendar are truly at odds.

Why Does Children’s Sleep Schedule Get Disrupted During the School Year? Why Can the Transition from Summer to the School Year Be So Difficult?

The human body thrives on consistent rhythms.

Every day at similar times:

• Being exposed to light,
• Eating,
• Moving around,
• Relaxing,
• Sleeping and waking up provide the body with information about time.

When these time cues change over the summer, it’s not realistic to press a button on the first Monday morning of school and instantly reset the system to its previous state.

Therefore, the goal in adjusting to the school year isn’t to “send the child to bed early,” but to establish a routine that repeatedly signals to the body that night is approaching.

And you don’t need a perfect schedule for this. What you need is consistency.

1. Change bedtime gradually, not all at once

If your child has been going to bed at midnight all summer, putting them to bed at 9:30 p.m. the night before school starts is generally not a good plan.

They may get into bed, but sleep might not come. This can lead to tossing and turning, getting bored, asking for a phone, and eventually the cycle of “I can’t sleep.”

Instead, moving bedtime and wake-up time earlier in small increments of 15–30 minutes over the course of a few days provides a more manageable transition.

For example:

Day 1: 11:30
p.m. Day 2: 11:00
p.m. Day 3: 10:30
p.m. Day 4: 10:00 p.m.

Depending on the child’s age and current routine, the transition can be made even more gradually. The goal here isn’t to hit a perfect time, but to realign the biological rhythm without forcing it.

Adjust not only bedtime but also wake-up time

It’s often unrealistic to expect a child who sleeps until 11:00 AM to feel sleepy by 9:30 PM. Therefore, during the preschool years, it’s necessary to gradually move not only bedtime but also wake-up time earlier. Getting morning sunlight, going outside for a short time if possible, and having breakfast closer to the new school schedule can help support the transition.

2. Establish a short, consistent bedtime routine every night

One of the most consistent findings in research on children’s sleep habits is the value of regular bedtime routines.

Studies by Mindell and colleagues examining pre-sleep routines in children show that a consistent nighttime routine is associated with more positive sleep outcomes.

The key here is not that the routine be complicated. Quite the opposite. A few simple steps that can be repeated in the same order every evening are sufficient:

Bath → pajamas → dimming the lights → a calming activity → sleep

For younger children, a short story can be added. For older children and teens, a more independent routine can be established, such as: shower → putting away the phone → preparing the room → a few minutes of reading → sleep.

Over time, the body learns this sequence. Doing the same things in the same order becomes a kind of sensory cue that signals the arrival of nighttime.

3. Adjust the lighting and screens to match the rhythm of the night

Sometimes what sabotages the bedtime routine isn’t a lack of sleepiness, but the fact that the house is still acting as if it were daytime.

Bright overhead lights are on. The TV is on. The child has a phone in their hand. The parent is on the computer. Then someone glances at the clock and says, “Come on, it’s time to sleep.”

From the body’s perspective, the message is a bit confusing. As you approach sleep, you need to prepare the environment for nighttime as well.

In the final section before bedtime:

• Dimming the bright lights,
• Turn off the TV,
• Stop playing fast-paced games,
• Putting your phone and tablet away from the bed,
• and making the room more peaceful can be key parts of a new routine.

Especially for teens, keeping phones out of bed is often a more concrete intervention than simply telling them to “go to bed early.”

4. Make scent one of the consistent cues for bedtime

Scent is a powerful sensory stimulus closely linked to the areas of our brain associated with memory and emotions. For this reason, it’s possible to think of aromatherapy not just as “something that smells nice,” but as one of the sensory cues of a recurring routine.

While systematic reviews evaluating the effects of aromatherapy on sleep have found studies showing that aromatic compounds administered via inhalation yield positive results on sleep quality, the research methods and participant groups vary.

Consequently, it is more accurate to view aromatherapy not as a sleep treatment, but as a complementary tool that can accompany the process of preparing for sleep.

In particular, using the same soothing scent at the same time every night can, over time, become a familiar cue in a child’s or adult’s personal nighttime routine: When this scent appears, the day is coming to an end.

Terra di Simana offers several botanical options that can be used at varying intensities to ease the transition into the evening.

Lavender Hydrosol: A Gentler Start

For those who do not like the intense scents of essential oils or who prefer a gentler aromatic experience, Lavender Hydrosol is one of the simple options that can be added to an evening routine.

Hydrosols are not essential oils themselves; they are aromatic waters obtained during the distillation process of the plant, and their scent profiles are lighter than those of essential oils.

You can think of Lavender Hydrosol as a lighter lavender experience that complements your daily skincare routine and enhances the atmosphere of your room.

Sleep Companion: For those who want to incorporate the scent into their nighttime routine

Sleep Buddy is a wearable aromatherapy rosette designed to allow you to experience essential oils through controlled release without direct skin contact.

The Terra di Simana formula contains aromatic ingredients such as lavender, ylang-ylang, sweet marjoram, vetiver, and mandarin, and the pin is designed to create an aromatic space through slow release for approximately eight hours.

It can be a practical option for maintaining the same nighttime routine across different settings—such as at home, on vacation, at a grandparent’s house, or while traveling—especially during the school year.

Important: For children under 12, the Sleep Fairy should only be used under parental supervision, and as specified in the Terra di Simana product instructions, it should be applied to clothing rather than directly to the skin. All aromatic products should be kept out of reach of small children.

Calm Drops: Don’t Let the Night Begin for Parents Once the Child Goes to Sleep

One of the often-overlooked aspects of the back-to-school season is the parents.

Forms… School bus… Lunchbox… Homework… Uniforms that need ironing… “Mom, where’s my math notebook?”

By 10:30 p.m., the child may have calmed down, but the parent’s mind is still stuck at 5:00 p.m.

Terra di Simana Calming Drops is a botanical mist composed of aromatic ingredients such as lavender, marjoram, cedar, rose, jasmine, and chamomile, blended with hydrosols of geranium, vetiver, lemon balm, and chamomile.

It can be used to set the mood in the bed or bedside area as the night begins. After all, a school routine isn’t sustainable if it’s set up solely for the child and leaves the parent in chaos.

5. Don’t Cut the Evening Short Suddenly: Create a Transition Period

The child comes home from school. Eats dinner. Does homework. Stares at a screen. Runs around. Plays.

Then an adult says, “It’s time—off to bed.” But the nervous system isn’t a calendar app.

It may need time to transition from one activity to another. That’s why it’s helpful to make the last 30–60 minutes before bedtime a little different from the rest of the day.

The purpose of this time isn’t to entertain, but to gradually lower their arousal level.

For example:

• Dimmer lighting,
• A warm shower,
• Calm music,
• A book,
• A short conversation,
• Getting tomorrow’s clothes ready,
• Air out the room,
• A familiar scent can be repeated at the same time each day.

This section is especially important for anxious children. Because sometimes when a child says, “I don’t want to go to sleep,” what they actually mean is:

“I have school tomorrow, and I don’t feel ready yet.”

6. Consider scents like perfume first and foremost for the parent’s own emotional regulation

It’s easy for adults to overlook their own tension while trying to calm children down.

Yet children sense the pace of the household just as much as they hear what we say.

If an adult is rushed in the morning, constantly checks the clock in the evening, or repeats “come on, hurry up, we’re late” throughout the day, it might be a bit unfair to expect the child to calm down on their own at the end of the night.

Therefore, rather than thinking of aromatherapy as a tool to be used solely on children, incorporating it into the parent’s own evening routine is a more holistic approach.

Lavender Essential Oil, with its floral, green, and slightly rose-like character, is one of the most frequently chosen oils for personal aromatherapy routines.

Parents can incorporate Itır Essential Oil into their own evening care or aromatic environment routines by following the product’s usage instructions and proper dilution guidelines.

The idea here is simple: Instead of constantly telling the child to “calm down,” sometimes the adults in the house need to slow down first.

7. Establish sustainable family routines instead of making major changes

There’s no need to try to establish a perfect daily routine during the first week of school.

Morning meditation.

The perfect breakfast.

A screen-free life.

Everyone in bed by 8:30 p.m.

A book every night.

Exercise every day.

By the third day of this routine, there’s a good chance the family will start to hate each other. A better approach is to choose a few fixed points. For example, as a family, you could try to stick to just these four things:

1. Waking up at roughly the same time every morning.

2. Dimming the lights and screens after a certain time in the evening.

3. Repeat the same short bedtime routine every night.

4. Not completely turning the routine upside down on weekends.

For a child’s body, predictability—not perfection—is what matters.

A simple back-to-school evening routine with Terra di Simana

You don’t have to use every product at the same time. In aromatherapy, more isn’t always better. You can establish a consistent nighttime signal with just a single product, depending on your needs.

A light and simple routine

Evening:
Dim the lights and put away electronic devices.

Before bed:
Make Lavender Hydrosol part of your evening skincare routine or the room’s calming atmosphere.

Bedtime:
A book, a short chat, and sleep.

A more pronounced aromatic routine

While getting ready for bed:
Add Sleep Essence to your nighttime routine, following the age-appropriate usage guidelines.

For Parents:
Once your children are ready for bed, create your own day-to-night transition with Calm Drops or properly used Lavender Oil.

For those seeking a complete nighttime experience from start to finish

The Terra di Simana Dream Essence Set is part of the Sleep & Serenity collection, designed for those who want to transform the night into a holistic space of calm rather than relying on a single product.

It can accompany the daily nighttime routine, especially for families during the school year who want to do more than just “put the child to bed”—they want to re-establish the entire evening atmosphere of the home.

When using aromatic products with children, always check the usage instructions regarding the product’s age group; do not leave pure essential oils where children can reach them, and do not allow children to ingest essential oils.

When should you be concerned if your child is having trouble adjusting to the new school routine?

Having a little more trouble falling asleep during the first few days of school, not wanting to wake up in the morning, or resisting the new schedule doesn’t always mean there’s a sleep disorder. It may take time for the new routine to settle in.

However:

• Snoring or pauses in breathing during sleep,
• Severe, prolonged difficulty falling asleep,
• Frequent waking throughout the night,
• Excessive daytime sleepiness,
• Morning headaches,
• Falling asleep at school,
• Noticeable changes in mood or behavior,
• If sleep problems persist for weeks, rather than trying to resolve them with aromatherapy or a home routine alone, it is necessary to seek an evaluation from a pediatrician or relevant healthcare professional. Aromatherapy is not a substitute for medical treatment.

Going back to school isn’t just about the kids

When September arrives, it’s not just the children who return to their classrooms. Home life also returns to a different rhythm.

Mornings start early again. Evenings have a set end time.

Backpacks are placed by the door. Notebooks are opened on desks once again.

And the time that stretched out during the summer slowly takes shape again.

Perhaps the best message we can give our children as we prepare for the new school year isn’t, “School is tomorrow, go to sleep right away.”

A better one is: “The day is over. Now let’s slow down together.”

When trying to change a child’s sleep routine, we must look not only at the clock but also at the light, sound, smells, the pace of the home, and the behavior of adults.

Because sleep often doesn’t begin the moment we get into bed. It begins hours earlier, when the home starts to slow down.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days before school starts should a child’s sleep schedule be adjusted?

If possible, gradually adjusting bedtime and wake-up times to align with the school schedule a few days to a week before school starts can make for a smoother transition. Children who go to bed very late may need a longer transition period.

My child goes to bed early but can’t fall asleep. What should I do?

Consider not only bedtime but also wake-up time, daytime activity, evening lighting, and screen time. If their biological rhythm hasn’t shifted earlier yet, going to bed doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll fall asleep right away.

Do phones and tablets affect children’s sleep patterns?

Screen time, especially close to bedtime, can make it harder to establish a sleep routine because it keeps the mind stimulated and exposes the child to light. For this reason, it’s recommended to keep screens out of the pre-sleep routine.

Does aromatherapy help children fall asleep?

Some studies on aromatherapy have reported positive results related to sleep quality; however, the methods and participants of these studies vary. Therefore, aromatherapy should be considered not as a sleep treatment, but as a complementary sensory practice that, when used appropriately, accompanies a calming pre-sleep routine.

Can lavender be used in children’s bedtime routines?

The use of aromatic products in children should be evaluated based on age, the product’s form, concentration, and method of use. Pure essential oils are not the same as hydrosols. Age restrictions and usage instructions for products must be followed; in young children, the direct and uncontrolled use of essential oils should be avoided in particular.

Is staying up late among adolescents merely a habit?

Not always. During adolescence, there is a tendency for biological sleep timing to shift to later hours. Phones and social life can delay this further, but biological changes play a role alongside behavioral factors.

Can a child stay up as late as they want on the weekend?

Significant differences between weekday and weekend sleep schedules can make it difficult to readjust on Monday. While some flexibility on weekends is normal, maintaining a consistent routine may be more sustainable.

Scientific Sources

Dewald JF, Meijer AM, Oort FJ, Kerkhof GA, Bögels SM.
The influence of sleep quality, sleep duration, and sleepiness on school performance in children and adolescents

Mindell JA, Williamson AA.
Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2018.

Minges KE, Redeker NS.
Delayed school start times and adolescent sleep: A systematic review of the experimental evidence. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2016.

Lin PC et al.
Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2019.

Note: This content is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as a medical diagnosis or treatment recommendation. When using aromatic products with children, age-appropriate product selection, product instructions, and, when necessary, consultation with a healthcare professional should be followed.