BATON ROUGE -- In less than two weeks, thousands of students from across the capital area will be back in the classroom for a new year of school. For parents, doctors say that getting your kids in the habit of going to bed and waking up earlier, leading up to the first day, can lead to success for them in the classroom.

Dr. Brittany Landry, a pediatrician for Ochsner Health, says that sleep plays a vital role in a student's success, both academically and emotionally. It affects focus, memory, and even mood and immune function.

"In order to be the most successful and productive during the day, pre-school age kids need between 10 and 13 hours of sleep at night. Pre-teens need between nine and 11 hours of sleep, and teenagers need between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night," Landry said.

To get kids into a rhythm for the time that school starts, doctors recommend getting a good jump on small adjustments to their sleep schedules.

"So parents can start shifting bed and wake times by 10 to 15 minutes earlier each day at least a week before school starts, but the earlier the better," Landry said.

Oschner recommends several tips for helping kids and teens get to bed at a good time and ensuring they get enough sleep. One of their tips is limiting screen time. WBRZ spoke to Katrina Kieren, who has multiple kids in EBR Schools. She says she has been limiting her kids' screen time.

"If they have any screens, then I would say screens off at least an hour or two hours before. For me, like 9:00 p.m. is a bedtime, so 7 p.m. is no screens, no television," Kieren said.

Another tip Ochsner has is to create a good sleep environment for the kids. Keeping the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet is a good strategy. They recommend using fans, white noise, or blackout curtains if needed.

Landry says another good strategy is treating the days before the first day like it's a school night. WBRZ spoke with Brusly High School junior Laci Williams, who's gotten a jump on getting ready for school.

"I am getting it together, you know, waking up earlier, going to sleep earlier. It sucks, but you know, you've got to get into the roll. I'm doing a whole calendar and schedule, like planning out what I need to do to get ready," Williams said.
Ochsner also recommends that parents model that behavior themselves to encourage their children.

They can achieve this by setting regular meal times or demonstrating that sleep is a priority, not a punishment.

"Parents can also get outside in the mornings with their kids to take a walk or let the dog out," Landry said.

Ochsner also advises parents to watch for signs that their children might not be getting enough sleep. These include having trouble concentrating during the day, irritability, low energy, and frequent illnesses.

'If after making all these changes, your child is still struggling with falling or staying asleep, it's a good idea to talk to their pediatrician or a sleep specialist," Landry said.