Back to School Blues: How to Reset Sleep After the Summer Holidays
The school bags are packed. The uniforms are back out. And for parents, September can bring a small sigh of relief as routine finally returns.
For children, though, getting back into a school sleep routine isn't always quite so easy.
Six weeks of later nights, slower mornings, holidays, sleepovers and fewer alarms can shift a child's sleep schedule. Suddenly asking them to fall asleep earlier and wake up ready for school can take a little adjustment.
And there's a reason for it.
How Your child's body clock doesn't know it's September
Our sleep isn't controlled simply by the clock on the wall. It's influenced by our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, which responds to cues including light, darkness and our daily routines.
Sleep scientist Dr Sophie Bostock explains that sleep timing can become delayed for a combination of biological, behavioural and environmental reasons. Morning light can help shift circadian timing earlier, while bright light later in the evening can push it in the opposite direction.
For teenagers, there's another factor: sleep timing naturally shifts later during adolescence. Evening screens, gaming, homework, socialising and greater independence over bedtime can push it later still.
So when your teenager tells you they're genuinely not tired at 9pm, there may be more to it than simply not wanting to go to bed.
How the summer holidays can affect children's sleep
Late dinners. Longer evenings. Lie-ins. More screen time.
All the things we love about summer can loosen the cues that usually tell our bodies when it's time to be awake and when it's time to wind down.
It's completely normal for children's sleep routines to change during the summer holidays. The Sleep Charity recommends gradually returning to school-night bedtimes and wake-up times rather than expecting children to make the change overnight.
So, how can you reset your child's sleep schedule for school?
5 ways to reset your child's sleep routine for school
1. Start with morning light
Open the curtains as soon as they wake and, ideally, get outside.
Light is one of the most powerful environmental signals for our circadian clock, and morning light can help reinforce an earlier sleep-wake schedule.
Think:
Curtains open. Breakfast. Outside. School.
A simple morning routine can be just as important as what happens at bedtime.
2. Keep bedtime and wake-up times consistent
Consistency is one of the foundations of a healthy bedtime routine for children.
It's tempting to compensate for an early school week with a huge weekend lie-in, but big differences between weekday and weekend wake-up times can make it harder to stabilise a delayed sleep-wake rhythm.
Try to keep bedtimes and wake-up times reasonably consistent, even at the weekend.
3. Gradually bring bedtime forward
If your child's bedtime has drifted later during the summer, don't expect them to suddenly fall asleep an hour earlier.
We recommend gradually bringing bedtime forward by around 10–20 minutes every couple of nights until you reach their usual school-night bedtime. Wake-up times can be adjusted gradually too.
Small changes can make the back-to-school sleep reset feel much more manageable.
4. Reduce screens and bright light before bed
As bedtime approaches, make evenings look and feel different from daytime.
Dim the lights and reduce prolonged exposure to bright screens close to the face. The aim is to create a clear contrast between bright, active mornings and darker, calmer evenings.
For younger children, the NHS also recommends avoiding phones, tablets and laptops for 30–60 minutes before bed.
Swap scrolling for something slower:
Reading. Drawing. A warm bath. A gentle massage. A bedtime story.
5. Bring back their bedtime ritual
A good children's bedtime routine doesn't need to be complicated.
In fact, familiar and predictable can be exactly what they need:
BATH. PYJAMAS. MASSAGE. STORY. BED.
A consistent bedtime routine helps children recognise that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. The Sleep Charity recommends reintroducing familiar term-time rituals and keeping bedtime calm, consistent and enjoyable.
And this is where a little Dreem ritual can fit in.
Make Dreem Melt® part of their bedtime routine
Our Dreem Melt® Magnesium Butter was designed to turn magnesium application into a calming massage ritual.
Warm a small amount of Dreem Melt® Magnesium Butter between your hands and gently massage it into feet and calves as part of their evening wind-down.*
Pair it with a warm bath, pyjamas and a bedtime story to create a simple routine you can repeat each evening.
No complicated sleep hacks. Just a few calm, familiar moments before bed.
A little calm goes a long way
Getting your child's sleep schedule back on track after the summer holidays doesn't have to happen overnight.
Morning light. Consistent wake-up times. Fewer screens. Earlier evenings. A familiar bedtime ritual.
Because sometimes getting back into routine isn't about forcing an earlier bedtime.
It's about giving their body time to remember what bedtime feels like.
If your child or teenager persistently struggles to fall asleep until very late, finds it extremely difficult to wake for school, or their sleep is affecting their mood, concentration or daily life, speak to a healthcare professional. Persistent delayed sleep timing can have causes beyond a disrupted routine.
References & Further Reading
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Dr Sophie Bostock, The Sleep Scientist — Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder: When Being a Night Owl Becomes a Sleep Problem (2026).
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The Sleep Charity — Helping Your Child Get Back Into a Healthy Sleep Routine For School (August 2026).
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The Sleep Charity — Bedtime Routines.
