Transitioning Sleep Schedules for School in Pediatric Patients: Carol Rosen, MD

WATCH TIME: 3 minutes

"Figure out what the schedule is, how much sleep your child needs, and kind of work backwards. Maybe go back in 15 minute- or 30-minute increments, starting with your wakeup time. Move that back."

There are several sleep issues, including sleep disorders, that arise in youths and continue to persist into adulthood. Some sleep disorders that are common in children and adolescents can be related to particular behaviors, whereas others may be caused by neurological or other medical conditions. Considered a pillar of health, the importance of sleep cannot go understated, Carol Rosen, MD, noted, especially as school begins to ramp up.

Rosen, a professor of pediatrics at Case Western University, has published more than 170 pieces of research, most of which related to studying pediatric sleep conditions. Like many others in her field, she has concerns over the critical transition period before school begins, where children begin to go to bed earlier and adjust their internal clock, most of which is done in a short stretch. In an interview with NeurologyLive®, Rosen discussed the issues with rushing a sleep cycle, the advice she’s given to parents, and whether sleep disorders can be exasperated by the long hours of the summer.