How to Hit Reset on Your (and Your Kids') Sleep Schedule

Summer may be all fun and games, until the many nights of staying up later catch up with you and do a number on your sleep. Chalk it up to longer daylight hours, the relentless heat making it difficult to fall asleep, or unintentional summer TV premiere marathons that continue well past my bedtime, but come fall, my shuteye is in dire need of a serious reboot—and I know I’m in good company. The upside is while factors like routine changes, daylight savings time, stress, shift work, and jet lag (both social and actual jet lag) can disrupt your circadian rhythm, there are ways to reset your internal clock. Here’s what experts say about how to get your sleep schedule back on track.

Why Having a Consistent Sleep Schedule Is Important

“Keeping a solid sleep schedule trains your body’s internal clock so that falling asleep and waking up feels easier,” says Morgan Adams, MSW, a certified holistic sleep coach. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day means that your body learns when to release hormones that make you feel sleepy or alert, while inconsistent schedules confuse that system, making it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, and feel rested, certified sleep science coach at Mattress Clarity Riley Otis points out. Then there are the side effects that come with an unpredictable bedtime and wake-up call: “When your sleep times are all over the place, it can impact your health and raise your risk for weight gain, heart issues, and mood disturbances,” Adams says. Maintain a routine sleep schedule, though, and Adams says you’ll probably notice perks like better mood, stronger immunity, clearer thinking, less stress, healthier weight, and more energy.

The story isn’t much different when it comes to our little ones. “When children get enough sleep at consistent intervals throughout the day and night, their bodies release optimal levels of the growth hormones that are necessary to support crucial neurological and physical development,” explains Amanda DeLuca, a pediatric sleep consultant and founder of parenting app Riley. Because their brains grow during sleep, processing the day’s events and forming critical neural pathways that will serve them throughout life, DeLuca shares that kids who stick to a sleep schedule show significantly better impulse control, reduced anxiety, and improved social interactions and academic performance. “Every family’s journey is unique, but the destination is always the same: children who wake up truly rested, parents who feel capable and connected, and homes filled with the peaceful energy that comes from honoring one of our most fundamental human needs,” she mentions.

Kids on Eco organic mattress and trundle bedframe

Photo courtesy of Avocado.

How Much Sleep We Need

Clearly, getting proper shuteye is essential to function at our best, but just how many hours do we need to log a night? Although 7-9 hours of sleep a night is the gold standard for adults to feel their best, Adams says the exact number varies from person to person. Equally important to the number of hours of sleep we get is the consistency of our sleep/wake schedules and the quality of our slumber. In fact, Adams cites a 2024 study published in the journal Sleep, showing that sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of health outcomes than sleep duration. If you’re falling asleep within 30 minutes of getting into bed, having minimal nighttime awakenings, and experiencing a stable mood and high energy throughout the next day, chances are, you’re acing your own sleep needs.

As for children, DeLuca broke down their total sleep needs, starting with the newborn phase and continuing through adulthood:

Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours (including naps)
Infants (3-12 months): 12-15 hours (including naps)
Toddlers (1-3 years): 11-14 hours (including naps)
Preschoolers (3-4 years): 10-13 hours (including naps)
School-age children (5-12 years): 9-11 hours
Teenagers: 8-10 hours

How to Reset Your Sleep Schedule

While it might be tempting to go cold turkey and try to force your body to go to bed and wake up earlier all at once, don’t count on a breakthrough overnight. Rather, Adams recommends shifting your current bedtime and wake-up time slowly, doing it in smaller increments—about 15 minutes at a time each night until you reach your desired schedule. Riley echoes that approach, saying, “Moving your bedtime earlier by 15 to 30 minutes each night trains your body to adjust without the shock of a sudden change. Even if you don’t fall asleep when you want, getting up at the same time each morning helps reset your circadian rhythm.”

To make the transition easier, both Adams and Riley suggest using light to your advantage. “Getting bright light in the morning signals to your body that it’s time to be awake, while dimming lights and screens at night teaches your brain that sleep is near,” Riley says. Practicing good sleep hygiene can only help the snooze-inducing effects, starting with a wind-down ritual. “Create a predictable routine that signals to your body ‘I’m getting ready to sleep,’” Adams advises. “This routine should be relaxing and not cognitively stimulating: crafts, reading, stretching, a warm cup of tea, a warm shower or bath.” Other strategies not to overlook? Moving your body (daily moderate exercise has been shown to help build sleep drive and regulate circadian rhythms), curbing your intake of food and alcohol three to four hours before bed, and making your sleeping space cool, dark, and quiet, Adams notes.

Keep up these healthy sleep practices and the experts say you can expect your nightly rest to return to regular scheduled programming in 1-2 weeks—that is, if you’re diligent about it. “The exact timing depends on how irregular the schedule has been and how disciplined you are with sticking to new habits,” Riley explains. Adams adds that for bigger shifts, like recovering from jet lag or months of late nights, it could take a few weeks to re-establish your sleep pattern. Riley warns that even small lapses can set the clock back again. Bottom line: The experts unanimously agree that the key to resetting your sleep schedule is consistency. “Your circadian rhythm craves routine, and it will adjust more quickly if you stick with the plan seven days a week,” Adams says.

Photo courtesy of Avocado.

Read More: How to Combat Sleep Anxiety

How to Reset Your Child’s Sleep Schedule

The protocol for our offspring should follow suit. But first, understand your child’s natural rhythm and total sleep needs (after all, sleep is not one-size-fits-all), or what DeLuca refers to as the Goldilocks approach: Is your child getting the right amount of sleep, or are they getting too much or too little? “For a period of about three days, observe your child and document how much sleep they’re getting, how long it takes to settle for naps and bedtime, and whether they wake seeming rested or cranky,” DeLuca encourages. “This information will tell you a lot about your child’s unique sleep rhythm, especially about where improvements might be made!” From there, DeLuca prescribes the following compassionate, structured game plan to getting the sleep train back on its tracks:

Create a sacred sleep environment. Research found that environmental conditions can be the determining factor in sleep quality, influencing everything from how quickly your child drifts off to how soundly they sleep through the night. Think: room-darkening curtains or blackout shades, a comfortable sleeping temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit, a solid white noise machine, and cutting off all screens at least one hour pre-bedtime. “These elements work with your child’s circadian rhythm, signaling to their growing brain that it’s time for sleep,” DeLuca says. “You’re not just changing a room, you’re creating a cocoon for your child’s developing brain.”
Follow the gradual 15-minute shift method. If we think we get groggy and cranky in the sleep resetting process, just imagine the acclimation for our kids’ little growing bodies. To prevent as much resistance as possible, DeLuca’s technique calls for 15-minute adjustments every 2-3 days. DeLuca gives this example: If bedtime is currently 9:30 p.m. but it needs to be 8:00 p.m., move it to 9:15 p.m. for three nights, then 9:00 p.m., continuing this gentle progression. At the same time, adjust morning wake times by the same increments.
Build a bedtime ritual. DeLuca says a 30-45 minute wind-down routine becomes a powerful, repeatable cue for sleep. It can look like reading together, a warm bath, a gentle massage, or some songs—something calming that you genuinely like doing with your child. This routine tells your child’s brain that it’s time to transition from the active day to peaceful rest, DeLuca adds. Again, it requires a steadfast commitment: “Because it’s repeated every day, it becomes predictable and portable—you can go through it when you’re traveling, or explain your system to a babysitter, and it’ll be just as effective.”
Navigate resistance with love. Because more likely than not, there will be some protesting—and that’s OK. So when inevitable naptime and bedtime battles ensue, DeLuca always recommends responding with empathetic boundaries. “Acknowledge feelings while maintaining structure: ‘I understand you want to stay up. Your growing body needs this sleep to help you have energy for tomorrow’s adventures,’” she advocates. Your child may still resist, fuss, or throw a tantrum, but DeLuca says the easiest way to manage it is to make your responses kind and short, so they learn that they can’t drag out bedtime for hours by continuing to put up a fight.

So when can you look forward to your efforts paying off? It depends on several factors, but DeLuca lays out some realistic timelines:

For mild disruptions (30-60 minute shift): If your child’s schedule only shifted by about an hour over the summer, you’re looking at 5-10 days of consistent implementation. These are the families where bedtime gradually crept from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and morning wake-ups shifted accordingly. With DeLuca’s 15-minute adjustment method, they can be back on track within a week and a half.
For moderate disruptions (1-2 hour shift): The most common scenario DeLuca sees are bedtimes that moved from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. over the summer. These families need about 2-3 weeks of consistent effort, where the first week usually involves some challenges, the second week shows significant improvement, and by the third week, the new schedule feels natural again.
For severe disruptions (2+ hour shifts or completely erratic schedules): With families with children who were staying up until 11 p.m. or midnight during the summer, or whose schedules were so inconsistent that there really wasn’t a pattern at all, they can anticipate 4-6 weeks of dedicated work. Beware parents: The first two weeks can be quite challenging.

Photo courtesy of Avocado.

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Katherine is an LA-based wellness staff writer at The Everygirl and specializes in reporting on everything from fitness to mental and physical health to sleep. When she’s not trying out the latest wellness hack and fine-tuning her self-care routine, you'll find her spending quality time with her husband and daughter, matcha latte in hand and wiener dog in tow.