The start of the school year is only a couple of weeks away and Lambton Public Health (LPH) is advising parents to start getting their children on a school sleep schedule.
First day of class for most is Tuesday, September 2.
Public Relations Coordinator Shaun Bisson said it's about creating that calming bedtime routine.
"Where you're avoiding stimulation whether it's from the iPad or the TV," said Bisson. "You get into a habit of reading books at the same time, having a bath at the same time. Just creating that routine that you repeat every single night."
According to Bisson, creating that routine sooner rather than later will help kids ease back into that expectation of going to bed and waking up earlier.
He said the perfect time is one to two weeks before school starts.
"It gives kids bodies a chance to gradually adjust," said Bisson. "Maybe you're bumping up their bedtime routine by half an hour or 15 minutes, maybe it's getting them up a little bit earlier in the morning or just reestablishing those consistent wake up and go to sleep times."
Generally kids should get between eight to 10 hours per night.
Bisson said getting proper sleep is essential for their physical and mental health.
"It's just as important as nutrition and exercise because it helps support your healthy growth and development, it boosts your immune system, it can help prevent other chronic diseases, it also can improve your school performance and increase your attention span," he said.
When kids don't get enough sleep they can become irritable, lose concentration and get sick more easily.
Bisson said it is important for kids to get proper sleep.
"Kids are in that important stage of their life where they are growing, they're developing and we want to make sure they're staying on that proper path of healthy growth and development," he said.
For more information and tips visit Lambton Public Health's website.