While kids may be grasping on to the final days of summer, parents are advised to get them into good sleeping habits before school starts.

Guthrie County Hospital and Clinics Pediatrician Dr. Cody Silker recommends that kids ages 3-5 get 10-13 hours of sleep, older elementary kids get 9-12 hours, and adolescents or teenagers get 9-10 hours of sleep. She advises that parents enforce typical school night bed times a week before the year starts, and gives these sleep hygiene tips, “Kind of wind down an hour before you’re going to put the kids to bed making sure that as far as t.v., screen time, another big issue, kind of putting all the electronics away giving them time to rest. And again a routine is always good like signaling that it’s time to go to bed, having them read a book, taking a bath or shower or something if that’s their routine and then, like I said, getting rid of the distractions and the screen time and having a little wind down time.”

Other good sleep habits include avoiding large meals and caffeine before bedtime, and having your kids get enough physical activity during the day to help fall asleep more easily. To hear more about this and other back-to-school health topics with Silker, listen to today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County program on air and at raccoonvalleyradio.com.