BATON ROUGE — With students across the capital area returning to the classroom next week, doctors say now is the time for families to start adjusting sleep schedules instead of waiting until the night before school begins.

Alexander Mulamula, a sleep specialist with Ochsner Health, recommends that parents ease children back into a school-night routine by gradually shifting their bedtime and wake-up time earlier each day.

“We’ll encourage parents to begin a slow and steady change in their bed and wake-up time. Every day, just move it up by about 15 to 20 to 30 minutes,” Mulamula said.

Doctors say that prepping for a good night’s sleep starts well before bedtime. One way to do so is by establishing a routine about an hour before bed to wind down.

“When you’re thinking about the kids, having a time for reading, having a time for games, something that doesn’t involve screens in that last hour or so before bedtime, and then making sure they don’t have access to screens after bedtime,” said Dr. Jacob Wood, a family physician with Baton Rouge General.

Limiting screen time is another tip that doctors recommend, especially for teenagers.

“The blue lights from the computer and video games shifts their natural time to feel sleepy even later in the night, and so you’ll find the teens are the ones who struggle the most,” Mulamula said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 70% of teenagers do not get enough sleep.

Mulamula says that children between the age of six and 12 years old should get about nine to 12 hours of sleep each night, while teenagers ages 13 to 18 should get anywhere from eight to 10 hours.

Experts also encourage parents to have children prepare like it’s the next school day before going to bed by laying out their clothes or packing what they’ll need for the morning.

“Working now to try to get kids into the right routine and then maintain that routine through the school year is tough, but it is doable,” Wood said.

Other tips include keeping bedrooms cool at night.

"And then also allow the ability to be exposed to bright lights and natural lighting in the morning,” Mulamula said.

Doctors say parents can also help by adhering to healthy sleep habits themselves to encourage kids to follow a good sleep schedule.

Mulamula also recommends that parents watch for signs that their child may not be getting enough sleep. These include declining grades, daytime sleepiness or noticeable changes in behavior.