Some winter mornings will not see the sun rise until after 9 a.m., meaning NLPS students and parents will need get ready for the day before the sun does.
By Mandy Moraes, NLPS staff
Waking up to a dark winter morning can make it tough for some students to get out of bed and get ready for school. However, experts we spoke to say simple routines can make the transition smoother.
Because our BC is staying on daylight saving time this November or, PCT, families in Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools will see winter sunrises later than before, with the latest sunrise expected after 9 a.m. in late December and early January.
To get ahead of darker mornings, now is a good time to think about how light, activity, and steady sleep routines can help kids feel ready for school on winter mornings.
Elliott Marchant, a psychology professor at Vancouver Island University, says that light is a key signal for our body clocks, which help us know when to wake up and when to get ready for sleep.
VIU biology professor, Ita McGrogan adds that light entering our eyes affects our internal clocks, which control melatonin release. Melatonin is a hormone made by our bodies that helps us sleep and keeps our sleep/wake cycle on track. In the morning, daylight entering our eyes stops melatonin release, giving us that “I’m awake” feeling.
For darker mornings, Marchant suggests parents help their students by focusing on the start-of-the-day environment. If possible, turning on a full-spectrum light bulb when their children wake up, eat breakfast, and get dressed is more helpful than keeping the house dim until sunrise.
“If they’re getting up at least into a bright environment, that has the greatest potential to have an impact on them,” he said.
McGrogan also recommended phototherapy lamps, used for Seasonal Affective Disorder and available at most drug stores, as additional support for especially slow risers.
A no-cost support that parents can tap into is keeping wake-up times and bedtimes as steady as possible, even on weekends, and maintaining a regular daily schedule. Being mindful of these schedules can also help internal body clocks stay on track. Big changes can make it harder for children to get back into school-day routines.
This is especially important for teenagers, since puberty naturally shifts their body clocks toward staying up later and sleeping in. Recognizing this shift can help parents be more patient with sleepy teens and work together with their teens to help build routines that consistently give them enough time to rest.
Typically, a smooth morning starts the night before.
Marchant suggests quiet activities help children relax before bed. Playing an exciting video game or watching an action-packed show right before bedtime can make it more difficult for their brains to settle down. Also, following a familiar routine every night in the hour before bedtime, like brushing teeth, washing up, and reading, signals to the body that sleep is near.
“That time, in which you’re doing the same routines, teaches our body and brain basically to sort of say, ‘OK, I’m getting ready for sleep, time to gear down,’” he said.
During the day, movement and regular meal times also help set body clocks up for a consistent pace. Marchant recommends scheduling physical activity in the morning or around midday, such as active play or recess, and eating breakfast and dinner at set times each day to support a steady daily routine.
Darker mornings may take some getting used to, but families can help by keeping the day’s routines familiar. A bright start, time to be active around midday, and a calm bedtime routine can help children get the rest they need while we wait for those longer spring and summer days to return.