School

Back to School: Back to Healthy Sleep Habits

Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors2025-09-15T21:46:53+00:00September 15th, 2025|Back Health at Home, Health, Kids, School, Sleep, Wellness|

With kids back in school, it’s important to help them get their sleep habits and schedule back on track. Poor sleep and fatigue can lead to problems with school work, mood swings and overall health.

Alberta’s chiropractors offer the following suggestions for easing your child into a good school-time sleep schedule and helping maintain healthy sleep habits year round.

Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Quiet time before bed allows your child to unwind. The routine should include relaxing activities, such as a bath and bedtime story for young children or reading time for older children. This signals the body and mind that it is time to settle down for sleep.
Avoid large meals before bedtime. A heavy meal may prevent your child from falling asleep as the body works to digest the food.
Avoid caffeine. Sodas and other caffeinated drinks should be limited after noon and especially at night. A good rule of thumb is to avoid any caffeine six hours before bedtime, as it can interrupt your child’s natural sleep patterns, making it difficult for them to sleep.
Maintain a relaxing sleeping environment. A dark room, comfortable bed and appropriate room temperature maximize the likelihood of good night’s sleep. Distractions such as televisions, computers or video games should be removed from your child’s room.
Proper bedtime equipment. The right mattress and pillow are essential. When choosing a mattress for your child, look for one that is comfortably supportive. The mattress should be flexible enough to adapt to the body’s shape while providing firm support. Pillows are also important. For side sleepers, the head, neck and shoulders should remain level with the mid and lower spine. For back sleepers, the head and neck should remain level with the upper back and spine. Avoid pillows that are so thick or thin they angle the head and neck away from the body.
Proper sleeping position. It is best to sleep on your back or side and not your stomach. Lying on your back or side allows your head, neck and spine to relax into their natural alignment. This helps you to avoid stiffness in the morning.
Maintain sleep schedule. Once your child’s sleep schedule is established, stick with it. Don’t use weekends to catch up on sleep.

If you or your child experience pain and discomfort at night or have difficulty falling asleep, visit your chiropractor. Chiropractors are trained to treat spinal problems that can interfere with a restful night’s sleep. They can also offer nutritional and lifestyle advice that can help improve sleep quality.

Back-to-school backpack guide

It’s back-to-school time for students! While most of your shopping for new school supplies may be complete, there’s always time to review one of the most essential items that students will use everyday – their backpacks! Finding the right backpack for your child will support proper spinal health because carrying a heavy load, especially while using a poorly designed bag, can lead to poor posture and over time, lead to muscle strain, headaches, back, neck and arm pain.

Earlier this month, Dr. Catherine Bezeau spoke with Radio-Canada to discuss how to choose the right backpack for your child to support good posture and avoid back pain. Listen below. Available in French-only.

As homework starts to pile up, binders and laptops, and lunches and snacks, can start to add up and weigh backpacks down! Check out our guide on what to what to look for in a backpack and other tips to consider.

What to look for:

Wide padded shoulders: Too much weight on the shoulders and neck can impair circulation.

A padded back: Provides extra comfort and protects oddly shaped objects in the bag.

Compartments: Multiple compartments help distribute the load evenly and keep items organized.

Try it on: Whenever possible, try the backpack on and assess how it feels when fully loaded. Adjust the straps to ensure a comfortable fit and walk around to get a sense of how it distributes weight.

Pack it light! Wear it right!

Is the backpack reasonably proportional to the size of the person? The bottom of the bag should sit at waist level.
How much does the bag weigh when it’s full? Some research suggests that backpacks should be no more than 10% of the wearer’s body¹. That means if a student weighs 130 pounds, their backpack should only weigh 13 pounds.
Pack the heaviest items closest to the back and in the middle of the backpack.

By purchasing the right backpack and wearing it correctly, you can minimize discomfort and poor posture habits. For more tips, take a look at our “Pack it light. Wear it right. : Backpack Brochure” or find a chiropractor near you to discuss your child’s specific needs.