Experts Share Back-to-School Sleep Tips for Walton County Families
With Walton County students heading back to class on August 11, local health experts say now is the time to start resetting sleep schedules before the first bell rings.
Dr. Claudia Emami, Chief Medical Officer at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, emphasized the importance of easing children back into a structured routine well before the first day. The transition from the relaxed pace of summer vacation to the demands of a school schedule can be jarring for kids who have grown accustomed to staying up late and sleeping in.
“That transition from whatever laxity in their schedule happens during summer vacation back to the structure of school,” Dr. Emami said, is one of the biggest adjustments families face each August. She recommends parents begin shifting bedtimes and wake-up times gradually — moving them 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night — rather than making an abrupt change the week before classes start. The goal is to have children fully adjusted to their school-year sleep schedule by the time they walk through the doors at Freeport Elementary, Freeport Middle, or Freeport High School.
For many Freeport families, the back-to-school season collides with peak summer heat and long daylight hours, making it harder to convince kids that bedtime has arrived while the sun is still up. Experts suggest creating a consistent wind-down routine — dimming lights, putting away screens at least an hour before bed, and encouraging quiet activities like reading — to signal to the brain that it is time to sleep. Reducing screen time from phones, tablets, and televisions in the hour before bed improves sleep quality and makes morning wake-ups smoother, according to guidance from Pediatric Associates, a Panhandle practice that recently shared similar advice on WJHG.
The Walton County School District board-approved calendar sets the first day of the 2026-2027 school year on Tuesday, August 11, with an early release for students that day. That gives families roughly two and a half weeks from late July to gradually adjust sleep schedules. Medical experts say children ages 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night, while teenagers should aim for 8 to 10 hours — amounts that are difficult to achieve without a planned transition.
Parents who start now have enough runway to make the shift gently. Those who wait until the night before August 11 may face a groggy, resistant child on the first day of school — and a rough start to the academic year.
Originally reported by MyPanhandle (WMBB) and WJHG Newschannel 7. Image: Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast
