It may be the middle of summer, but the new school year isn’t too far away in many cities. This week on Health Watch, we’ll talk about some ways to start getting ready for school. A good night’s sleep is essential to good academic performance, and after a summer of staying up late and sleeping well into the day, school-day mornings can be a struggle for kids and parents.

Dr. John Herman, a sleep expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says the trick to adjusting kids to school schedules is not to make them go to bed early. Instead, make them get up at the new time. Then they’re more likely to be sleepy earlier so they can start going to bed earlier. Kids may be groggy during the day for a while until they adjust to the new schedule, so start the transition before the first day of school.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/sleep to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in sleep and breathing disorders.