Well, here we are again. The corn’s getting tall, the school buses are warming up their brakes, and every parent in Rutland County is sprinting through the store aisles fighting over the last box of #2 pencils. Happens every year. You’d think it would stop surprising people, but no.

Now, while everyone’s busy buying backpacks the size of a small refrigerator, there’s one thing that always gets forgotten — and I’m not talking about the lunch money. I’m talking about sleep. I’ve been around long enough to tell you this: a kid who doesn’t sleep is a kid who can’t learn, can’t behave, and can’t be in the same room as me before I’ve had my coffee.

So pull up a chair. Murray’s got some advice. It’s free, which is more than I can say for those backpacks.

The Little Ones (Ages 5–12): Operation Bedtime

Kids this age need somewhere between 9 and 12 hours of sleep a night. That’s not Murray’s opinion — that’s what the sleep experts say, and unlike me, they didn’t get their degree from the School of Hard Knocks.

The problem? All summer long, these kids have been staying up past dark catching fireflies, and now you expect them to be up at 6:30 sharp like they’re reporting for duty. Good luck with that.

Here’s the trick: start a week early and sneak up on it. Move bedtime and wake-up time earlier by about 15 minutes a day. Kids never notice. It’s the same way my wife got me to start eating salad — gradual and without my consent.

A few more pointers:

• Dim the lights as bedtime gets close. Mood lighting isn’t just for fancy restaurants.
• Read a book together. An actual book. Paper. Remember those?
• Shut off the screens 30 to 60 minutes before lights-out. Yes, all of them. Yes, even that one.

And for Pete’s sake, check what they’re sleeping on. If your kid’s mattress is older than your car, it’s time. Growing bodies need proper support — come see us at Vermont Bedrooms and we’ll find something that keeps those little spines straight as a Vermont fence post.

The Teenagers (Ages 13–18): The Nocturnal Years

Now here’s something that might surprise you: teenagers aren’t just being difficult. (They’re also being difficult, but that’s a separate article.) Their internal clocks genuinely shift later — staying up late and sleeping till noon is partly biology. Mother Nature has a sense of humor.

Trouble is, biology doesn’t care about first period algebra. Teens still need 8 to 10 hours of sleep, and most of them aren’t getting anywhere close during the school year.

What helps:

• A consistent schedule, weekends included. I know, I know. Telling a teenager to wake up at the same time on Saturday is like telling a cat to fetch. But a steady routine keeps that internal clock from drifting back to vampire hours.
• Cut the caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Those energy drinks have enough caffeine to wake the dead, and your kid is drinking them at 8 PM.
• Phones down before bed. Whatever’s happening on there will still be happening tomorrow. Trust me, I’ve checked.

Good sleep is doing heavy lifting for teens — it regulates hormones, steadies the moods (somewhat — let’s be realistic), and locks in everything they learned that day. Memory consolidation, the scientists call it. I call it “the reason you remember things,” and I could use more of it myself.

The College Kids: Adults, Technically

Ah, college. Where young adults pay good money to learn things and then stay up until 3 AM not learning them.

College students should be getting 7 to 9 hours a night, ideally on a regular schedule. I realize “regular schedule” and “college” go together like maple syrup and motor oil, but hear me out: the all-nighter is a scam. Pulling one before an exam is like skipping gas station stops to save time on a road trip. You’re not saving anything, kid. You’re walking home.

Quality rest keeps the brain sharp, the energy up, and the mood from going sideways during finals week.

And let’s talk about that dorm mattress. You know the one. It’s been there since the Carter administration, it’s roughly as comfortable as a picnic table, and forty strangers slept on it before your kid did. At minimum, get them a good mattress topper. Better yet, if they’re in an apartment, set them up with a proper mattress. We’ve got options at Vermont Bedrooms that won’t empty the tuition fund — including memory foam that relieves pressure points and keeps hot sleepers cool, which matters when the dorm thermostat has two settings: “sauna” and “broken.”

Murray’s Final Word

Doesn’t matter if it’s the first day of kindergarten or the last final exam — a solid sleep routine is the foundation under all of it. You can buy all the school supplies in the world, but a tired kid with a fancy backpack is still a tired kid.

Here at Vermont Bedrooms in Rutland, we’ve spent years helping families sleep better, and we’d be glad to help yours too. Stop by the showroom, lie down on a few mattresses, take your time. I’ll be the fella by the recliners pretending to “test” them.

Sleep well, study hard, and call your mother.

This article is for general informational purposes only and isn’t medical advice — Murray is many things, but a doctor isn’t one of them. It’s not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and shouldn’t be relied on to make health decisions. If you have concerns about your or your child’s sleep or health, talk to your doctor. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 right away.