The Monday Consult is tackling back to school issues for the rest of August. Recently, Wendy Burt-Thomas asked:

"How do I get my 4-year-old daughter back on an early sleep schedule to start preschool?"

It just so happens that we had a Consult on this last year. But since back to school comes along at the end of every summer, I think it's worth repeating.

--National Sleep Foundation experts say you should start to transition kids to their school sleep and wake-up times about ten days to two weeks before the start of school.

--This site has a video with interviews with several sleep experts, including Jodi Mindell, author of who has written several books on children's sleep. Most important, they say, is having a bedtime routine (which hopefully you've kept up for the summer, albeit at a later hour) that helps kids relax and get ready for sleep. Reading a story right before sleep helps with that, and may help soothe children who are anxious about the start o of a new school year.

--When you set your schedule, make sure kids are getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation says school-aged children should get 10 to 11 hours a night on school nights, and adolescents should get 9.

--This site from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, says it's important to set limits with your kids about how many stories you'll read and what time the lights must be turned off. The site also advises against television, video games, and other screen-centered activities close to bedtime.

--Kim West, the "Sleep Lady" from Annapolis, e-mailed me some of the same tips, along with an important extra: If a child is just starting school, "plan on a snack when they get home and early bedtimes for the first 6 weeks of school. It’s a big adjustment!"

I've found that in the last few days before school, it helps to add a morning "trial run" to the schedule so that the kids not only wake up at the right time, but practice getting their things together and breakfast eaten by the time you'll have to leave. That way, you can figure out where the kinks in the system are, and adjust wake-up time if necessary.