WE ALL know the importance and benefits of getting a good night’s sleep – it can be the difference between feeling alert and full of life or tired and unable to concentrate.

According to the charity the Mental Health Foundation, sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to consolidate our memories and process information.

It adds that poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

The NHS says that sleep deprivation can have profound consequences on a person’s physical health. One in three people in the UK suffers from poor sleep, with stress, computers and taking work home often blamed.

However, the cost of all those sleepless nights is more than just bad moods and a lack of focus. Regular poor sleep puts people at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens life expectancy, it adds.

It’s now clear that a solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life and it is particularly important for youngsters to get a good night’s sleep.

According to Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep expert for the bed company Silentnight, with the new school year about to start it is important to help children get back to a good sleeping routine to make sure they are well rested for their first day at school after the disruption of the summer holidays.

“The school holidays are an exciting time for children. It means enjoying lovely holiday lie-ins, afternoon naps, and sometimes late nights, all hugely affecting both parents’ and children’s body clocks.

“Routine is key to children feeling ready for bed at a suitable time and waking up refreshed. The sooner you begin to reintroduce a sleeping rhythm, after several weeks of irregularity, the sooner all the family can fall back into a healthy pattern.”

Dr Nerina has come up with some top sleep tips to help ease children into their school-time sleep schedules.

1. Start to introduce technology-free time in the evenings. Research has shown that by having a constant stream of light enter our eyes before we go to sleep, we are actually telling our brains that we want to be awake. An hour or so before children go to bed, rule out any blue light. This means no TV, tablets or mobile phones. The bedroom should be a technology free environment.

2. Gradually reintroduce earlier bedtimes. An ideal bedtime for pre-teens would be no later than 8.30pm. Gradually shift bedtime earlier over the course of a few days to allow children to adjust.

3. A calming pre-sleep routine. The few hours before bed can be just as important as actual bedtime. Relaxing baths with lavender, a milky drink or reading are great ways to help children wind down and feel ready for bed.

4. Have a chat. Heading back to school or starting a new one can be worrying for some children and leave them feeling anxious. Talk to your child about any concerns they may have before bedtime and encourage simple yoga or meditation by repeating a calming word or by helping them with their breathing techniques, including breathing deeply from the stomach.

5. Create a sleep friendly bedroom. Bedrooms need to be sleep friendly and this means a cool environment. Freshly laundered bedding, possibly lavender fragranced, can make the room feel very calming and relaxing. Again, technology free bedrooms are a must!

6. Exercise is key. It is scientifically proven that exercise can help you get a better night’s sleep. Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways of reducing stress hormone levels (mainly adrenaline) thus enabling you to sleep more deeply. A short walk with children after the evening meal would be the perfect exercise to help them wind down.

7. Good nutritional habits. To help us sleep we need a good balance of the hormones serotonin and melatonin in our system. Sending children off to school with a balanced lunchbox will help to promote a healthy hormone balance. Things such as chicken, cheese, tuna, eggs, nuts and milk are all high in serotonin and are lunchbox friendly.

• According to the Sleep Council nearly half of us are getting just six hours sleep or less a night. And an alarming four out of five people complain of disturbed or inadequate – or ‘toxic’ – sleep.

• A good sleeping environment is important to having a good night’s sleep. Make sure the room that is dark, cool, quiet, safe and comfortable.

• The Sleep Council advises people to go to bed when they feel tired and if they don’t fall asleep in 20 minutes, it is a good idea to get up and do something like listen to relaxing music or do breathing exercises. When you feel sleepy again, return to bed. The idea of this is to build a strong association between bed and sleep, and eventually you’ll be able to fall asleep soon after getting into bed and not dread bedtime.