The 7 O'Clock Bedtime: Early to bed, early to rise, makes a child healthy, playful, and wise

You think parents don't get enough sleep? Inda Schaenen argues persuasively in this slim yet thought-provoking book that parents who have to wake their kids up every morning can't be the only ones suffering from sleep deprivation. She points to substantial pediatric evidence that sleep deprivation is a serious problem for children, with consequences ranging from grumpiness to (according to some experts) the exacerbation or even creation of disorders such as ADHD. And she insists that none of the activities consuming evening time are as important to a child as adequate rest.

For most of the book--including a final section full of recipes and tips--Schaenen is wearing her Mom hat. She details the daily mechanics of getting children to bed by 7:00 and talks at length about exceptions. The regime she follows, and recommends to parents, isn't easy: she plans the after-school snack for as close to 3:00 as she can get it, allows after-school play until 4:30, has dinner on the table at 5:00, starts the bathroom routine at 6:00, and settles in for storytime from 6:15 to 6:45. By 7:00, she's saying good night.

Of course many working parents may find her routine impossible. But Shaenen's main point sticks: if mornings are tense, you should be thinking long and hard about what family restructuring is necessary to ensure that your children are getting the rest they need. And, as she points out, the moms and dads who get an hour or two of downtime each evening are happier, saner, better parents. --Richard Farr