I know this is a ridiculous problem, but.....

[MaryRose]

....I think my 13 year old gets up far too early in the morning!!!! She is usually up by 5.30am, sometimes earlier, doing her hair before school etc etc. She doesn't need to leave to walk to school until at least 7.45am. We have tried making her stay in bed until 6am but as I work late I'm often not up so she sticks to it for a bit then lapses. We also have a rule of no phones until 7am but she's a bugger for not sticking to that.

She does well in school and extra curricular activities including 2 hours swim training 3-4 times a week and doesn't seem to be tired, she occasionally moans she is too tired for swimming training but I suppose that's typical teenage stuff. I worry she isn't getting enough sleep though. Am I being ridiculous in thinking I should try to force her to stay in bed for longer? Though I don't really see how I can! On weekends she only lays in occasionally and is usually up for 7.30am, as a child she was always an early riser. Should I just let this one drop and pick a different battle?

[Seeline]

What time does she go to bed/sleep?

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

Ds1 gets up at 5.45am to go for a run. He's 15.
I always wonder how on earth he is getting enough sleep but he seems fine.

[MaryRose]

She's in bed lights out at 9.30pm, so asleep by 10pm usually. Will go earlier off her own back if she's tired. It's teh getting up to do flipping hair and make up for SCHOOL I find so ridiculous!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Pick a different battle :) if she is able and willing to get up that early at the weekends it shows she isn't sleep deprived, she's just one of the lucky ones who doesn't need so much sleep to get through life.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

It does show remarkable dedication to her hair and face though! What does she do in that time?

[MaryRose]

OhYouBadBadKitten yeh I think she is one of the lucky 'I can survive with little sleep brigade'. But what she does in the time, I have no clue???? Hair straightening and make up, eyebrows of course, she is usually down for breakfast about 7.15am, I couldn't make hair straightening and make up last two hours if I tried!!! Suspect a certain amount of arsing about on phone too, but who else her age is up at 6am????

[MaryRose]

(mind you a lot of the kids we know are allowed their phones in their bedrooms overnight, so she is probably catching up on what the other poor sleep deprived souls were posting at 3am!!!)

[VitoCorleone]

Well as long as she's not exhausted through the day or waking everybody else up I'd just leave her to it.

Count yourself lucky, a lot of teens hate getting up for school :)

[rootypig]

The only thing I'd do is not let her have the phone overnight. I appreciate that this may result in some enormous fuss but the things are bloody addictive, mine rules my life and I'm so glad looking back on my teenager years that they weren't in existence. Take it from her when you say goodnight at 9.30, give it back at 7.

[MaryRose]

She's not allowed it overnight rootypig, it has to be downnstairs on charge at 9.15pm, which she does stick to, we make sure of that as I really don't think they should have them overnight. But if she's up and we're not I know she sometimes goes down and gets it before 7am, I have to find a way to enforce that rule I know!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Stick it under your pillow

[rootypig]

Oh sorry, didn't catch that - yes, have it in your room! just turn it off. easy peasy.

[NightFallsFast]

When I was that age I'd tape (yes, showing my age) late night films and TV dramas and watch them in the mornings from 5am onwards. I remember watching things my parents would be horrified at, like Schindler's List and Trainspotting.

I suppose I'm saying to be careful about what she's doing (though I can't say it did me any harm!)

[ArcheryAnnie]

If she's not overtired, and is getting to bed at a decent time, I wouldn't worry too much. (Though I'm a bit startled that she's allowed to wear makeup to school at 13. My DC's school wouldn't countenance that for even the sixth form!)

Is her bedroom sunny? Does she have blackout blinds? It might just be that the light is waking her up early.

[TeenAndTween]

Agree charge phone in your bedroom.

Otherwise if not overtired and not disturbing you then pick different battles. (I agree it's ridiculous though!)

[MaryRose]

Ha ha ArcheryAnnie,to be fair the make up is very subtle, more BB cream and clear mascara, they are not meant to wear it at all until yea 10 and then minimal but a blind eye is turned to the younger girls wearing it if it is subtle, I certainly wouldn't be letting her go out with a full face of make up on! The bedroom is quite light but I don't think it's that as she's just as early to rise in winter! She does set an alarm but is generally awake before it goes off.

Night thanks for your post, no she isn't doing that I don't think as she has no TV etc in her room and she's always in her room not downstairs, parental controls on phone so can't watch anything over a 12 rating without my intervention.

[Pointlessfan]

Think how much worse it would be if you were having to drag her out of bed and she was getting lots of late marks at school. I could never get up early and must have driven my poor mum mad! If she was exhausted she would be sleeping in at weekends to catch up.

[LongTimeLurking]

Asleep by 10pm and awake at 5:30.... 7.5 hours sleep doesn't sound terrible to me.

This seems like a non issue to me.

[MaryRose]

I did say it was a ridiculous problem! But just wondered what others thought. Second DD aged 10 is a nightmare, always have to drag her up!