10.30-10.45pm bedtime for DD11.

Lights out by 9.pm at aged 11/12.

I think a lot of autistic children don't sleep well. My DS is 6, he very rarely falls asleep before 10:30 and is usually awake by 6. He often wakes in the night too. He is always full of energy though.
We do have an appointment with the paediatric doctor in December but as he's so full of energy they probably won't prescribe anything.

At that age my DDs were off to bed at 8 on a school night, 9 on Friday and Saturday and school holidays. Lights out at 9 / 10pm
They had to be ready for school by 7.30!

My dd is more of a night owl. School night bedtime ought to be 9.30 to go up but it’s often closer to 10. She is still up now but it’s the holidays. As a younger child she was a nightmare to get to sleep. Now I look back and think why didn’t we just let her have a later bedtime?
Both me and her dad are more night people, plus my mum and aunties all are so it’s in the family.

She gets up about 7am for school, so usually she’s had at least 8hrs. Forgot to say she is 12.

Lights out at 21:00 when I was aged 11 and 12.

15 year old! Bloody hell I'd have pissed myself laughing if my mum tried to give me a bedtime at 15!

People (including children) are different and need different amounts of sleep. It's extremely frustrating when someone tries to prescribe a certain number of hours to someone who doesn't need it. It also makes sleep even more elusive.

DD11 goes to bed about 10pm and sometimes later.

DS7 goes up to bed by 8pm but can take until 10pm to actually get to sleep.

Both autistic.

IMO that’s too late for my 15yos on school nights. I’d be saying she can read but needs to be quiet and in bed, lights out before 10pm.

Much younger but my 6yo doesn't go to sleep until 10/10.30, up at 7 (and still up in the night). No diagnosis but on the ASD pathway but I wouldn't be surprised if ADHD as well / instead. Takes him a very long time to wind down and switch off once in bed and always has. But, he's not tired in the day, I've regularly checked that with school and they see no tiredness signs, he's also good at telling me when he is tired, whilst he can't sleep he does recognise the feeling so we know he isn't suffering. I suppose what I'm saying is that if it's not causing issues, then is it worth trying to change it?

The thing is, there is no real ‘normal’ for an autistic child. My NT 11 year old is asleep by 9pm at the latest, usually closer to 8.30pm as she has to be up at 6.30am and that’s how much sleep she needs. My autistic 7 year old is never asleep before 10pm, and that’s with melatonin. We’ve tried everything. It’s frustrating because he also needs someone with him, which means DH and I don’t get any form of evening together.

DS12. Bed at 8:30, asleep by 9, wake him up at 7:30.

It may not be ideal but it sounds like she is getting a solid 8 hours sleep on school nights and more at weekends/holidays? In which case I wouldn’t worry too much unless she is showing signs of being over tired the next day.

The average bedtime for 11 years old must be around 9-10 pm. As they have to wake up early for school, their sleep should be fully complete. A fresh mind keeps a child active, healthy and their thinking clear. Book reading could help or mind relaxing poems, therapuetic music can help. Try to record that screens are off 1-2 hours prior to bedtime.

My 11 yo goes up at 8. Shower and bed (no reading). She’s asleep by 9. This is every night, we don’t differentiate weekends as she enjoys the routine. I acknowledge we are an early to bed household as my 9 yo goes up at 7 and asleep by 8.

That said 10.30 is too late imo. I’m up and in bed by then

ETA older child is NT younger child is ND.

I have a similar aged child with autism and they are often still awake at 12. We have tried everything and nothing helps. Refused meds.