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Original poster

If you have a 6yo that goes to sleep by 7.30pm...

32 replies

trilbydoll · 26/08/2019 22:25

What do you do? Do you have any rules? No TV after a certain time? At least 3 hours outside every day? DD1 appears to be completely broken and I think it's too late to take her back to the shop!

OP posts:

HennyPennyHorror · 26/08/2019 22:58

Looking back at when my DC were this age (mine are now 11 and 14) I think that I should have let the idea of a 7.30 bedtime go. It's very early...some children just don't need that much sleep.

Maybe try 8.00? My strategy was no sugary food or drinks after lunchtime. And no tv for an hour or so before bed. Bath and books. Mine also responded well to having audio books on in the room.

HennyPennyHorror · 26/08/2019 22:58

Even 8.30 would be reasonable.

SuperSange · 26/08/2019 23:13

Mine is. He's very, very active, won't sit down and always on the go. It's tea done by six, 20 mins of tv, bath, in bed by 7, then a couple of stories. He's out for 12 hours, as regular as clockwork.

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Original poster

trilbydoll · 27/08/2019 19:58

Thanks all. DD has to be woken up every morning which would suggest she isn't getting enough sleep! Going to cut out sugary food, see if that works. I nearly banned TV all together then realised that wasn't really fair on a week of grandparents childcare!

OP posts:

Swifey40 · 27/08/2019 20:03

I have two ds, one is 7 and one is 4. They both go to bed at 7pm and see asleep by 7:30pm. They both sleep til 6ish, maybe later if we have had a massively active day.
Same routine from when the oldest was 6 weeks old; bath at 6, then stories, then milk and then lights out. Both of mine woke through the night til they were about 3, but they always went back down. If I put them to bed later they still get up at 6, but are miserable and stroppy all day!

museumum · 27/08/2019 20:04

Lights out at 8 for my 6yo.
Bath at 7 (he’s a grubby one), stories then ten mins lights on time.

Wobblington · 27/08/2019 20:15

I'd wait until school is back, its cooler and they're a bit more tired. My DC are 6 and 7 and have a fairly fixed bedtime but theyre still up raving as they're getting a lie in everyday and it's too hot to sleep!

Smidge001 · 27/08/2019 20:19

I think it's more about what time they get up. 7:30 was bedtime for my SD until she was about 10yrs old. At 12 she's in bed between 8 and 8:30pm. But she's up at about 6:15am as she has to leave the house by 7am to get to school.

LinoleumBlownapart · 27/08/2019 20:21

Mine gets up at 6am and goes to sleep at 8pm. He's back at school now, during the summer I didn't bother with 8pm. He has a 5 minute kids meditation from YouTube then a chapter of a book. He's usually either asleep by then or drifting off.

FFSOMG · 27/08/2019 20:22

Strict routine for my two since they were 3mo

FFSOMG · 27/08/2019 20:23

They have a bath at 6.30 and sleep at 7

picklemepopcorn · 27/08/2019 20:25

We had a system where they went to their rooms at 7/7.30 with audio books. If they were up and ready for school every morning, then great. If not then they went to their rooms ten minutes earlier every day until they were ready next morning. Over a few weeks, they settled into a routine that worked for them- my little girl knitted, read, coloured etc but didn't sleep until at least 9, where as my boy went out like a light straight away. They could negotiate a letter bedtime the same way- prove you can manage by being ready in the morning and you can stay up later.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 27/08/2019 20:27

DD1 had a 7pm bedtime at that age, earlier some days! Her school started at 7.20am (until 1pm). Dinner was at 5pm. Afternoons were very active.
I miss those school hours!

Anerak · 27/08/2019 20:29

Have 4 yo and a 6yo. They go to sleep between 7 and 8. Dinner, board game/toys together, then teeth, books, cuddle - bath too if they need it but not every night. They only get to watch tv in the morning and preferably not every day. Occasionally in the afternoon if I need to work, for max an hour. Once every few weeks a film together before bed but that's clearly explained that there will be no books and straight to sleep when it's finished. I think very little screen time does help. And a routine.

Goostacean · 27/08/2019 20:31

@picklemepopcorn That's excellent! My DC is only 18mo but I'll store that little nugget for future use...

NoKnit · 27/08/2019 20:33

Honestly can't remember last time my 6 year old was asleep by 7:30 and yes he is outside at least 3 hours a day, cycles, walks as we don't drive much. Any reason you want her asleep so early?

Lucked · 27/08/2019 20:37

Just normal I think although she is very high energy for instance she will bounce her way to the bathroom and dance to the car etc.

So up at 7.15 and at breakfast club most school days by 7.50.

School finishes at 3. They only have one day a week when they are straight home otherwise it is after school, grannies house (where they run feral) or to swimming. One other sports club a week.

Dinner is at 6ish allowing for clubs and the bath is waiting for them when they finish. From bath to lounge for a short TV show and then to bed with a reasonably long chapter from a book. Light off between 7.30 and 7.45.

At weekend we do need to get them out and about but that is more because they start climbing the walls rather than because they won’t sleep.

NeedaDiscoNap · 27/08/2019 20:37

My 5 1/2 year old is in bed by 6.45 and usually asleep by 7/7.15, BUT she’s always been an early bedder and really needs 12 hours a night. I don’t really ever let her stay up late, except when on holiday away from home. All through the summer hols she goes to bed at the same time. That means dinner for her around 5, bath/shower just after 6 and stories around 6.30. Dreading when she starts getting homework!

I honestly think some children have a different body clock, which is hard to manage. My friend did a similar thing to popcorn above for her son, moved bedtime incrementally by 5 mins each night until he was in bed at 7.

ourmamageddon · 27/08/2019 20:46

I wouldn't stress, just leave bedtime until she's ready. My 6yo is asleep by 7.30 but it's the only thing I have to feel smug about. He's just shattered from trying to break my spirit.

firesong · 27/08/2019 20:48

No, we didn't have specific rules about tv when dd was that age. She didn't have a tablet or anything though at that point. I used to allow her to read in bed from 7 and she would do that for an hour. Now she reads for much longer and I'm thinking of getting a bit stricter about what time for "lights off".

Original poster

trilbydoll · 27/08/2019 21:25

NoKnit - on holiday she slept 10pm-11am which suggests she needs a lot of sleep! And I have to wake her up every morning so she clearly needs to go to bed earlier. School starts at 8.45, I can't let her sleep past 8.15!

I like the idea of earning a later bedtime by being up and ready but I suspect she'd appear fully dressed at 5am

OP posts:

CostaLotta · 27/08/2019 21:26

My 6yo is asleep by 7.30 bit he gets up around 5am every damn day.

Andonandonan · 27/08/2019 21:56

My 5 yo & 7 yo have a 7pm ish bedtime and have done forever.

In large part I think it’s about luck.

DH & I both have work to do in the evenings so need them in bed early. And we are all up early (6 ish) on weekdays to get to school & work on time. So an earlier bedtime is important.

They have a very well established & consistent routine - upstairs at 6 for bath/shower, pjs on, teeth brushed, 2 stories, last wee, lights out, 2 songs then goodnight.

No tv / electronics in the week (but I’m not sure this is that contributory except that we’ve never had tv in the 90 mins before bed).

However it’s totally different in holidays and they’ve only just gone to bed now. They’ll sleep til 8.30/9 though.

Yaflamingalah · 27/08/2019 21:59

My 5 and 7 year old DDs are in bed between 7 and 7.30 but they tend to get up between 6 and 6.30am

Xmasbaby11 · 27/08/2019 22:02

That seems so early!

I have 5 and 7yo. They are in bed by 8, asleep by 8.30 on a weeknight.

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