Bedtimes for 6 and 8 year olds?

[Expat1986]

I feel ridiculous for asking this question, but it's genuinely confusing me.

My 6 and 8 years olds share a room (as the 8 year old freaked herself out sleeping on her own).

There is a bit of messing around at bedtime, so I brought it forward so there was time built in for messing about, an audiobook and the tramping up and down the stairs.

But now I'm wondering if I've pushed it too early.

We go up at 6:30 for teeth, pyjamas and game (which takes about 15 minutes). So they are in bed by about 6:50pm. Then there is a 30 minute audiobook.

Messing about has continued until about 8:30pm most nights. It feels a little bit late as they are both up by 6-6:30am as DH crashes around getting ready for work.

Am I putting them into bed too early? Should I let them stay up later?

My 7yo goes up at 7pm to brush teeth, then story and lights out usually 7:30-7:45 in term time.

Thanks @babblebee - what time does he/she wake up?

My 7 yr old goes up at 7.45 and is in bed by 8. If hes still alert he can keep the light on and read until 8.30. He usually wakes up around 6.30 so gets around 10hrs a night

I would say 6.30 for 6yo and 8.30 for 8yo with that getting up time. They may need more or less sleep though.

My just turned 7 year old is in bed for 7 and the 8 year old goes at 8

My 8 year old has lights out at 8 30. We go up to bed about 7.30 bath, faff, stories.

6.50 seems v early. Brownies finishes at 7.30 here!

My almost six year old is in bed for 7pm term weeknights except for Beavers on a Thursday which is a 7pm finish and then it’s 7.40

My 8 year old puts his pyjamas on at 6.30 when the little ones do and knows it's winding down time until he goes up to bed at 8, he is usually asleep within 20 minutes and gets up at 7 (albeit with lots of complaining as the others wake him up often).

Yes it does seem early. I think we kept moving it earlier because DD was freaking out being in her own room (where she's been for 2 years) so we were trying to compensate for lots of late nights. But clearly they don't need more sleep given they both naturally wake before 6:30am.

Good point - Brownies starts next week, so that will push bedtime later.

I think I might push back to a 7:15pm going upstairs and see if that results in less messing about .

Although I guess messing about is just par for the course? We've been really lucky with very good sleepers, so this is the first time I've really had to repeatedly send them back upstairs.

My 7, nearly 8yr old goes up to bed about 8pm, she usually reads until about 9. She gets up between 7/7.30.

My 4 and 6 yr old share a room. We go up at 7/7:30pm they're in bed and asleep by 8pm. 8:30pm at latest. They're up at 6:45/7am

I would push back bedtime and stop the faffing.

I have a rule now that nonsense at bedtime means no story; before that bedtime was starting to take over our evenings too much!

My 8 year old goes to bed about 7.45, 10 minute story, either reads for a little bit himself or falls straight asleep.

Half six is crazy early for a kid halfway through primary!

My children were going at 7:45 at age 6 and 8:15 at age 8. 6:50 seems very early for an 8yo.

I usually have to wake her up to get ready for school! Weekends she wakes between 7 and 7:30am.

I expect some of the messing was it just being too early.

I dont think a 6 and 8 year old need the same ampunt of sleep though...

Mine are nearly 6 and 8 and they sort of share a room as one is off the other. Until about a year ago it was a strict 6.30pm bedtime, set by the elder one tbh. But now he isn't tired until 8.30/9pm most evenings and the younger one is most indignant if asked to sleep before her brother.

So it's usually 7.30pm lights out for the younger and 8pm for the older. But he's often reading until 9.30pm if he can get away with it. It's increasingly a struggle to get them up by 7.30 on a school day.

I agree that the earlier bedtime may well be causing faffing .

The only thing I'm worried about is that soon we will have to leave the house by 6:50am in the mornings, and I don't really want to push back their waking up times and then have a nightmare getting them out of the door in the mornings.

My 6 nearly 7 year old starts bed time at 7.30 and is almost always asleep by 8.30, slightly later sometimes if it's a weekend or holiday.
She wakes up around 6.30 but isn't ready to get up until 7.30!

My 8&9 year olds go up at 8.30 and lights out for 9. They get up at 7 for school later at weekends. If they feel tired earlier they go up earlier and if one wants the light off sooner the other uses a lamp to read. My 5 year old doesn't go to bed until 7.

My just turned 7 year old goes up between 7.30-7.45pm. Gets read to or reads aloud. Lights off about 8pm and asleep about 8.15pm. Is awake every morning at 6.30 and occasionally 6.45am.
She didn’t wake until 7.15am this morning and we are still in shock 😂

My 6.5 year old goes up around 6/6.30 for bath/shower, then story and reading and is usually asleep by 7/7.30 latest. She is awake anytime after 5.30....😁 regardless of what time she goes to bed.

What time do you have dinner? I can't imagine children of 6 and 8 starting to get ready for bed at 6.30pm.

I would have thought 8-8.30pm would be early enough.

My DD is nearly 6. Her bedtime was 7:30 for a long time - at first being asleep by that time, then being in bed, then going upstairs.

Now one of us takes DS(1) up at 7:25ish and the other stays downstairs with DD and reads with her. We come up at 7:50, brush teeth etc. She's in bed at 8, usually goes to sleep straight away but sometimes reads to herself if she's not too tired. She has to turn her light off by 8:15 on a school night, 8:30 at weekends and holidays. She's very good about it atm, and sleeps through for the most part.

She usually wakes up after 7am, but stays in bed until 7:30am (reading or playing quietly). Her Groclock helps a lot, although she would be okay with a normal digital now.

Ideally I like my 8 year old and 6 year old in bed at 7.30, quick book for 6 to and straight to sleep. 8year old unless really tired can keep her night light on to read until 8pm.

6 year old sleeps 7.30pm to as late as 8.30am (wake him for school at 7.45am)

8 year old sleeps 8pm till 7am