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 nearly 8 year old is in bed by 7.15 ish most nights but reads to himself till about 8pm every night. He wakes about 6.30/7am

Nope. Mine are similar ages. Bedtime is 7, although sometimes we slip by half an hour. The older one reads for a bit, but both usually asleep by 8.

My almost 8yo is asleep about 8/8.15pm and gets up at 6.30am. My 6yo sleeps 7.45pm to 7am. Your bedtimes seem early

My 3 dc (11yrs, 9yrs & 7yrs) all go to bed at the same time - I know some find that strange but it works for us.

Bedtime starts around 7pm, washed, teeth done, into pjs, then I read to the 7 yr old & say good night, then the same with the 9 yr old then the 11 yr old.

Both 9 & 11 yr old read for as long as they want, usually 9 - 9.30pm then go to sleep. 11 yr old sometimes reads later or puts an audio book on & falls asleep to that.

I'm usually downstairs by 8pm.

They all get up at 7 - 7.15am for school.

My 5 year old goes to bed 8-8.30, up around 6.30. jealous of most of these posts!

Winding down from 8pm, lights off by 9pm for my 6&9 yo. They shared a room until recently and have always favoured less sleep than average and tend towards being night owls. They need to be up around 7:30 to 8pm.

Our evenings are busy. One evening they're back at 7pm. By the time we're back from Scouting and Guiding nights it's 8pm.

My 7 year old goes to bed at 8.

nearly 5 year old - lights off 7.30 (earlier if v tired)
7.5 year old - lights off 7.45.

We go up about 6.45 and have quick bath, pjs stories etc

5 yo wakes about 6.30
7 yo wakes about 6
Neither will sleep later if I push bedtime back

I have a 7 and a 9 year old. We eat at 630 (or later depending on activities). Once it hits 7/we finish eating they go to get ready for bed. They have to be in bed by 8 for a story, usually they're in by 745. They read to us for 10 mins, we read and then lights off, music on. Generally they're asleep by 830-845.
9 year old wakes before 6, always has done. 7 year old wakes anytime between 6 and 730.

If they're messing about why not stagger the bedtimes, you tuck up youngest by 7, then your eldest reads to you for 20 minutes downstairs before going up themselves. No messing about and trekking up and down stairs, they'll actually be tired but still a reasonable bedtime, and you'll get some good 1-on-1 time with your 8yo.

My 7 year old goes into her room for bedtime about 8 ish. Usually asleep by 9-9:30. She gets up 7 ish usually. Doing it any earlier would be a nightmare.

I can't believe the amount of people on here whose children wake up at like 6/7am!!!! So jealous!!
We have 3 boys (age 9yrs, almost 5 yrs and 9 months).
5 year old likes his sleep...but ends up in our bed from about midnight onwards! 🙈 He'll go to sleep at about 7.30pm ish and wake up whenever all the noise in the house first wakes him (we live in a bungalow so it's v.hard to avoid noise)
9 month old, on a good night, goes to sleep at about 7/7.30pm and wakes between 5-7am.

9 year old goes to sleep by about 8pm each night and wakes, without fail, every single day, at about 4.30-5am!!! 😩 He's even been known to get up and watch tv at 3.45am in the past! 🤦🏼‍♀️
Children ay??!!

The day that all my children wake up at 7am onwards, will be one of the best days of my life! 😂

DD1 is 8 and DD2 is almost 6.

They both go to their bedrooms between 6.45 and 7pm.

DD1 reads in bed for up to 15 minutes East night, she goes straight to sleep afterwards and usually has to be woken for school in the morning.

DD2 wakes at around 6am for the loo and goes back to bed until 6.30am.

Looking at the other replied, it seems DD1 goes to bed very early for her age but she's usually ready for sleep at that time and I'm hesitant to push bedtime back whilst I have to wake her up. The only exception is Brownies night - which finishes at 7pm. She's usually in bed by 7.30pm and is very tired the next day.

4 6 and 8 yo here all lights out at 1900. The 4yo mucks around, the others go to sleep.

Awake between 0630 and 0700, later in hols

Have you considered building in an evening walk to burn off some energy? My 6 year old is usually in bed 730 and my 8 year old 8-830 and both wake between 6-630am. I miss my evenings when they both used to sleep 6-6

I have a 6 and 8 year old. They used to share, but the bedtime nonsense became ridiculous, so we put them in separate rooms. That did help with the silliness, but we still get the faffing. Usually from the 8 year old who finds every excuse in the book to come downstairs. Sometimes he walks into the living room and you can tell he's not even thought of an excuse yet.

Most nights we start bedtime at around 7pm to allow for faffing. Our routine on non bath nights is toilet, teeth, pyjamas, story (they have separate stories, but DH and I do one each). Lights out no later than 8pm. If they crack on and get it done, they can read until 8. Up until half term, they had to be up at 0630 to leave for breakfast club at 0720, and it was hard to wake them after silly evenings.

We had to start getting really tough with the 8 year old as the constantly coming down was running until 930/10pm. He was tired, but it had become a habit, and he was exhausted the next day from not allowing himself to fall asleep. We made him sit at the bottom of the stairs every time he came down for no reason (my earlobe hurts, my toe is itchy - you could tell as it came with a smirk). He hated that and is better at staying in bed now. Not perfect, but better.

Gah. Why does the app hate paragraphs?!?

Also, isn't it amazing how many ailments they suddenly have at bedtime? 'I feel funny'. Excuse me for not believing you given that you were wrestling with your brother five minutes ago.

Now it puts the paragraph in 🙄

Could your 6 year old go up at 6.30 and the 8 year old an hour later? Then 8 year old can listen to the audiobook or read and just go to bed quietly once the little one is already asleep.

My Y2 7 year old goes to bed between 7.30-8pm. Usually reads then lights off at 8pm.

At 6yrs she had a 7-7.30pm bedtime

My 8 year old falls asleep between 9.30 and 10pm. We go upstairs for bedtime at about 8pm. She gets up at 7.30am. Work's fine for her and us.

It should vary hugely, different DC need different amounts of sleep. My DS1 has never slept more than 8-6:30 (tried bed at 7 but I’m not a fan of 5:30 rising) but does manage that. DS2 will chat to his toys until 9 often but then I have to wake him (he’s not quite 4 so can still have an afternoon nap if needed).

I can't get my 6 year old off before about 8pm. Usually closer to 9pm. But he does sleep until 7am.

That seems very early to me We are often either still out or eating at 6.30pm! Cubs doesn't finish until 8.15pm. My boys are just 6 (this week) & 8, with an 11-year old brother.

We generally aim to have DS2 & DS3 in bed by 8pm (apart from Cubs night for DS2) & they go to sleep straight away & happily get up around 7am. Sometimes at weekends they stay up until 8.30pm & lie in the next day.

7&9 year olds here. Up at 7 to brush teeth etc. Usually in bed for 7.15/7.20 then we'll read to them for 15/20 minutes. Then they can read school nights lights out and books away at 8 (after finding them still reading at 9.30 and then struggling to wake up the following morning). Weekends and school holidays they can read as long as they like. Though the are usually asleep by 9. Naturally wake between 6.30/7.30.