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Original poster

Teens staying up all night?

109 replies

Bottomplasters · 06/04/2020 02:29

Anyone else teens (15) year 10. Staying up all night and doing fuck all work? I literally am at breaking point

OP posts:
SomeoneElseEntirelyNow · 06/04/2020 02:35

Have you tried turning the wifi off at "bedtime " ??

Falacy · 06/04/2020 02:37

No but my 9 year old is 🙈

Can't really blame her since I'm naturally nocturnal too.

Can you set the rule that as long as work gets done they can keep whatever hours they please?

BigusBumus · 06/04/2020 02:38

I am currently in the spare room as my husband is snoring v loudly. The spare room is sandwiched between two of my sons rooms (both 17) who are still talking on Houseparty to their mates. Although they are being very quiet, and I can't hear the words, the deep rumble of their voices is doing my head in and I've asked them to be quiet about 5 times now.

I have to get up for work at 7. 😥

Original poster
Bottomplasters · 06/04/2020 02:41

WiFi off, she is getting all school work done but has literally reversed cycle. Currently drawing and listening to music.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bottomplasters · 06/04/2020 02:44

So it's normal? I just feel like worst mum ever. She is naturally nocturnal

OP posts:
Sonichu · 06/04/2020 03:24

What's the big deal if she's getting all her schoolwork done?

Original poster
Bottomplasters · 06/04/2020 03:26

I guess I'm just beating myself up as our routines are such a mess and I feel that I am not exactly patenting her

OP posts:
Luzina · 06/04/2020 03:29

I woke my teen up at 8am a few times and made sure he stayed awake. It worked and he is now going to sleep by midnight, which isn't brilliant but miles better than it was.

Thepigeonsarecoming · 06/04/2020 03:38

These aren’t normal circumstances, yes tell her to go to bed and then sleep yourself, but she may not be able too. I wouldn’t overly worry about bedtime hours at the moment as long as she is getting schoolwork done

tumpymummy · 06/04/2020 04:17

My teenagers are staying up late and sleeping late and not really doing much work now (were both doing exams, now cancelled). But tbh I dont see the problem atm. Every thing has been turned on its head. What does it matter?

astropoodle · 06/04/2020 05:03

Teens are naturally like this but school forces them into a different routine. We have started staying up late and not getting up until lunchtime, causes havoc on days I have to go to work but it's just happened without us realising.

DryHeave · 06/04/2020 05:05

Any chance she is worried/anxious about everything that is going on and finding it hard to sleep?

TFthatsover · 06/04/2020 05:18

Yep same here OP. DD15 is also GCSE year and is staying up until 1or 2am. She's a natural night owl anyway but the lack of routine has thrown her sleep pattern up in the air. I was worried about it but I can't make her run around the garden to burn off energy (unlike DS11) and I can't replicate the mental and physical workout that school provided. She is missing her mates and normal life and as long as she is getting 10 hours sleep she's happy enough which suits me.

dottycat123 · 06/04/2020 06:19

I either read or watched a television show about this, apparently teenagers get a surge of wakefulness hormones about age 15 at around 10:30 pm. They are programmed to be awake when the rest of us are going to sleep.

Lynda07 · 06/04/2020 06:22

Yes they do, mine did quite often but would sleep like a log all morning. I can remember being much the same.

leafygarden · 06/04/2020 06:25

@dottycat123 thats interesting - my DD in year 10 - has just come downstairs in onesie for breakfast and yes, she's been up all and about to go to bed!

I just hope she's getting enough sleep. Not worrying about her schoolwork at the moment as they're theoretically on Easter holidays...

Drivemybluecar · 06/04/2020 06:50

Mine. He is 16. Not doing anything during the day so he is not tired. But like most teenagers he is nocturnal. I have to still go to work so I’m letting him get on with it.
At the moment it is making no difference at all as he has nothing to do during the day and it would seem all his friends are doing the same.
It doesn’t taken much to get it back to normal so im just going with it.

nostaples · 06/04/2020 07:40

No not normal. Stop making excuses for them. Make them get up at a decent time and do some productive things during the day and go to bed at a decent time. Take some responsibility as a parent. What do you think their teachers have been doing all this time. Yes, I speak as a teacher and parent of two teenagers.

Original poster
Bottomplasters · 06/04/2020 07:44

No staples to be honest this is what I was thinking!

OP posts:
nostaples · 06/04/2020 07:45

'like most teenagers he is nocturnal'

Dangerously untrue. While teenagers might naturally go to bed later and get up later than older or younger people, they can and need good sleep routines and they still need 8-10 hours sleep a night. It's your job to ensure they get it. Useful advice below.

www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/teens-and-sleep
www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/sleep-tips-for-teenagers/

nostaples · 06/04/2020 07:47

'I guess I'm just beating myself up as our routines are such a mess and I feel that I am not exactly patenting her'

If that's what you think, you're probably right. So do something about it.

onlinelinda · 06/04/2020 07:47

Definitely take the WiFi lead to bed.

loubieloo4 · 06/04/2020 07:51

I don't know how you can force someone to sleep, I am also naturally nocturnal and have insomnia. I can literally stay awake for days at a time. No amount of getting up early or going to bed at a set helps.

As long as they are having enough to eat and sleep at that age I wouldn't worry.

Original poster
Bottomplasters · 06/04/2020 07:53

No staples - hats off to you mum of teens and a teacher. Please share what works as I'm really atruggiling

OP posts:
Gatehouse77 · 06/04/2020 07:55

I can totally understand your concern and have had similar with my eldest (who’s at Uni now). Having a day/night balance seems obvious to me but, clearly, not to him!

What we’ve agreed is that as long as they are up and ready to take part in the family activities we’ve organised (for our collective mental health and to run the house) then we will get off their backs.

I much prefer to get my jobs done in the morning so the rest of my day is free. They don’t! I’m not right and they’re not wrong.

I can’t see the schools going back before September so, hard as it may be and because she is getting her work done, I’d ease off for now.