What time is bedtime for your 7 yr old?

[MapGirlExtraordinaire]

My 7yr old has suddenly developed some kind of insomnia. I wonder why ?

She's always been a great sleeper. However a month ago she stopped falling asleep happily at 7.30ish and now comes down at 8.30/9 most nights near tears saying she can't sleep. She says her sleeping muscle is broken

She lies in her room, worrying. I've told her a hundred times that I don't mind when she falls asleep. Homeschool is odd, she's doing brilliantly, if she falls asleep late it isn't a problem for us. We've told her we understand how difficult the current situation is for her, she's reacting to missing school and her friends in a really normal way, etc etc.

Anyway, DP suggested maybe we push her bedtime a little later and make a new routine for her. I'm on board but just wondered what time is normal for a 7yr old.

She's perfectly happy to read solo in her room etc, but she's a very advanced reader and I'm not sure i want her reading her current faves just before bed when alone. Anything age suitable she reads in 10 mins, but if anyone does have any recommendations for a nice calming but loooong book which a bright 7 yr old could have as a special bedtime book I'll happily take that advice too! Or any Audible books etc?

Thanks in advance for any ideas

Audio books worked really well for my dd at that age.

It depends what time she is getting up at in the morning.

My 4 year old is still up now watching a movie with her big brothers - but she is lying in these days in the mornings until about 10.

Harry Potter? Rick Riordan?

Anything particular nimbus? She gets really excited by good stories so I can't see them calming her down!

She's waking at 7.30 every day Super. I keep telling her to try and roll over and go back to sleep but her little brother is rather loud when he runs past her door to come and see us. He's too young to be reliably quiet

Both my DD's did this around 6/7. They just didn't need as much sleep and I found it less stressful all round to let them stay up later and go when actually tired. DD who was 8 this week is currently reading the worst witch series but she also likes an Alexa bed time story or 5

She's a big potter fan but it's a bit scary and exciting for her solo at bedtime. I sometimes read it to her (she finished 4 herself in 3 days! I'm reading 5 with a layer of filter) but it is hardly calming, for her anyway

midnight what sort of time? DD lived the worst witch but read it all when she was 5 and has reread each book about 10 times! Think they're in the discard pile now.

Not trying to be a dick, reading has always been her thing, but it means we don't have an easy fix for bedtime.

Angelina Ballerina
Princess Mirror Belle

Get an audio book of the ones she already knows. Or get her to reread books for bedtime? Im 29 and still listen to Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter some nights!

My 6 and 8 year old go to bed 7:30 in the week and maybe stay up to 8:30 at weekends.
My 6yo usually wants to go straight to sleep and is a great sleeper. So all good there.
My 8yo however has always struggled to switch off, and used to be awake sometimes for hours worrying about things. He often also wakes up earlier, and will start reading at about 6am sometimes!
Reading before he falls asleep has really helped him wind down and fall asleep easily.
He loves reading the Harry Potter books and also the 13 Storey Treehouse series books.

The collected Mrs Pepperpot stories or Paddington stories were good for my dd at this age, also an avid reader. Non-fiction can be better when anxious too.

DD2 is 8 and likes to go to sleep listening to music. Could that be an option?

Unicorn academy, enid blyton famous five etc are my 7 yr olds favourites we had same issue but she was getting up so early- always has- weve started using sleep spray from holland and barrett (lavender, magnesium and camomile) it relies her and shes sleeping lots better. I know that's not what you asked but it may just help.

And in answer to your actual question, bedtime is 8.30 on a school night. Later at weekends /school holidays

Mine doesn’t go up for his shower till 7:30. Lights out at 8:30.

I have two 8yos. One sleeps 730-730 like clockwork, the other is up and down until 9/10pm then is grumpy at 730am. I am just telling myself it'll pass.

At the moment, my 7YO can stay awake until 9.30pm. He usually goes up about 8pm, we let him sit upstairs, read and play as long as he's quiet and doesn't disturb his younger brother.

It's been this late since lockdown. Usually on a school day, he's asleep earlier. But it's not as draining for him being home all day everyday.

Like you said though bedtime isn't really the time for complex or exciting story lines that's better saved for day time. Simpler familiar books are better. How about classics like the secret garden or back beauty or all the Enid blyton secret seven etc ? DD likes animal/pony themed books and these are usually pretty tame. We aim to be in bed around 8.45/9. We get up at 6.30am.

In bed at 8. Reads until 8:30.

But we have been much more relaxed with lockdown as she's been waking up later (which is 7:30 instead of 6:30 - bliss!)

So sometimes she's not in bed until gone 8:30 and asleep closer to 9.

Seems well rested.

Once school is back we'll be back to awake before 7am so probably go for 7:45 bedtime and lights out at 8:15.

Oh and my DD reads and rereads the David Walliams books.

She whizzes through them fast but loves them and take more than one bedtime sitting so work well.

Black beauty is a great idea, maybe even audio book, we could set a chapter each night. I'll look into that. She enjoyed an abridged version but it was obv short. Maybe wind in the willows too, that's another fave which she'll read abridged to her brother.

Thanks for all inputs on times, good to know we're not massively outside the norm. I do have a pillow spray a friend gave me, she'd love to have it, she's really into herbs and flower scents, perfect!

Dd2 has just had her 8th birthday. She goes up at 7.30, lights out at 8.30 on a school night, or up at 8, lights out at 9 at the weekend. I still read to her and her older sister, which I think helps them settle.

We have recently been through this with DS who has just turned 8. We moved his bedtime to 7.45 and he reads until 8.30. We also found limited light ready helped. He has always like the hall light left on, but we have encouraged him to read just by his bedside light, with everything else dark. When he turns his light out, there is a dim night light on the landing, but it’s otherwise dark. He seems to drift off much faster like this and is much less tired the following day than he has been.

As for books, he has recently enjoyed the How to Train Your Dragon series, the 13 Storey Treehouse set and the Explorers.

At 7, DD went up not earlier than 9pm, and had no "lights off" at all, she could read (or draw, or whatever) as late as she wanted, she was rarely asleep by 10pm, woke naturally before 8am, no issues.

Sleep needs vary hugely between individuals, what's right for one is not right for another, 12 hours (7:30 until 7:30) is at the high side of average needs though.

In bed at 8, asleep by 9 mostly.
The Animals of Farthing Wood series by Colin Dann?