Does anyone go to bed really early (8pm) out of choice?

[FightingTheFoo]

I'm trapped in a terrible cycle atm where I spend all evening snacking, go to bed far too late, get woken up very early by my toddler meaning I have no energy to exercise and just want to snack all day (and night). Rinse and repeat.

I've tried going to bed earlier but it's not working. I "check something" on Twitter or watch "1 episode" of Friends on Netflix and before I know it it's 11pm and I'm not even in my pyjamas. I'm on my knees with tiredness atm.

I'm thinking the only way to fix it is: as soon as DH & I have put the toddler to bed & cleaned the kitchen I'll get ready for bed myself - so no TV or internet in the evenings and in bed by 8pm.

Does anyone go to bed this early? Are there any drawbacks?

I just wonder if it'll be sustainable once evenings get lighter and lockdown eases.

We come upstairs for about 8ish. OH sleeps at about 9pm as he gets up early for work. Me and child go to sleep for about 10pm. We read, I look online, she colours or writes stories.

I genuinely don't understand why people are brainwashed to think it's perfectly "normal" for a child to be up at 5am and that's it's impossible to keep them up after 6pm or so, and have them sleep later in the morning.

Kids do need to sleep, but they sleep just as well if they go to bed from 8pm or later than at 6pm! (even better actually, it's darker, generally quieter, and cooler in the summer)

It might take more than 1 night or 2 to change their routine, but it's so worth it.

Put it another way: if you have to put a 1 year old in childcare (nursery or childminder), can't pick them up before 6:30 - 7pm, by the time they are home, fed, bath, bedtime routine... they sleep later. It's fine!

Could you get totally ready for bed, brush teeth, have big glass of water early on and then chill in front of the TV for an hour or so? It seems less effort to go up to bed earlier if you don’t have to get changed and things and you can just go up and get in bed.
Brushing teeth can help stop snacking too.

I'm in bed by 9pm and watch Netflix and asleep by 10pm, then wake up at 7am.

I genuinely don't understand why people are brainwashed to think it's perfectly "normal" for a child to be up at 5am and that's it's impossible to keep them up after 6pm or so, and have them sleep later in the morning.

It's not so simple as that. And a little condescending to suggest that those of us with habitual early risers haven't thought of your super brilliant ideas.
I tried everything.
Later bed time, black out blinds, gro clocks, early nap, late nap, no nap and many more strategies over several years with my early riser.

Nothing worked - and a lot of the time I ended up with a grumpy sleep deprived child who would fall asleep at unhelpful times.

It was easier in the end to adjust my schedule.

but why is it a problem that only seem to exist in this country.

And once you have a job - and other children - it's impossible to adjust a schedule around a toddler!

It must make holidays a nightmare, giving your kid diner and putting them to bed when other parents just take their kids to the beach

@guest2013

Why do you accept the child getting up at 4/5am? Just put them back to bed. There's no way I'd be like ok let's get up at that time?! Unless there's an underlying issue then just put them back to bed until 7. Yeah they might whinge a bit the first few times but its weird that you would completely change your sleeping pattern when its theirs that needs changing.

I always think this too. Would they get up with them and start their day at 2am or 3am? Why do it at 4am or even 5am then.

I don't believe there are no natural early risers in the rest of the world. I have three kids - eldest is 17 - she was my early riser (around 6am). She's still usually awake before 7, even at the weekend. Nothing I ever did changed her natural schedule. It was easier to just go with it. The bonus is I've never had to wake her for school - very much unlike her brothers!

I wake up at 530 even when i don't have ds, i like to have a cuppa in bed, do some yoga & get out for an early dog walk before the chaos of my day kicks in. I think some people are naturally early risers & some night owls.

@guest2013 I tried everything with my early riser to get them to sleep last 5. She only stopped when she went to school.. she's still a morning person but it's a more acceptable 6.30 now. Some toddlers just wake early.

I LOVE going to bed. As soon as the kids are in bed im PJ's on and under a blanket on the sofa for a cup of tea with DH. We read or do hobbies for an hour then up to bed around 9. On a good night in my asleep by 9.30.
I have 3 small children so do everything I can to maximize my sleeping time.

Me time - we alternate get ups with the kids on non work days.

I have a simple solution to your snacking problem. Don’t buy them or if you have to have them in for other people buy stuff you don’t like.