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Original poster

What time do your 7/8 year olds go to bed and how many hours sleep?

128 replies

Userno36373628373732 · 06/04/2023 21:21

Dd is 7, nearly 8 and goes to sleep about 9 - 9.15 and wakes around 7.30am on school days (my other child is up at 5am but dd sleeps through him being up 😂). Sometimes at the weekend she’ll sleep longer. She’s not a morning person.

so that’s around 10 hours. How do your 7/8 year olds sleep?

we bumped into a parent of a friend of dd who’s similar age. When I told her dd didn’t go asleep until 9 she tutted and turned her nose up and said her LO goes to sleep at 6.30pm at 8 years old and was shocked dd stays up to late.

both my kids have Sen an out routine is very strict and works well for us, even if it’s not particularly early sleep time.

to add, dd goes upstairs to her bedroom about 7-7.30pm, she often chills in her room for an hour or so before sleep!

just interested to know the norm!

OP posts:
Ricco12 · 09/04/2023 07:40

6 year old goes at 8ish and sleeps to 7am
8 year old goes at 9pm and sleeps to 6.30am

Daisychainsandglitter · 09/04/2023 07:50

My DD is 8 and goes to sleep at around 8.30. Wakes up at 6am.

Christmasbahhumbug · 09/04/2023 07:56

DD is 7 and goes up at 6.45 and always asleep by 7. Up at 5.30ish usually. We’ve tried a later bedtime but she just ends up an exhausted tearful mess so we are going with it for now. Clubs are all straight after school or on weekends so she doesn’t miss out. No homework from school. Will probably change in next couple of years but for now it works for us.

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7 year olds Families
GreenMarigold · 09/04/2023 08:02

My 8 year old goes up for bed at 7:30 and usually goes to sleep between 9 and 10. If I were to not turn the light out at 9 she’d happily read until midnight though!

She wakes up naturally at around 7 so gets 9-10 hours of sleep.

Sunshine275 · 09/04/2023 08:05

my oldest is 7 next month and she goes to bed at 8pm to winde down but usually reads it draws. She goes to sleep somewhere between 8.30-9pm. There’s no point us trying to get her to sleep earlier she just isn’t ready. She’s always had a lot of energy, hence she does lots of activities. She has however always slept through and been the more amazing sleeper.

paulmccartneysbagel · 09/04/2023 08:16

7 year olds bedtime is 7:30 and lights out at 8. Usually asleep by 8:15. Wakes at 6:30am.

This is good for her. She has been a terrible sleeper since day one and always wakes in the night and comes into my bed.

RidingMyBike · 09/04/2023 08:29

7yo (year 2) Lights out at 7.30pm and she's usually asleep within minutes. Upstairs at 7pm. She has a later night twice a week due to clubs which is more like 8pm asleep.

She wakes up around 7.15am. So probably around 11 hours sleep in total.

She's over-tired and horrible if she doesn't get this much.

Padz · 09/04/2023 08:44

As long as it works for you and your children then it absolutely has nothing to do with anyone else.
I have 5 children who’ve had and have varying bedtimes as they’re all individual.
My now 8 year old goes to bed at 8:30, reads for a while and is asleep by 09:00 and unless he’s poorly he’s awake by 07:00.

Favouritefruits · 09/04/2023 09:03

8:15 up at 7….. that’s both my children 5 and 8

JPduck · 09/04/2023 09:08

10 yo who needs her sleep, reads 8 to 8.30, asleep by 9 ish. Woken by alarm for school and is currently still asleep at 9.07am (this rarely happens) normally awake 8ish (non school day.)

PrtScn · 09/04/2023 09:17

Derailing the thread but what time did your 7 year olds go to bed when they were 4? My 4 y/o official bedtime is 7pm but it’s impossible to get him to bed by then as he kicks off and says he’s not tired. Usually get him to bed asleep between 8-8:30pm ish and he’s awake around 7-7:30am.
I think this is too late for for him, but I think part of the problem is that his dad doesn’t get home from work until around 6pm sometimes later, so DS wants to stay up with him.

daffodilandtulip · 09/04/2023 09:21

@Dyslexicwonder DDs face is a picture if someone suggests a social activity that doesn't end until 10pm 🤣.

daffodilandtulip · 09/04/2023 09:23

PrtScn · 09/04/2023 09:17

Derailing the thread but what time did your 7 year olds go to bed when they were 4? My 4 y/o official bedtime is 7pm but it’s impossible to get him to bed by then as he kicks off and says he’s not tired. Usually get him to bed asleep between 8-8:30pm ish and he’s awake around 7-7:30am.
I think this is too late for for him, but I think part of the problem is that his dad doesn’t get home from work until around 6pm sometimes later, so DS wants to stay up with him.

They need between 10-13 hours at that age so I wouldn't worry about the times if it works for you, as they're getting enough with that schedule 😊

hopsalong · 09/04/2023 09:26

Goes to bed at 8:45/9, reads until 9:30/10. Sadly up again at 7. (He wakes up before then and reads in bed.)

As a lifelong short sleeper I don't know why I'm surprised. But parenting is definitely easier when they're asleep for longer. I was reflecting this morning that at one point he was asleep for more than 50% of the time!

At least it is developing a love of reading. (He wouldn't choose to read when up and about, but is reading over an hour a day when confined to bed.)

HappyAsASandboy · 09/04/2023 09:37

My 8 year old goes to sleep between 8pm and 8.30pm and wakes between 6am and 7am. So that's between 9.5hours and 11hours each night. He still gets tired, and has an "early night" every couple of weeks.

MotherofBingo · 09/04/2023 09:37

Both my children (3 and 7) go to bed at 7.30 - usually asleep by 8pm.....they wake up anywhere between 6.30am and 7am. It doesn't matter what time they go to bed, that is the time they wake up. It works for us and that's all that matters.

PrtScn · 09/04/2023 09:40

daffodilandtulip · 09/04/2023 09:23

They need between 10-13 hours at that age so I wouldn't worry about the times if it works for you, as they're getting enough with that schedule 😊

Show quote history

That’s good to know thanks. He has always been a nightmare sleeper. He was nearly 3 before he started sleeping through the night.

Emma2803 · 09/04/2023 09:48

Half 6 is very early for an 8yo, assuming then that they aren't able to go to many "activities"

My just turned 8yo could easily still be up at 9 if he is reading.
I try to get them all into bed for shortly after 8 (8yo, 5yo and 21m) baby gets nursed, older 2 get 10 mins reading. Then tuck the middle in and then tuck the oldest in, it's nearly always after 8.30 for him. They get up for school about 7:30ish

paulmccartneysbagel · 09/04/2023 11:17

Emma2803 · 09/04/2023 09:48

Half 6 is very early for an 8yo, assuming then that they aren't able to go to many "activities"

My just turned 8yo could easily still be up at 9 if he is reading.
I try to get them all into bed for shortly after 8 (8yo, 5yo and 21m) baby gets nursed, older 2 get 10 mins reading. Then tuck the middle in and then tuck the oldest in, it's nearly always after 8.30 for him. They get up for school about 7:30ish

My 11 and 13 year olds are also up like clockwork at 6-6:30 every day, even in school holidays. No matter what time they go to bed.

Emma2803 · 09/04/2023 11:26

I mean half 6 at night to be going to bed.

Emma2803 · 09/04/2023 11:37

paulmccartneysbagel · 09/04/2023 11:17

My 11 and 13 year olds are also up like clockwork at 6-6:30 every day, even in school holidays. No matter what time they go to bed.

Show quote history

I mean half 6 is very early for them to be going to bed at.

paulmccartneysbagel · 09/04/2023 12:28

Emma2803 · 09/04/2023 11:26

I mean half 6 at night to be going to bed.

🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Matchymatchylemonscratchy · 09/04/2023 13:27

I have one of each. They are in bed, lights out by 7:15pm and wake up around 6:30am. On Fridays and Saturdays they stay up until 8pm and wake up the same time.

They both like and need their sleep. They were over four when they dropped their day naps.

RidingMyBike · 09/04/2023 15:37

PrtScn · 09/04/2023 09:17

Derailing the thread but what time did your 7 year olds go to bed when they were 4? My 4 y/o official bedtime is 7pm but it’s impossible to get him to bed by then as he kicks off and says he’s not tired. Usually get him to bed asleep between 8-8:30pm ish and he’s awake around 7-7:30am.
I think this is too late for for him, but I think part of the problem is that his dad doesn’t get home from work until around 6pm sometimes later, so DS wants to stay up with him.

Four was pretty much the same time for us as now with a 7yo. So I'd pick her up from nursery/preschool at about 6.15pm, home, snack and milk (had tea at nursery), then toothbrush, story and bed. So we'd watch CBeebies bedtime story at around 7pm (recorded), then straight upstairs with lights out at 7.30pm. Then she'd sleep up about 7am. We've never done a bath at bedtime which saves some time.

RidingMyBike · 09/04/2023 15:42

There's quite a range given in this recommended sleep amounts from Great Ormond St.

9-12 hours for a 6-12 year old.

www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/procedures-and-treatments/sleep-hygiene-children/