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Original poster

I thought this was a myth about sleepovers

28 replies

WowPow · 04/05/2024 04:07

That there is actually no sleeping involved!

Dd had her first sleepover tonight and oh my lord the noise. It's 4am and there's still so much giggling and moving around. They've quietened down the past few hours but I didn't realize people would actually stay awake for fun.

I'm happy they're having a good time but I know in a few hours time when I get up they will be in a state. I will too. I don't think any amount of coffee will help.

If you were me would you go and tell them to sleep? I don't want to be a killjoy but surely they need some sleep?

OP posts:
Mushroomwithaview · 04/05/2024 04:09

How old are they?

I would probably tell them to go to sleep, yes. In a nice "right girls, time to settle down now, you'll feel horrible tomorrow if you don't get some sleep, night night" way

JadeSheep · 04/05/2024 04:11

Hahaha you're a good parent. 😊 When I was a young teen we were the same - just make sure there's lots of toast and you treat yourself to a pizza and early night tonight

Original poster
WowPow · 04/05/2024 04:22

They're 10 / 11.
I think the parents will hate me if I don't tell them to sleep and the girls will hate me if I do.
It's painful!

OP posts:

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Mellyisatwat · 04/05/2024 04:26

I’ve always just let them get on with it.

I’ve had to tell them to pipe down a bit over the years when siblings have been younger and I was worried they would wake them, but life’s short. Let them stay up all
night, giggling.

I always make the parents aware that I don’t care though and that their child will probably be shattered the next day. But I’ve only ever had children to sleep over whose parents I know and who are generally the same as me, so I have never had an issue.

My children have been on a couple over the years though where every second has been filled activity and it’s been strictly lights out and asleep by 10:30.

I just let them get on with it and have fun. I don’t see the point in sleepovers where you make them go to sleep.

DarkForces · 04/05/2024 04:27

I tell dd and her friends I'm off to bed at midnight then shut the door and sleep. They'll be fine if you tell them it's time to sleep!

Mellyisatwat · 04/05/2024 04:28

On the other hand, is anyone up for an adult sleepover where we drink a bottle of wine and then go to sleep i blissful silence at 9pm? 🤣🤣

BurntOrangeAutumn · 04/05/2024 04:34

Yes in my experience they challenge each other to stay awake all night!
Unless you've got a younger kid who needs to sleep or they're being very rowdy I wouldn't bother going down to hush them.
I did once have to hush them when they restarted karaoke at 1am 😂
Otherwise just let them sleep in a bit, give them a good breakfast when awake & let them lounge around until pick up.
Good luck!

Thehalls191 · 04/05/2024 04:55

I'd leave them too it, they're excited bless them. Invest in some ear plugs for the next one.

Isitovernow123 · 04/05/2024 07:04

WowPow · 04/05/2024 04:22

They're 10 / 11.
I think the parents will hate me if I don't tell them to sleep and the girls will hate me if I do.
It's painful!

You’re not the kids friend, you’re a parent. Just tell them!

CelesteCunningham · 04/05/2024 08:14

Ah so many happy memories of staying up all night. Hope you're all coping today. Grin

@Mellyisatwat sounds amazing, count me in.

SallyWD · 04/05/2024 08:43

I remember sleepovers as a kids. We'd stay up late (perhaps until midnight) but then we'd sleep! It never occurred to us to stay up all night.
My 13 year old DD's sleepovers are horrific! I hear them roaming around at 6am! It really puts me off hosting them. We're all exhausted the next day.

Funkyslippers · 04/05/2024 08:50

From memory the first sleepovers are so exciting they just don't tend to feel tired. My dds never stayed up all night as far as I'm aware, but I would have been asleep with ear plugs in anyway! Next time definitely tell them to keep the noise down. They'll get over it

IvorTheEngineDriver · 04/05/2024 10:03

Isitovernow123 · 04/05/2024 07:04

You’re not the kids friend, you’re a parent. Just tell them!

Show quote history

I bet it's a bundle of laughs at your house!

Let 'em alone OP. If they're not disturbing the neighbours, let 'em have fun.

123anotherday · 04/05/2024 10:04

It’s your home!!! No way would I let my sleepover kids stay up all night as we’d all be shattered..unless you’ve got the sort of home with a west wing where u can’t hear them!

Combattingthemoaners · 04/05/2024 10:04

Haha! I remember my friends mum coming down the stairs at a similar
time with her hair wild begging us to sleep. It was a competition who could stay up the longest. They won’t even be phased today! They’re young, full of energy and it’s a novelty to have no sleep. It’s only when you have to adult and parent you realise sleep is the ultimate treat.

Elebag · 04/05/2024 10:05

You're a better parent than me. I never did one.

modgepodge · 04/05/2024 10:07

My mum was strict on a lot of things but at sleepovers she was a gem, she let us stay up as late as we wanted. She said it was only once a year (birthdays) so as a one off she didnt mind. Other friends parents did come down and tell us off though, so if you want to do that I think that’s fine.

Seeline · 04/05/2024 10:08

Definitely not a myth.

I used to take Brownies away. Just as the ones determined to stay awake were finally dropping off, the ones that had actually gone to sleep were waking up for the next day. By night 3 we would hopefully get some sleep 😭

TeenLifeMum · 04/05/2024 10:08

I just pop my head in at about 1am and say “okay girls, it really is sleep time now. If you wake me up I’ll be very grumpy. Night night.” And they know that’s sleep time 🤷🏻‍♀️

longdistanceclaraclara · 04/05/2024 10:36

The aim of a sleepover is to stay up all night and then be a pita all of the next day.

We limit them for this reason!

fourelementary · 04/05/2024 10:39

Nope I wouldn’t allow it. It ruins their mood for the next day and their routine for the weekend as they will nap today once home and not sleep etc. 12 would probably be the latest and I’d threaten to separate them if the noise continued. Kids need sleep.
older teens that can put themselves to bed etc and often sleep all day- fair play if they’re not keeping me awake. But under 14… nope.

KnackeredBack · 04/05/2024 10:40

My DH still refers to them as 'wakeovers'. We did very few at our house with our 3 for that very reason, as I needed sleep even if they didn't.

Happyinarcon · 04/05/2024 10:45

Tell them to sleep, I think it would be good for them to be reminded that there’s still an adult on duty even at whatever crazy hour it is

Original poster
WowPow · 04/05/2024 15:06

Well they managed to stay awake all night! Dd is asleep now I just hope it doesn't affect her sleep for tonight.
Friends left looking very tired and I feel a bit guilty for not encouraging them to sleep.
They seemed to have had a lot of fun though and the parents seemed to think this was normal for a sleepover so not all bad.

I'm exhausted though, no chance of a nap for me. From this experience I think I will have a limit of 2 children a time.

OP posts:
HejLittleAppleBlossom · 04/05/2024 15:11

I’d be quite annoyed if my 10 year old was allowed to stay up literally all night on a sleepover, unless it was the holidays. I realise this makes me sound super grouchy, but at that age, it can take ages for them to shake the tiredness off. At our house it’d be midnight lights out I think. One friend she goes to does lights out at 10:30 and they always have a great time anyways.