to think that 7pm is not "exceptionally early" bedtime

[fishandlilacs]

for a 5 yr old and 17m old.

A throw away remark from my friend the other day. We were chatting and I commented that my dd rarely sleeps past 6am, I hasten to add this was a comment not a complaint, as a household we have always got up around 6am asmy DH gets up for work at that time. My friend said "well they do go to bed exceptionally early" and it sounded quite judgey to me.
They go to bed at 7pm, the baby goes straight to sleep and DD sometimes reads in her bed for a bit but usually decides to turn the light out before 7.30, at weekends shes allowed up til 8. Any later and she gets tired and emotional and cant cope with school.

[ScarletLady02]

DD is 2.4 and if she has a nap in the day she goes to bed between 7 and 7.30pm...if she doesn't nap (some days she just doens't feel like it) then she's usually in bed at 6pm/ Either way, she sleep through until about 7am...which is like heaven for us now as she didn't sleep through the night once until she was 18 months old and bedtime was a real struggle for ages.

[mrsjay]

mine were in bed at that time at that age meh it works for your children and if your dd is reading then at least she is pottering and resting

[thebody]

7 sounds normal. Mine all went then at that age anyway but each to their own.

Tell your friend to mind her business.

[pointythings]

Totally normal for me too. Mine are now 10 and 12 and they now have lights out at 8.30 on school nights (but they have to be up before 6). Major exceptions for holidays, but not really for weekends.

There is a huge correlation between getting enough sleep for age and achievement at school, and of course setting up good sleeping habits now will set them up for life. You are being very sensible.

[marjproops]

yanbu. mines alwasy gone to bed early and mostly sleeps straight through. she needs her sleep.

and its a normal bedtimne. im sooooo judgy pants especially on schooldays when there are kids anywhere aged from 3-15 outside in street/gardens/up late. how do they manage the next day?

[Jinty64]

Ds3 (6.10) goes to bed about 9pm but that's just him. He doesn't seem to need much sleep. Ds's 1&2 went much earlier at that age. He's always up, bright and breezy, in the morning which is more than can be said for me.

[LiegeAndLief]

My two (3 and 6) usually fall asleep between 8pm and 8:30pm - I'm usually led to believe this is extremely late. So if 7pm is exceptionally early, maybe 7:30pm is perfect?

[Mamuss]

I work until 7pm 3 days a week, so we pushed my ds bedtime on to 8pm. It feels late compared to other 2.5 year olds but it works for us, he's still up in the morning and I get to put him to bed

[foslady]

Oh the memories - it used to be cbbies story, sing along to the bedtime song, story in bed, cuddle and lights out - then back to being me and not just mummy!!!!

[Floggingmolly]

All my kids woke at 6 (or earlier) no matter what time they went to bed at.

[Startail]

6.30 early, 7-7.30 normal 8pm late.

You can guess what time DD1 choose. The DF with the 6.30 DCs said "Don't worry, she'll be tired when she starts school"

Oh, No she wasn't!

DD2 would do 9am-5.45 at nursery, so clearly she wasn't tired on starting school either.

[elQuintoConyo]

This is completely alien to me. DS 16mo has just nodded off, it's 10pm, he'll sleep until 7-8 with no feed or one feed. Then he'll have a 1-2hr kip around 1pm.
I'm a sahm, DH works from home, flexi hours. We also live abroad where timetables are a lot different!

[Francagoestohollywood]

It depends on where you are from! To me 7 pm is exceptionally early or any human being to go to bed. But I am Italian, 7 is an exceptionally early time for dinner here.

[Sheshelob]

It's amazing how each baby is different, elQ. My boy is 17 months old, goes to bed at 7pm til 6/7am, with no wake ups unless ill, and sleeps for 2 hours in the day. Until about two months ago, his bedtime was 5.30pm and he'd sleep until 6.30pm.

He's a bedhead, like his mama used to be before a small child entered her life

[LemonsLimes]

"Her dd is 9 and stays up til 9.30. I think that's too late." It could be, although it depends when she wakes up.
My dd's friend's mum raised her eyebrows at my 9 year old's bedtime, but then when I asked what time her dd wakes up (5 or 6) it turned out my dd gets more sleep each night than her dd.

[ProtegeMoi]

My 8 year old still goes to bed at 7pm, he needs his sleep and is grumpy without it, even my 10 year old only gets till 8pm although she is allowed to read in her room for a while.

[kerala]

We host Italian and Spanish girls who are baffled that our 6 and 4 year olds don't eat with us at 8. Is it only Brits that put their kids to bed so early? Ours go to bed around 8 the elder reads until 9. To me 7is weirdly early.

[Francagoestohollywood]

Kerala, no, I don't think it's just the Brits, I guess most northern european people eat earlier and go to bed earlier than mediterranean people.

[CoolCadbury]

I wish mine would go to sleep at 7pm. He's 5 and tonight he finally fell asleep at 8.50pm. . He is going to be exhausted for school. He goes to bed at 7.30.

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

7 is exceptionally early to me and almost everyone I know. However YANBU, SINBU - every child is different, every parent is different.

[didireallysaythat]

I need some tips on how to get a 2 year old and 6 year old asleep before 8:30-9:00pm. I'm not sure I can aim for 7:00pm as we are usually all home by 6:45pm and short of having beans on toast everyday, I can't cook that fast. The 2 year old is in his room by 7:30pm but takes 30-90 mins of tossing and turning and telling us he's not tired, while the 6 year old just wants to ask questions and read books.

Am I just being a mug ?

[FunnysInLaJardin]

my two aged 7 and 3 are mostly in bed for 6.45 - 7pm. They don't go to sleep until past 9 though if the littlest one has had a nap. no nap and they are both asleep by 8pm and then up at 7-8am the next day

[auntmargaret]

It's only normal if there's a SAHP. For those of us who WOH , we don't get home til 6. Then make dinner, eat, play, maybe bath and bed. I have never been able to bed mine before 8. Horses for courses.

[Francagoestohollywood]

Children need time to unwind, I think Didireally, therefore, if you are usally home at 6.45, I'd say that your bedtime is reasonable.
Some children take lots of time to fall asleep, my ds is similar.

[Gilberte]

"I guess most northern european people eat earlier and go to bed earlier than mediterranean people"

It must have a lot to do with the climate I suppose (siestas mean later bed times, shops etc stay open later so families don't get to eat until late, warm evenings make it difficult to sleep any earlier, cultural traditions).

It's not just climate though or mediterraneans. The irish do it too. It drove me mad. Kids running around and in the pubs at 10pm, people dropping in all day and night. I just wanted to clock off, have a little me time and go to sleep at a reasonable hour.