AIBU in thinking this bed time is too late?

[Snoozybird]

My DH's two youngest kids have both just turned 10 and 12 respectively. They are currently only just getting ready for bed, I know it's not a school night but I think it's too late (it's like this every weekend, they haven't stayed up for a special occasion). On school nights bedtime is technically 10.00pm but by the time they have faffed with teeth/being tucked up it's usually 10.15ish.

AIBU to think this is too late? DH says that when he was a child he didn't need much sleep so he doesn't want to force the kids to go to bed earlier, personally I would like some adult time and think it's about boundaries as much as anything...or am I being too harsh?

[foreverondiet]

I think re: adult time, can you not go to bed before them! I think 10pm probably ok for teenagers at weekend.

[BenNJerry]

DSS (8) when he stays with us goes to bed at 10ish (this is weekends or school holidays though). I think at age 10-12 I went to bed at 9pm, although by 14 DM let me go to bed when I want. I always got up for school fine. It's amazing how little sleep I needed when I was a teenager - I'm knackered now if I'm not in bed by 10!

[Snoozybird]

Glad to know general consensus is that IANBU. We can't go to bed before the DC because they're not very self-sufficient yet, so IMHO if they're "too young" to take responsibility for putting themselves to bed then they're too young to be staying up till gone 10pm on a school night and gone 11pm on a weekend! Especially as I can see they're tired and/or grumpy.

Frustrating as I can't do much about it (same rules at their mum's house too) but I have to live with the consequences.

[pointyfangs]

While I think individual sleep requirements vary, there is a strong correlation between getting enough sleep and academic achievement. What 'enough sleep' is does depend on the individual DC, but if they're having trouble waking when they have to on a school day, that means there could be a problem.

Mine are 10 and 12 (though nearly 11 and 13) and they go up at 7.30, I still read to them because we all love it and then they read by themselves for a while with lights out between 8.15 and 8.30 pm. They get up at 6.45am on a school day, but on a weekend if left to sleep will go until 8am so I can only conclude they need a lot of sleep. They are both academic high fliers - who need a lot of sleep.

10pm on a school night really is too late though, as it 11.30 on a weekend. Quality sleep in terms of length and depth is important for brain development.

[frogspoon]

www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/sleep-children

According to this site, 10yo should be getting 10-11 hours (so to wake up at 7:00 go to bed at 8:00-9:00

12yo needs 8-9 hours so around 10:00-11:00 on a school night

Realistically I would say 9:00 for 10yo, and 10:00 for 12yo (start getting ready at 8:30/9:30)

Could make an hour later at the weekend as they don't need to get up early, so 10:00 for 10yo and 11:00 for 12yo.

If you want some adult time, send them up earlier and they can occupy themselves until lights out.

[mummy1973]

op - could you suggest they have some quiet time in their room? That way you still get an evening and they might not be sleepy but winding down?

[Snoozybird]

The younger DC used to have quiet time starting around 8.45 on a school night and 9.45 on a weekend (which was still fairly noisy tbh!), eldest have always gone to bed between 10-11pm. However quiet time seems to have gone by the wayside over the last few months at both houses.

Sometimes I would just like to be able to settle for the night at say 10.30pm rather than know DH has to stay up till as much as an hour later, especially when he keeps nodding off on the sofa next to me. If I go to bed earlier by myself then DH wakes me up (not on purpose) when he comes to bed then I have trouble dropping off again.

As I said in my OP I also think it's about boundaries, if they were doing something special or constructive I'd understand but they're just on their PC or playing minecraft etc. As I type 10yo DS is next door watching Father Ted very noisily whilst the other DCs are on their consoles. Sorry but for me that's not a good reason to stay up late.

[Mellowandfruitful]

Is there any mileage in trying to enforce an early night on the Thursday so they get up OK for school and being more relaxed the other nights/

[Snoozybird]

Could try that but we would need to get their mum on board too as the kids need consistency on all school nights (two are ASD). Just wanted to know what was considered reasonable before pushing the point with DH.

[DrCoconut]

ASD brings its own set of issues regarding sleep. It needs addressing as part of a bigger package rather than just setting a fairly arbitrary bedtime and having endless rows as you try to enforce it. DS1 has ASD and is 14yo. For him an early night is before midnight. Being in his room is ok but sleep is a much bigger problem.

[Snoozybird]

The two youngest DC don't have ASD, just mentioned it to explain why bedtimes would need to be consistent across the two houses.

[sparklysilversequins]

Depends what time they get up really. Ds is 10, goes to bed at 11, up at half 8, which is the recommended nine and half hours. If he goes any earlier he's just up and down to the toilet every ten seconds so there's no point. Dd is 7, she goes at 9 - 9.30, up at 8 so again getting 10.30 - 11 hours sleep, recommended amount. I do get a lot of SIOB about it in RL but it makes no sense to me, why do they need to go to bed earlier to just lay there?

[sparklysilversequins]

They AREN'T ASD, they HAVE ASD.

[FloozeyLoozey]

Ds, 7, usually stays up till between 10 and 11 at weekends. He'll sleep 10/11 hrs from whenever you put him to bed so has a lie in at the weekends (which I love, I'm not a morning person). Weekdays in bed for 9pm, as he gets up for 8am.

[Ghostsgowoooh]

I agree having asd brings its own set of rules into the equation. Ds has autism and adhd and finds it extremely difficult to settle for bed. At 14 his normal bedtime is between 12 and 1am. Much the same as I was at his age.

You can't force a child to sleep but you can insist on quiet activity in their rooms.