to ask what time your children get to bed?

[MrsBimbles]

For various reasons the bedtime routine I've had for my children (DS6 and DD3) has fallen by the wayside, basically I was hospitalised then was recovering and v tired, and so DH took over care of the kids in the evening. DH has done a great job but now the nighttime routine seems to take forever, the DC are used to staying up later and now they rarely make it into bed and asleep before 10:30. My 3 year old is the worst, she seems full of energy at 10pm at night but she needs her sleep!

My husband is quite relaxed about this but I think it's way too late. Now I'm feeling better I've taken over the evenings again and I'm just wondering, what time do people normally get their 6 year olds and 3 year olds to bed?

My dd is 5 and goes at 8 but will often be wide awake still at 10 in her room . Does anyone else have this? To b fair she wakes at 8-8.30 but just aware a lot of others are in bed 7-7.30 at that age . I made it 8 as assumed 7. Was just too early. She just doesn't wind down . ( and I will have tried everything anyone suggests I'm sure ... )

Almost 11 year old. Officially goes go bed at 9 and reads until 10 (but sometimes will stay up with us until 10 instead - if he's being very quiet we almost don't notice he's there).
21 month old in bed by 8pm.
They have to be dragged out of bed at 7. They both love a lie in until 9.30 at weekends. We are all night owls in our family!

4 and 2 year old, in bed by 6.30 asleep by 6.45-7.

Both sleep till 6.30-7.30. Some days I have to wake them up. My 4 year old needs at least 12 hours my 2 year old still naps for an hour a day.

General rule is bath, milk, story and then lights out. Very rare either of them stay up late it's almost impossible to keep them up.

DD1(14) on school nights has to be off her electronic devices by 10 and normally goes to sleep not much later. Weekends and holidays she can stay up later.

DD2(7) and DD3(5) on school nights go to sleep between 7.30 and 8, though they are better as close to 7.30 as possible. Weekends and holidays in can be anything up to about 10.

This is because we have to be up really early as I drop DD2 and DD3 to the childminder for around 7.15 and they all like lots of sleep. DD2 especially needs at least 11 hours a night or she is grumpy and tired the next day.

DS1 (12) goes up about 8ish, he wakes around 6.50 for school. He's allowed to stay up late (10-11pm) on a Friday night/ school hols unless hubby and I want to watch something not suitable!!

Ds2 (7) goes up at 8 and normally wakes at 7.45, sometimes later depending how he feels ( he's on chemo). If he's lucky he'll stay up until 9 at weekends

My dc age 5 and 4 are in bed asleep by 7 school nights. Weekends and holidays they usually decide for themselves, usually around 8/8.30. They are wake up 7.30 for school and on weekends around 8/9. They will sleep at least 12 hours.

Twirly - I cant imagine bed at 5pm, for us we would have no time. My 4 year a old has school until 3.30pm, so home earliest 4pm. He has reading, writing homework, dinner, play, bath, activities etc. We eat together around 7-7.30pm

Dses 5 and 3 go up at 7pm or just before. DS2 is usually asleep by 7.20-7.30, DS1 gets an extra story or few minutes. He's rarely awake after about 7.50pm.

I get hives if bedtime gets stretched for any but the most legitimate of reasons. I have no idea how I'm going to cope with having my children about in the evening as they get older.

artandco some days it is a real struggle to get home / tea / bath done by then, you are right. But he is so miserable the next day if it is any later, particularly when he's on a nursery school day. I am hoping he will be able to stay up later soon or school in September is going to be hard!

DS 4years & DS 4 months both in bed at 7pm. Need my evenings! Both get up around 6/6.30 X

Wow, these seem like really early bed times to me but obviously I'm in the minority! DS (10) goes to bed at 9ish and listens to audio stories til 10pm. He gets up about 8am. Weekends and holidays he stays up til 11pm!

I'm British but from another culture where kids do tend to go to bed later for some reason.

Almost 6yr old DS 8pm as a rule. There is flexibility either way.

DS is 8 and is in bed between 7.30-8pm and usually reads to himself for a little bit.
At weekends/school holidays this can get pushed a bit later but I try for not too many later nights in a row as he will rarely sleep in and so just loses out on sleep.
Bedtime was 7pm until he was 6ish, then got pushed back to 7.30 and it's gradually crept back a bit. If he ends up in bed before 7.30 he has trouble dropping off but he's really good and will just read until he does

Lots of hobbies for both children and me combined with being a single parent and also working in a boarding school mean we've never had a routine. Rarely before 9 or 10pm, even as littleys. They seem to do fine.

I have 11 month old boy and 2.5 year old girl.
They bathe together at 6, then pjs and chill time. Milk for my lad & toast for my girl. 6:50 get my lad to sleep and settled. Then 7/7:15 my little girl goes bed. My lad wil then be up and down all night. But my girl usually does 7-7/7:44

recommended hours of sleep suggests a 3 yr old needs 10-13 hrs and a 6 yr old 9-11 hours, with some individuals ok with an hour more or less.
My 5 yr old is in bed with lights out by 7pm, he definitely needs 12 hours. 8 yr old goes to bed 7.30-8pm.
My kids would be horrible the next day if they were up until 10pm. How is their behaviour? Is the 6 yr old doing ok at school after a late night?

11.5yo -as near to 9pm as we can manage during the week (later if scouts etc) stretches to nearer 10 at weekends/holidays

6yo as near to 7.30 as we can manage (again later if beavers etc) nearer to 8 sometimes at weekends but no later if I can help it

3yo as near to 7 as we can manage but this will inevitably slip later on occasion when tagging round after his brothers with after school club etc.

I like a nice calm evening after children are in bed and if I'm honest I struggle with my older boy now staying up later. I end up going to bed so much later myself because I need a bit of child free head space at the end of the day. DS1 is at a friend's tonight at a sleepover and, as much as we miss him, we got the other two in bed by 7.30 and it's been lovely to get a proper evening. Feels like I haven't had a proper evening for months.

The boys, ages 17 and 14, go to bed at 10, and get up at 6. The girl, age 5, goes to bed at 930, and she gets up at 730. She goes to daycare during the week, though, and the provider makes her rest when the little kids nap, and she usually ends up napping during the day.

My children are 4 and 2 and are usually asleep by 8pm or 8.30pm if my two year old is fidgety. I wash up whilst my partner gets them washed and dressed. We alternate which child we read to. My 4 year old can be left to dose but my two year old can't be left until she's asleep.

Also, don't you want some time to yourself in the evening? DH and I both go out to various things that tend to start 7.30 ish so we want the children settled (at least bathed, changed and quiet in their rooms) before one of us goes out. Or just some time to potter and watch TV in peace! The children being up until my bedtime at 10/11 would drive me nuts!

Recent studies suggest the "normal" range for a 3 year old is 10-13 hours, and 9-11 at 6, and there are further outliers beyond those, that's just the majority range, the very unlikely to be suitable range for a 6 year old is less than 7 hours. (From the US sleep foundation research, the papers are published, I've dug them up before the headline takeaway message are on their website.)

You should work from the child naturally, as you can't guess where in the range is right for them.

4.5 yr DD - asleep around 10, up 7:45-8 naturally, it's great having long nights to play with them!

Almost 7 and almost 5 year old.

Term time
Go up to bed at 7. After teeth and a story it's usually lights off at 7.30pm.

Holidays
Up till eight. Asleep around 8.45pm