AIBU to expect my 3 year old to go to bed at 7pm?

[Fedupmum88]

Last night he only had 8 hours sleep. No naps at all today.

Today he’s had 2 hours at soft play, visit to grandmas house this afternoon and he’s still fighting sleep.

Surely he should be tired by now? 😬

Mine was on 10-8 at that age.
If he’d gone down at 7 he’d be up at 5 and what use is that? He was in nursery until 6pm home c 6.15, dinner 6.45, when would we have time together during the week if he went down so early?

My 3 year old goes to bed at 8 - there's no point in us trying for 7pm as it just becomes a battle. Whereas at 8pm a quick story and a cuddle is enough to ensure a quick and stress free bedtime. 7pm might just be too early for your boy.

Sorry to say that I have never had kids sleep at 7. I actually don't know any kids who sleep by then. God I wish they did.

My 3 year old doesn't nap and goes to bed around 8pm (or later if we're back late from a dinner out, although we try to avoid that). She wakes around 7am so has between 10-11 hours sleep per night and that's it and she is very happy and healthy.

Anything before 8pm at this age seems way too early to me but maybe because on the days I worked and commuted I'd get home at 7pm. Even now with DH working from home and me being made redundancy following furlough, it's still the same.

We dropped our daytime nap recently and have shifted bedtime to 7pm. she's 3.5 yrs old. She's generally asleep till 7am but has a grow clock that is set for stay in bed until 7:15am. She knows mummy and daddy will ask her to go back to her room if she comes out earlier. She plays then comes out screaming when the clock turns yellow.

Definitely over tired. DS sometimes still had a 2 hour nap during the day at 3 then slept 11-12 hours at night. He's 4 now and sleeps 12 hours overnight approx 7/7.30-7/7.30.
He starts to get hyper when he's overtired and resists getting in the bath etc but calms down as soon as his pjs are on. It's weird.

It's a fine bed time. My 3 year old is in bed at 8, but he doesn't get up until 8 so he's getting his 12 hours. 8 hours is not enough for a 3 yr old and your child is most certainly BU! Show him this thread.

My 3 year old hasn’t day napped since 18 months and is up at 6.30am so is in bed at 7-7.30.

Stick with the 7pm, you won’t regret it! I have friends that let bedtime be pushed later and they now have overtired children still up at 9pm. I was always strict about it. My 8 year old still goes to bed at 7 and is out like a light.

I also think some children just need more/less sleep than others. My eldest used to do 3 hour naps and 11/12 hours at night. Once she dropped her nap that was 11-12 at night and has stayed that way but she’d often have a sofa snooze of an afternoon during the weekend. My youngest doesn’t nap for anywhere near as long (annoyingly). She generally naps for an hour and does 11 hours at night. I’d love it if she slept as much as no.1.

Some kids just need less sleep unfortunately and have different internal timings. Early risers and night owls. I have three children and a mix of those. My latter sleeper is thankfully an avid reader so she will read no later than 9pm and go to bed and get up at 7.30 however my older daughter will be flat out asleep by 8pm and get up at 5 am. It just takes a while to figure out there natural sleeping pattern. Also a good bedtime routine is key and being consistent with it.

Haven't read through but just wanted to say that 7pm is absolutely reasonable but 12 hours isn't necessary reasonable. My son has NEVER slept 12 hours. He's 3.5. Some kids need less 10-12 is normal. He also doesn't nap anymore and didn't magically start sleeping longer at night once dropping his nap or starting preschool.

My son is 3.5. We put him to bed at 7pm. By the time he's had stories and fannied around wanting drinks, wees and to tell us he can't sleep, it's about 7.30/7.45 before he's actually asleep. He wakes between 6 and 7

All children have different sleep requirements, OP, they don't all follow a formula. Your DS may be napping too long in the day. My 2 1/2 year old sleeps 8ish to 6ish with a 45min-1hour nap. Strictly not the 12 hour magic number but she's fine.

DS1 (4.5) has never a 7pm bedtime, he's always gone to sleep at 9pm, he wakes up at 7.30 (so 10.5h - in the normal range of 10-13h for DC his age)
He napped till he was 3.

If it's a one off he's probably overtired but if he always struggles to get to sleep I'd move bedtime later (If you want the evening to yourself I'd let him look at picture books/listen to storys in his room)

My 3 year old goes up at 6.30 for story time then bed by 6.50. We cuddle and asleep by 7pm.