To ask what time your DCs go to bed and whether that’s early enough

[Lucycantdance]

My DC7 and DC5 go to bed around 7pm. But sometimes have a later night on the weekend so Sunday night can even be as early as 6.30pm. They fall asleep quickly. DC7 wakes up at crack of dawn at 6am-7am no matter what - even if he went to bed at midnight it wouldn’t matter. He’s always needed loads of sleep. DC5 can cope a bit better.

Someone made me feel like a bit of a cruel DM the other night for these bedtimes - their DCs stay up a lot later. In fact on Sunday nights in summer their DC5s are still out playing gone 7pm.

I don’t feel insecure in any way about it. Mine just cannot cope with late nights especially before school. To be fair I go to bed at 9pm ish! But I’m just intrigued about what the range is for other children?

They're teenagers. It's getting them out of bed that's the problem !.

My 8 year old is fast asleep by 7pm. Up at 5.30/6am whatever time we Put him to bed. I LOVE for him to sleep later but he just has this internal alarm clock. His sister will read till 9pm and she is 2 years younger. His behaviour just spirals if he's too tired.

5 year old goes to bed 8/8.30. 9 month old 9pm.

My daughter is 5, goes to bed at 10:30, up at 8. OH doesn't finish work till 8:30 most days so this way he gets to see her a little during the week, too. But really, kids are different and need different amounts of sleep.

DD 8yo varies from 7:30 to 9:30pm depending on after school activities and what time we have dinner. She is up for school at 7:45am and gets up around 8:30/9am at the weekend.

Whatever works for your kid and you family is what you do.

Just 6 and 3 year old tend to go up together between 6.30-7. They are early risers (about 6.30) but it suits us during the week so we put up with it at the weekend.

We do keep them up later on occasion (8.30 last night for the fireworks) and they wake at the same time but seem to manage ok.

I just say you do what works for you!

Dd in cot around 8/8.30 and asleep within 15 mins or so. She’s up around 7 am though the past week has been 6 :( she sleeps 2 hours in daytime as well ( or 1.5h at nursery). Sometimes she goes to sleep a bit earlier but not usually. No amount of tweaking changes when she actually falls asleep 🤷‍♀️

I should say she’s only 2

9 and 12. They go by 9 and eldest reads for a bit. It's probably too late.

9pm for all of mine (nearly 9,7 and 4)

The youngest goes down a but earlier some nights as she just started fulltime preschool but the other two are just pure night owls. The 7yo usually messes around most nights as well. She just doesn't need all that much sleep.

Over the years I've tried for earlier bed times and it just never happens.

I go to bed with them most nights as I'm not a night owl

10, 7 and 4yo.. around 8/8.30 here.

DD7 goes up at 7pm and reads until about 7:30pm. We need to be up for 6:30am.

4 year olds bed time routine is 7ish. On occasion stays up later and his behaviour declines as he's tired the next day.nWill always wake up at the same time no matter how tired he is

Six year old and four year old are changed for bed by 6.45-7pm and then 20 mins of book time between them. They wake up any time from 5.30am. Any later to bed and they are crabby the next day.

My DD started school aged just 4, July birthday and always fell asleep in the car on the way home at 4.30pm. She slept through until 5am usually, got up had a bath and a huge cooked
Breakfast and off to school at 8am.

This continued for her first term and she was able to last the journey home after the Christmas holidays.

All children are different and as long as they are having sufficient sleep it doesn't matter how that is made up.

@DietCokeChipsAndMayo

I’m going to go against the grain and say 6:30 is crazy early for a 7 year old! One of my children is 5 and he plays football twice a week on a team of 5-7 year olds, it’s part of a league, which doesn’t finish till 7pm so I would say it’s not as common as this thread says either

During summer months we’re usually not even home at 8pm, bonfire night we didn’t get home until 9, we went to a Halloween party we didn’t even leave until 9:30, and weekends we often have movie nights or game nights with family that can go on until 9 & 10pm!
I would feel like we had very little family time if the kids were in bed by 6:30

There seems to be a bit of a ‘who’s child can go to bed the earliest’ competition going on on this thread - children of 14 & 15 going to bed at 8 & 9pm! I find that odd, don’t their friends comment to them? When I was 14 mine and most of my friends curfews were 10pm and some of your teenagers are asleep by 8?!

I mean I said they go to bed around 7pm most nights but sometimes 6.30pm on a Sunday if we’ve had a late night on the weekend but you go off. 🙄

My lot were all in bed and asleep by 630.Got later once at primary school...bedtime by 8pm .

Once my children were at secondary school they just went to bed when tired.

Dd is almost 3 and goes to bed between 7.30&8pm that works for her. She wakes around 12 hours later so not a particularly early riser.
If she’s really tired she’ll go earlier, I’m not particularly strict with bedtime I am guided by her tiredness.

What works for your children is what’s best for them. Drives me mad when people feel the need to comment on how others parent

Our DS (4.5 years) is in bed at 17.30- 17.45, has books, then asleep by about 18.00 to 18.30 he's awake at 05.45 to 06.15 every single morning.

If I put him to bed at 20.00 he would wake at 05,45 to 06.15.
If I put him to bed at 21.00 he would wake at 05.45 to 06.15.

He is just a natural early riser and its my job to ensure he gets enough sleep to enjoy his days at school and fun of a weekend.

People just can't believe how early he goes down as if they just can't understand an early riser needs to go to bed earlier, quite bizarre.

Op just keep doing want you need to do to keep your DC happy and full of energy.

My two never went to bed until 8pm. That enabled them to wake up at 7am, not earlier. It also worked as we both worked full time, so dinner around 6, wash and wind down after 7 worked.

The takeaway really is that what works for one family wouldn't work for another. Logistically couldn't do bedtime as early as 5.45 or even 6.30, but if that works for you then go for it.

I hope my children go to bed at that time at that age, it seems sensible and gives you some evening! Imagine if they went at 8.30 and you then went to bed at 9! Half an hour me time is all you'd get!
If they're okay with it, and sleeping till a good time then they probably need it!

DD 7 starts getting ready for bed around 7.30 and usually lights out by 8. She rarely falls asleep until 8.30 or later and sleeps until about 7.30 am.

My 4 & 7 year olds go to bed between 7.30 & 8.15pm. My 9 year old 8-8.30pm and my 12 year old around 9.30pm…

I would like to get them to bed a bit earlier but struggle to..