AIBU to make DS16 go to bed earlier and turn off screens?

[TheNeatPoster]

DS16 finished GCSEs and has been staying up till 4am most nights. He says all his friends are doing the same and he has no responsibilities right now. I’m not expecting early mornings, but is it unreasonable to make him go to bed earlier?

Also, if he insists on staying up, is it unreasonable to tell him to turn off screens and read a book instead?

Is this new?

what do you mean?

I’d say that a teen of this age being partly nocturnal during the summer holidays is pretty normal. Unless you have big plans etc during the day then is it really harming anyone if his sleep schedule is a bit off? Choose your battles and let him enjoy a bit of freedom before sixth form starts!

We haven’t got any specific plans for him, he’s just staying up late and waking up late. Says he’ll go back to normal for sixth form and just wants to enjoy the freedom while he can. I get it’s normal at this age. Just wondering if I should push back a bit or let him be.

I see no reason to push back. Let him rest and enjoy summer. DD and her friends were all very similar at that age - their sleep pattern does naturally normalise the older they get.

What I mean is this just since he finished exams? Or has he been online in the early hours before this?

I don’t think you should try to dictate when a 16yo goes to bed on the school holidays.

could you plan some activities with him that would motivate him to be up earlier? Does he get any exercise?

Leave him alone,

Start reminding him to pull his bedtime foward bit by bit in the last week.

Teenagers this age can be wallies. They do need some boundaries. 12 or 1 am is one thing, 4 am is another. Gaming all night isn’t “resting”. It’s being completely addicted.

Hes 16. Back off and leave him to it.

Yabu tbh, leave him to it for the summer

He's got so much coming up, prepping for uni or the future, might as well enjoy his summer xx

It wouldn't be appropriate at all to be dictating to a 16 year old what time they go to bed.

I would talk to him about getting back into a normal routine before he starts college though, or he'll have problems.

He said that two weeks before school he'll begin adjusting his sleep schedule to return to normal. I do think that 04:00 is a very late time to be going to sleep and as a parent I shoukd have some say about this.

He only started staying up since he has started his holidays. I don't think he's sleep deprived because he wakes up late but surely his quality of sleep cant be good if hes sleeping at those hours.