What time does your 4/5 year old actually get to sleep?

[Dancergirl]

I mean get to sleep not go to bed. Dd is 5 (today!) and I put her to bed around 7.30/7.45pm. We have a good bedtime routine - bath or wash, toilet, teeth, pjs, stories, lights out. But she often stays awake till much later, sometimes 9pm.

I can hear her playing, talking, getting toys out, dressing dolls/bears etc in bed. But what can I do? I can't insist on no toys in bed or stand there all evening watching over her.

Oh and she's tired in the morning for school too, although she's normally ok once up and dressed/breakfast etc.

My oldest dd also seems to have a naturally late body clock, could it be she is just the same?

My 6 (nearly 7) year old is never asleep before 9pm if he is he's poorly. But he gets himself up by 8 for school and isn't tired so that obviously how much sleep he needs. He's not getting up playing though he just sings to himself in bed, maybe set a rule that she stays in bed from a certain time?

My 5 year old is usually asleep about 2 seconds after his head hits the pillow! Usually around 7 but can be as early as 6.30 as we get towards the end of term!

Both DCs (3.5 and 5.5) go to bed at 7. Younger one is asleep in seconds and older one gets to keep his light on til 7.30 although he often turns it off immediately after his story. He's always asleep by 7.30 and normally wakes up around 7.

My twins were four last month and they go to bed by 7pm latest. Ds2 (boy twin) share with ds1 and he is always asleep by 7:30 when ds1 goes in, in fact he is usually out within five mins. Dd (girl twin) does not fall asleep so instantly but usually asleep by 7:30. Ds2 is normally up by 6:30am though, and dd about 7:30.

Ds1 (six yesterday), is in bed by 7:30 and asleep by 8 but usually by 7:45. He is usually up at 7am.

between half 7 and 8

So maybe I could try putting her to bed early to give her some 'playing' time...? Perhaps if she was in bed by 7, she could play for a bit then maybe fall asleep by 8...?

Mine definitely do better getting to bed in good time. If they stay up too late they sometimes struggle to sleep and then wake up at 5am.

Problem is, because I have older ones (9 and 10 year old dds), I am often picking them up from activities which means it's harder to get dd3 to bed early enough.

similar to yours OP (happy birthday to your dd btw!).
On a school day I think it's fine if lights are off by 8, she's usually asleep by 8.30 and wakes up c 8am so it works out fine.
Weekends I don't mind so much as she will sleep late accordingly - so if she's asleep at 9pm usually won't wake up til 9am - works for us!
Mine is definitely a late body clocker like her parents.

In bed by 7.30, asleep by 7.45 usually, although 7yo stays awake reading possibly for up to an hour longer.

Doesn't seem to be a problem though.

goes to bed at 8:30, asleep usually when his head hits the pillow...

She goes up at 7, but not going to sleep til 8 or 8.30. She gets up at 7.

Lights off at 8 but I hear mucking about until 9 ish. He wakes up at 7 without problems and personally I prefer him to stay up later than wake up earlier so I'm not bothered as long as he stays in his room and doesn't keep his siblings awake.

DS goes to bed at 7pm, but this is usually followed by the obligatory trip downstairs because "I need a wee", "I need a poo", or "I need some water".

He does this every night, it's a sort of routine for him, but it normally means that he's asleep by about 7:30.

I would definitely try putting her in bed earlier so that you're giving her that play time that she seems to need, but then at least when she does go to sleep, it's a lot earlier.

If your older kids have got clubs, I know it makes it harder, but just go with putting her down as early as you can once you're home.

Mine goes up at 7 (6.45 on a bath night), wash, teeth, PJs, story, another story, just one more tiny story pleeeeeease, then lights out, I snuggle down next to him for a couple of minutes and he's usually asleep between 8 and 8.15.

upstairs at 6, asleep by 7.

Between 7 and 8. If we miss a tiredness window, she can be awake until at least 9. I would suggest making sure your dc is physically tired, getting to bed a bit earlier and telling her not to play.

DS is 3.5 so a bit younger than yours... He gets picked up from nursery at 7, dinner with us and then we aim to get him in the bath by 8 and bed by 8.30. Sometimes he then wants to pootle about his room but is normally asleep by 9. However this is ok because he gets and hour and a halfs nap at nursery. On days when he doesnt' have a nap everything happens about an hour and a half earlier! He gets up at 7 normally..

DS2 is 5 bath at 6,30 ish
lights off between 7 & 7.15 asleep by 7.30

Dd is 4.5, in bed at 8 usually, then asleep by 8.30, wakes between 7 and 7.30.

On a Friday night sometimes that slips a bit but then we might get a Saturday lie in until 8.

I've tried earlier bedtimes but then there's just more faffing. She's not at school yet though.

I was going to start a similar thread about bedtimes for 4/5 year olds...my DNephews never go to bed before 9pm, I wondered how normal that is? Not even in their room, actually not yet home from GPs.

Ds(4) goes to bed at 6.45. He plays for a while asleep by 8 (hopefully) on a nursery night, don't mind a bit later on non nursery night.

DD2 is 4.6. She is in bed by 6.30 and asleep by 6.33!

DD nearly 5 is in bed 8ish and probably asleep 8.30, but 9 would not be that unusual for her, she is a bit slow to get going in the morning (as am I..) but seems quite happy on this amount of sleep.

Last night I managed to get dd in bed by 7pm but she was still playing past 8.15. Although she did get up earlier today so maybe it helped.