Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

At what age did bedtime finally become... easy?

49 replies

cloudy23 · 22/07/2026 14:05

Every evening seems to become a negotiation. One more drink, one more cuddle, one more story, one more trip to the toilet...
Does it ever just become "Goodnight" and they're asleep?!
I'd love to hear what bedtime is like in your house and whether it genuinely gets easier.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
oceanblueandturquoise · 22/07/2026 17:06

Mine are OK at bedtime but the whole routine takes around two hours which does my head in.

ElinoristhenewEnid · 22/07/2026 17:07

misseckleburg · 22/07/2026 14:34

Brilliant, well done! This is down solely to your exceptional parenting and humility - and don’t you know it 😁

Nothing to do with my exceptional parenting! Just extremely fortunate to have 2 relatively chilled out dcs. I found it hard to understand the problems other parents had but obviously at that time kept my mouth shut!! Now they are adults they do comment on how early they went to bed!! My youngest gs is chilled as well - will take himself off to bed at mine - he is 2.

MumAsYouAre · 22/07/2026 17:13

Did the exact same thing with both my kids (calm bedtime routine, yadayada). One slept through at 6 weeks and still goes down with no complaints at 5 years old.
The other (aged 7) has always struggled to wind down. Every night follows much the same pattern with Columbo-style “just one more thing”s. 🤣

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Lordofmyflies · 22/07/2026 17:16

It went through phases. Obviously newborn bed times were difficult, some primary years when there’s reading of crappy school books to be done before bed and you’re bored senseless. some secondary years when they want you to test their french vocab or physic equations for exams or boyfriend anx and then bedtimes when they’ve gone out and you’re listening for the key in the door. Basically milk the good times!

hahabahbag · 22/07/2026 17:18

Primary school age was fine, gets harder as they approach the teens

NerdyBird · 22/07/2026 17:23

About 10/11 as she was allowed to stay up later. I still have to do lots of chivvying but it’s a lot shorter than the hours it used to take. I don’t get an evening though, as she needs me to sleep with her.

Myli1 · 23/07/2026 19:08

Probably about 3 or 4 for my two. We just kept to a firm routine of bath time, brushing teeth, pyjamas and into bed by 19:30. DP read stories in bed for one of them and me for the other, and we alternated to keep it fair. When they were old enough to read they took themselves off to bed with just a cuddle and tucking in.

Youwanthowmuchforit · 23/07/2026 23:24

Ineedanewsofa · 22/07/2026 14:58

When we took the pressure off age 9 and allowed unlimited reading

Agree. We’ve done this since age 3. Lights out but he gets his torch and books out in bed and we turn a blind eye to it. He’s always asleep within a half hour covered in books.

Youwanthowmuchforit · 23/07/2026 23:28

MumAsYouAre · 22/07/2026 17:13

Did the exact same thing with both my kids (calm bedtime routine, yadayada). One slept through at 6 weeks and still goes down with no complaints at 5 years old.
The other (aged 7) has always struggled to wind down. Every night follows much the same pattern with Columbo-style “just one more thing”s. 🤣

Love your username 🤩

Floppyearedlab · 23/07/2026 23:33

The day you knock all the crap on the head. No more drinks, conversations, questions - lights out and go to sleep. If you need the toilet go but straight back after

SowWhatNow · 23/07/2026 23:36

MsSquiz · 22/07/2026 14:54

DDs are 6 and 4. Bath time is 6-6:15ish (for about 20 mins) brush their teeth in the bath, then pjs on, a quick story or a chapter of a book and they’re in bed by 7pm.
DD1 has 30 mins reading time and then lights out at 7:30, DD2 is asleep by 7:15 at the latest. They fall asleep listening to their tonies boxes

Same here except 5y and 3y, and yoto not tonies 🤭

Also bedtime is SO much easier when DH is away. He panders to them, dallies the process along and riles them up before bed. 🙄

TinyTeacher · 23/07/2026 23:40

I've generally stayed till mine were asleep until at least age 2 - I know some don't like doung that, but it worked so well for us, and they went to sleep quickly.

My eldest: once she was 2.5 I'd say goodnight and leave her awake. Could usually hear her singing/chatting to her teddies for a bit. Used to come out at least twice, probably lasted about six months. Never made a big deal out of it, just gave her what she wanted and returned her to bed. I figured if she felt she could come out if she needed to, she wouldnt need to. It was a bit annoying if I'm honest. Sticker chart on her bed when she was 3 - she got a sticker if she didn't come out. Definitely still occasionally popped up. Really only got reliably sorted once she could read herself independly.

Next two kids took a dummy at bedtime till they were 4. They shared a room and did chat many nights but usually stayed in their room after 2.5ish. Bloody brilliant at bedtime now at age 5 and I think it's because they have each other for company.

Youngest doesn't go to sleep indeoendently yet. I should probably bite the bullet, but she goes to sleep within ten minutes if I s5ay and she's DEFINITELY the type to keep popping up for a drink/wee/another story if I tried it, so right now I'm opting for an easier life.

I don't think you can really force it. If they are comfortable and happy then they will learn to do it. Some are more anxious or more active and will need help for longer. When someone else's children are ready won't necessarily tell you when yours will be. For my boys, room sharing has been really positive for bedtime, but I have a friend who finds it a nightmare for hers - although they are 8 & 6 she has to stay until they are both asleep or they fight!

They all do it eventually. Support them in feeling comfortable and confident at bedtimr and the rest will follow in time.

VivienneDelacroix · 23/07/2026 23:43

Neurotypical child - about aged 6.
Autistic daughter has only just got to the point of an easy bedtime in the last few weeks - she's 12.

Snowcanwait · 23/07/2026 23:44

This is one of the reasons why I truly don’t believe that our kids are a result of what we do or don’t do. They are who they are.

We had a rock solid routine from 6 months old, no screens, stories, lullabies, dimmed lights etc and our DS still took up to 3 hours to fall asleep and dropped naps from about 1.5 years old! Was a nightmare. Only thing that eventually sorted it was melatonin and it was asleep within 20 mins for the whole night. It was chemical.

Obanotters · 23/07/2026 23:44

My DH has just fetched 20 yo DC back from their work at half past eleven...

Thingcanonlygetbetter · 23/07/2026 23:46

ElinoristhenewEnid · 22/07/2026 14:28

10 weeks for ds and 7 weeks for dd - that’s when they started sleeping through the night say 10pm - 6 am never had problems with getting them to bed Bedtime routine and that was it for the night.

Mine were the same and then it went to shit when the oldest was around 13. Pushing boundaries. It gradually gets worse as they might need collected from a pub or club at 1am. They might need a lift to the bus station at 4am as they are flying somewhere. Then one can drive and I can’t sleep because they are not home and then I sit on Mumsnet while worrying they are not in a ditch.

Sueandthegoldfish · 26/07/2026 08:21

I can’t exactly remember the age but do remember feeling I’d cracked it when one child asked if it was too early to go to bed 😂

gingerninja · 26/07/2026 08:39

it was teenage years for my youngest. All throughout her childhood bedtimes had been awful, she had terrible separation anxiety so there was lots of getting up or calling out but she’s 17 now and for the last few years she’s taken herself to bed with no drama (these days it’s way after me) That lack of down time in the evenings was a killer.

ByDreamyMintNewt · 26/07/2026 08:46

I have an 8, 6 and 2 year old. I'd say it's generally pretty easy. My eldest was a nightmare sleeper as a baby and from that I ended up being pretty firm about bedtime routines and independent sleep for the sake of my sanity. I spent a lot of time reading about sleep! 2 year old is asleep by themselves some time between 7-7:30 unless doing something special. 6 and 8 year olds are in rooms by 8 - 6 year old usually straight to sleep, 8 year old usually reads or plays Lego for a bit by himself and then to sleep 8:30ish.

AgnesMcDoo · 26/07/2026 08:53

It depends on the child.

one of mine has been easy from birth and now aged 14.

the other has been a nightmare since birth and now aged 17 - the challenges just change with age

IveChanged · 26/07/2026 08:59

ElinoristhenewEnid · 22/07/2026 14:28

10 weeks for ds and 7 weeks for dd - that’s when they started sleeping through the night say 10pm - 6 am never had problems with getting them to bed Bedtime routine and that was it for the night.

@ElinoristhenewEnid just out of interest, how old are your children now?

genghiscat · 26/07/2026 09:14

About 15 when I gave up trying to fight them being nocturnal!

ElinoristhenewEnid · 26/07/2026 18:10

IveChanged · 26/07/2026 08:59

@ElinoristhenewEnid just out of interest, how old are your children now?

39 &38!!!

usererror99 · 26/07/2026 18:59

Lone parent here

1 twin takes about 10 mins to fall asleep - age 5 - but I have to be in bed with tbem

2 twin about 2 hours - I leave them to it for my own sanity

10 year old generally little fuss - sometimes tries to drag it out but as we are a family that has to be up at 630am most days they generally go to bed when asked with little complaint

New posts on this thread. Refresh page