Why would a four year old still be up and awake at 11pm at night ?

[KatieDD]

She's at school so not like she isn't getting enough exercise/stimulation.
TBH she is doing my bloody head in, the other 2 came home from school and fell asleep in the car, not this one she's still bouncing around.
Can't get up in the morning but then won't sleep at night, I put her to bed at 7.30pm.
Any thoughts welcome.

Because it's my DS1!

He's 7 now and i say he hasn't slept for 7 yrs. He really doesn't seem to need it - either that or he just doesn't recognise the signs for tiredness!

He can now be reasoned with to go to bed at 8pm on a school night but if left to his own devices could stay up until 11 and have no ill effects the next morning.

His younger brother sleeps ALOT, still has afternoon naps at the weekend at 5 yrs old and could sleep on a clothesline.

Bizarre.

Not much help but i wanted to let you know she isn't the only one.

what's she eating/drinking in the hours leading up to bedtime? You could start by eliminating anything with artificial colouring etc...

Get her up early in the morning, when your other dc's get up, so she's more tired by the end of the day?

Or is she just testing the limits?

Why would a four year old still be up and awake at 11pm at night ?

Because they are sadists.

I don't know, but two of my three are like that. It seems to be their natural body clock. The other one goes to bed reliably at 8pm and is up, washed, dressed and breakfasted before her sisters have even rolled over in the morning.

I've discovered that my bouncy ds1 (8yrs) goes to sleep at 9.30 regardless of what time we take him to bed. At 9.25 he can be giggling his head off but by 9.35 he is usually asleep?!?! I tend to take him up a bit later now as I was finding it very frustrating waiting for him to go to sleep. He ALWAYS gets up really early - grrrrrrrrr.

My dd could and used to do it every night if I wasn't entirely regimented with her, but I've really cracked down and she is falling asleep at 8pm now, as she can't get up in the mornings now she has started school-she falls asleep in her cereal bowl! Think it's pretty normal, but noone admits to it!