Reception children - bedtime?

[kate2mum]

DD will start reception in two days at 4.11years. During the holidays she has been going to bed later than usual between 8-8.30pm. But we need to start the school routine and I was wondering, as it's reception and they will be a bit overwhelmed at first, what time is good for bed, bearing in mind getting up at 7am. I was thinking max 6.30pm..

Depends very much on the child.i have 4 Dc and the eldest one )now 17) has never been asleep before 10pm in his life, wheras another one sleeps 14 hours a night!

mine are 10 and 11 now and still need their sleep - we need to get up 6.30 ish, so bedtime 8.30ish - varies as Thursdays they don't get in from karate til gone 8. In reception bedtime was 7.

Dd goes to bed at 6pm nightly and on weekends

Dd1 starts reception tomorrow and we intend to keep her usual bedtime. We do bath at 6.45 followed by a story, so usually lights out by 7.15. She wakes between 6 and 6.30 in the morning no matter what time we put her to bed, so she needs to go early in order to get enough sleep in!

Every child is different, just do what your child needs. Mine will be in bed around 9pm for 7:30-7:45am wake up. I would like to aim earlier, but difficult with room sharing & other DC still up.

Reception age DC1 used to go to bed at 8pm, came running into wake me up, bouncing on my head every morning at 6:20am. Next door put her same-class child to bed at 6:30pm & she usually had to wake him up every morning at 8am.

I only felt a teeny tiny bit at next door at the time.

knackered - I can't tell you how pleased I was to read that it's not just me! I know it isn't us as second born sleeps thirteen hours. DS1 went to bed at 9pm last night and was up at 5.45 happy as a sandboy. We have no evenings either.

Sorry knackered that does sound like I am revelling in your misery...just pleased to know I am not the only one.

@knackered and matesnotdates: a friend had a night owl in the way that the girl went to bed at a reasonable time but was awake for hours in the night. Bedtime start had no influence on her nightly behaviour.

As soon as school started the girl slept better. The grandma, a Reception teacher, actually called it "brain fatigue". It seems some children will sleep better when their brain is engaged with school.

Not sure if this is a fool-proof solution for everyone but some children need mental fatigue as others need physical one.

During reception DS3 was going to bed at 6.30 and light out by 7, he gets up around 7.15 on school days. He's about to go into year one and now goes to bed at 7.

My dgs is about to start yr1.He goes to bed at 7pm[lights out ]bath/story etc from 6.30.He gets up at 7.15.
This was his routine all last year too.

Mates- revel away! It's lovely to know I'm not the only parent with a dc who doesn't go to bed at 7! We also have a younger ds who sleeps at a more reasonable time (although never the magical 7 o clock).
Noramum- thanks that's good to know!

DD1 was in bed at 6:30pm at her request for the first few weeks of reception and slept so deeply and for so long she kept wetting the bed (dry for years prior). She's a September baby too. Wondering if DD2 will be the same.

Bedtime in our house has got later as we've done more activities. They sleep about 830 until 7. Won't sleep past 7 regardless but if I put them down at 8 it would be 630 etc.

DD has never gone to bed before 8pm, now going into year 2. DS is just starting Reception, we aim to get him in bed between 7 and 7.30 depending on how miserable he is being. They get up naturally early though at about 6.30 so they are generally breakfasted and ready to go to school by 7.30 (an hour early)

DD1 always from toddlerdom when to be at 8pm (just got up, fussed, got over tired and was vile if you sent her any earlier.) *pm happily was way better than 9.30 in exhausted tears.

DF assured me she'd be tired when she started school (her DCs went to bed at 6.30).

You've guest it, She Wasn't, she wasn't even tired after she'd been swimming as well!

DD2 may be 3 years younger than DD1, but she followed the I jolly well won't go to bed before my sister school of thought. she also BF last thing long after she started school, so early evenings really never happened.

Much better now they are11 and 14 and they may not be in bed, but at least they go and compute and read and watch iplayer.

I think you can get stressed by what other families do and comparing. You know your own child. Also bedtime is linked to wake up time. so those going to bed earlier may be waking earlier. My dd1 needs much more sleep than dd2 or ds.

Having said that, dd2 is usually in bed asleep by 7;30 and up at 7. She started reception yesterday and was out like a light as soon as she was tucked in at 7;15.
Apparently my brother used to come home from school aged 5, fall asleep on his bedroom floor while playing at around 5pm and sleep through til morning. And my nephew at the same age and stage was still awake at 10pm.

My DS1 started Y1 today, and he and his brother who is nearly 3 have the same bedtime (although DS2 conks out first) They are both in childcare till 6, get home, have tea then watch telly till bathtime which is generally about 6.50. They are in bed at 7 and both get read to (by me and DH simulaneously, or DS2 first then DS1 if just one of us) DS1 also has to read a book to us. Usually DS1 is asleep by 7.30.