Do DC need more sleep as they start reception?

[Marenostrum]

Just curious, DD will be starting soon and she has never been a big sleeper (between 10 and 11 hours at night) and she was going to nursery for up to 7 hours a day. So is reception such a big change from nursery that it will make her more tired in the evenings? I keep seeing threads about 7pm bedtimes and I can't imagine her ever doing that (hopeful though...).

Watching with interest.

We're the other way! DS1 sleeps 7 - 6.30 and still gets tired as well. I'm worried DH will never see DS1 is we have to do earlier bedtimes!

No!!!

Someone told me this, her lovely DCs went to bed at 6.30pm.

DD1 went to bed at 8pm just like she had for the last 4 years and continued to until she was 8 or 9 after which it has steadily drifted later. (14 now so reads 12am )

DD had a bedtime of 8pm-6.30/7am and she survived 4 10hr nursery days on it.

Reception came and until half-term we had crying attacks each evening. She nearly fell asleep at dinner at 6.30pm. We kept the 8pm bedtime as we aren't home until6pm so there was no way we could get anything done earlier.

So I would be prepared that she is more tired. School is different to nursery despite having (in our case) shorter hours. It is much more demanding, children have to be more independent.

In our case the half days the school did actually made it worse in the beginning as DD was at such a high on lunch time she couldn't shut down for a break she so desperately needed.

DD wouldn't actually have more sleep, but she was certainly more tired and grumpy. Just started Y1 and had to be prised out of bed again today.

Oh and the other one that causes hysterics in this house.

If either DD stayed up properly late at some event.

"Won't they be grumpy tomorrow?"

No, the might sleep in a bit, but they will be fine. I don't know perhaps I never expected them to be grumpy do they didn't bother.

Now if you tried to get DD1 to bed at 7, then by 9.30pm you did have an overtired miserable little girl.

It is something about changing schools, not general stamina or length of day.

Here's a thread about new year 7s going comatose on sofas in their first week in secondary so you might have this to look forward to at every big change!

Some do, some don't. Not much help.

Mine didn't - he managed perfectly well on his normal amount (same as yours 10-11 hours) though he was very very tired after school initially - he just needed more downtime rather than more sleep. Very little after school activity initally.

Mine both do 7-7 in the school year. Dd2 starting reception on Monday and she needs 12 hrs on a lazy day so I will not be surprised if we do 6:45 bedtime and have to lever her out of bed at 7:30am! Dd1's little friend is 8-6:30 though and doesn't seem to slow down for the new school year. They're all different, play it by ear and see what yours needs.

I didn't notice much difference between FT nursery and YR in terms of sleep needs - but my 2 need 11-12 hours (even DS, age 9, still does really) and damned inconvenient it is too.

Ds started to sleep better and sooner when he started school.
Before that he's muck about and jibber away in bed for a while.
Now, he's out like a light most days.

Ds has been at school for three days only half days and he seems tired. He slept in this morning and has been going to bed earlier than normal. He's used to 10hr days at nursery but was very bored by the end.

DS3 has always been a sleeper - he did 6.30pm-7.15am for the whole of the reception year with and occasional 6pm bedtime if he was extra tired. We moved bedtime to 7pm over the summer and he now sleeps from 7.30pm (sometimes doesn't settle until 8) - 7 or 7.30am but at the end of his first week in year one is obviously tired.