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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

do you know any 2-3 year olds who go to bed at 10ish?

30 replies

newkid · 16/03/2006 15:39

I know someone whose daughter is about 2.5 and has been going to bed at 9pm-ish or later for about a year. The reason was obviously early waking and this was their way of dealing with it, as well as wanting to spend time with their dd after a long day at work. Most of their peer group do a similar thing (eg kids in bed around 9-10pm).

I'm all for each to their own, but I would go nuts if it was me.

Just curious how common this is? Am I some draconian monster making my dd go to bed at 7?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

utterlyconfused · 16/03/2006 15:40

No. Agree with you completely.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 16/03/2006 15:41

gosh no, mine go to bed between 7-8pm.

sandyballs · 16/03/2006 15:41

Blimey - mine are 5 and go to bed at 7.00.
I'm often in bed by 10pm

Nemo1977 · 16/03/2006 15:42

my ds until this week was going to bed 8.30-9pm mainl as dh didnt get home till this time. we are now paying the price of him going to bed a 7.30 as he is up at 6am.

Nemo1977 · 16/03/2006 15:43

he is 2.5 btw

Carmenere · 16/03/2006 15:43

At the moment our dd 2yrs goes to bed at 9 or 10 (sometimes later) because she has a nap during the day, I need this time to work so it suits us as the moment. I would prefer her to go to bed earlier but I can't have it both ways. Oh and she usually wakes at about 8.

lahdeedah · 16/03/2006 15:44

Yes a friend of mine puts her DS (2.3) to bed when he says he is tired - usually around 9-10ish. He then sleeps until around 8am.

It would drive me nuts too - my DD goes to bed around 8pm, then we're glad to have the rest of the evening to ourselves! I would love it to be a bit earlier actually, but that's just how it works out with DH coming in from work, having tea, then bathing DD and putting her to bed.

NatalieJane · 16/03/2006 15:45

When DS was 2 he would finally manage to doze off at around 10-ish, sometimes 11-ish!! Then one day he just stopped it and started going to sleep as soon as we took him to bed, about 7.30. Now it is very rare for him to be awake past 7.30.

Original poster

newkid · 16/03/2006 15:48

ok here's the next bit - they have to lie down with her for her to go to sleep (both naps and at night). Again, they are happy to do this and she's a happy kid so it works for them, but I guess I'm stuck in my selfish ways

OP posts:

lahdeedah · 16/03/2006 16:01

ah well - I have to cuddle my DD to sleep! She is only 11 months though, so hoping to have broken the habit by her second birthday...

bluejelly · 16/03/2006 16:32

I always lie down with my 6 yo dd for about 5 mins before sleep, we have a chat and cuddle. one of the nicest parts of my day.
Have to say that this happens at 8pm sharp though!
One of my pet hates is parents who don't put their kids to bed when they're really tired-- been to so many parties where the kids are besides themselves with tiredness and my dd has been happily sleeping upstairs on a pile of coats!
I think it's a good idea to try and train your kids to sleep anywhere...

vwvic · 16/03/2006 17:12

For us we have to chose when we want our children to be awake- they will only sleep for about 9 hours a night, no matter what time they go to bed. A 7:30pm bedtime for us would result in very awake and ready to play kids at 4am. I just couldn't cope, so we keep them up until about 9:30. I much prefer a slightly dopey, chilled out child being around later in the evening then a hyper one at some ungodly hour in the morning!

nutcracker · 16/03/2006 17:22

Mine (aged 8, 6 and 3) all go up at 7.30pm and then the 8 and 6 yr old read/play for half hour then sleep.

The kids next door go to bed when their parents do, which would drive me up the wall.

gibberish · 16/03/2006 17:27

My older sister's 3 y.o. daughter has always gone to bed when they do. She often is still up at 1am!!

My 12 and 11 year olds still go to bed at 9pm at the latest. 5 and 4 year olds are in bed and sleeping by 8.00. I need some time to myself in the evenings!

alexsmum · 16/03/2006 17:31

ds used to go to bed late 9 or 9.30.
that way he got to spend time with his dad and he didn't wake up at sparrow fart.
it worked well for us.
now he is at school he goes to bed at 8.00 as does ds2. and gets up about 7.00am.
horses for courses.

colditz · 16/03/2006 17:41

I used to put ds to bed at 9:30 pm, he would sleep until 10am, I did this because I worked lates and liked to see him when I got in from work. He was always perfectly happy though.

CarolinaMoon · 16/03/2006 17:50

This thread is so reassuring - I thought we were the only ones who did a late bedtime.

ds is 16mo, goes to bed around 9pm and gets up around 8am. I know we'll have to change this when we have more and particularly when he's old enough to go to pre-school or whatever, but right now it is fab. Who on earth would want to be woken up at 6am?

Yafta · 16/03/2006 17:51

Kids need the correct amount of sleep to function during the day. At 2.5 that should be 12-13 hours. I can never understand when parents send their kids into nursery/pre-school/school tired day after day. Sleep is FREE and so good for them.

alexsmum · 16/03/2006 17:54

i have a friend who is always knackered because her dd gets up at approx 5.00/5.30 am every day.she goes to bed at 7.30.-
i am constantly biting my tongue and thinking-' put her to bed later!'

coppertop · 16/03/2006 18:01

Until very recently ds2 (3yrs) was always wide awake until at least 11pm. Often he would still be awake at 1am. He had no problem getting up in the morning and was never tired.

Since the Paediatrician prescribed melatonin for him ds2 will now go to sleep at 9.30pm but still wakes up throughout the night and is still up early in the morning. Unfortunately for us he is one of a minority of children who just doesn't need more than a few hours of sleep. We consider him to have had a good sleep if he gets 6 hours in a night.

laughinglil · 21/03/2006 13:16

alexsmum but the thing is i think personally 7.30 is a good time to go to sleep? plus i don't know what i would do if my dt's weren't in bed by then.. i have been very lucky as by 7 they both have their blankets and wait at the bottom of the stairs saying bed mummy bed. They are 2 in a couple of weeks. They both sleep for about 1.5-3 hours a day (nap) I don't think by putting them to bed later makes any difference or cutting out their nap.. they would still wake up at 7 on the dot which suits me fine!

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 21/03/2006 13:18

mind go to bed at 8pm (5 and 2) but my SIL's children go around 9-10pm (they're 4 and 2)

Radley · 21/03/2006 13:19

My two go to bed at 7 on the dot, even at weekends, they are so into the routine that even when we go away to butlins or haven, dd2 is ready for bed at 7 and cannot make it much past 7.30.

I have a friend who has 3 children, 6, 4 and 8 months and they ALL go to bed when she goes to bed and the two youngest will not sleep in their own beds.

edodgy · 21/03/2006 13:21

My dd was always a 8.30 till 8-8.30 am baby its only now shes nearly three and cut out her daytime nap about 3 months ago that she's 7.30pm -7.30 am. Her baby brother seems to have fallen into the same patetrn too as he sleeps from around 9pm -8 am at 16 weeks.

bagpussmice · 21/03/2006 13:23

you are not draconian imo. my 2 dd's 4 and 2 go to bed at 7pm every night, even at weekends... they are both happy to be going to bed at that time.

dh and I need our own space too, so pleased to have a decent evening together once they are in bed.

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