how much sleep does your 4 year old get?

[ejt1764]

My 4 year old ds goes to bed between 7 and 715pm, and after stories, the light is usually off by 7.30.

He's taken to staying awake, switching his torch on, and 'reading' stories to his toys until about 8 - 830 ... then going to sleep by about 830 - 845.

I have been very much of the opinion that he's quiet, he's in his bedroom, and he's engaged in a quiet calm activity to allow himself to wind down, but...

As the week goes on, he gets more and more cranky and out of sorts, so by Friday he's a wreck ...

He has to get up for 645am to allow us all to get out on time, and until recently (until he started 'reading' in bed), he would stay asleep until the bunny woke up, then get up and be generally cheerful .... thing is, he is now the very devil to wake up in the morning during the week - he regularly wakes up with the clock, and has to be prised out of bed. However, at the weekend, he rarely sleeps much past 7am (despite the bunny clock being set later) - that, I think may just be the law of sod coming in to play.

How much sleep does your 4 year old get?

Should I try to ban him from 'reading' to his toys during the week?

Any ideas?

I would say my 4 yo gets about the same as yours. He goes to bed at 7:30 but often comes down looking for his brother who does not go to bed until 8. So I wouldn't say he starts to go to sleep until 8 (maybe later, I don't know, I also take the attitude that if he is quiet, I don't mind what he is up to, but he isn't running about the room). He then wakes up, well certainly by 7 when his brother gets up.

dd, who is 5 today, goes to bed at 8 and is usually asleep by 8.30. She gets up at 7.30 and I think that's not quite enough sleep: she has an early night sometimes to catch up and it doesn't make her get up easrlier.

But i think she needs more sleep than most. I think you should start having a definite "lights out" time - maybe 8? and maybe occasionally do the whole routine 15 mins earlier.

dh and I have just been discussing this.Ds usually gets around 12 hrs a night,but luckily he doesn't start nursery until 9:30 so an 8pm bedtime works for us.However he has been staying awake for ages recently despite busy days.I had to prise him out of bed at 8:30 this morning.

ds (5 in july) goes to bed at 8. he is usually asleep by 8.30 at the latest. He wakes up anytime between 7.15 and 8. He rarely seems tired. He says, matter of factly, "I'm full of energies, aren't I". I think he actually draws mine.

Goes to sleep at 8-8.30pm
wakes up at 6.30am
so 9 1/2 -10 hours

Ds 4.6 yo gets 11 hours.

aaaaagh! Just posted a long addendum to my op and lost the d"mn thing!

Malorytowers - we have the same problem ... added to the fact that ds is quite devious ... when threatened with having his torch confiscated last night, he found a way around it, by pulling the curtains across a bit, and reading in the remaining daylight and with his nightlight rearranged!

On the one hand, I'm pleased that he enjoys books - on the other hand, I don't like the fact that he's a grump when he's tired ... and Friday nights I could cheerfully strangle him!

I have a four year old cat who sleeps all day.

DS (soon to be 4) gets 11 hours per night. No naps, unless in car late in the afternoon.

DD (4) goes to bed at around 7.00/7.15. Some evenings she goes straight to sleep, others she isn't sleepy and we let her look at books and she drops off when she's ready.

She rarely wakes before 7 and occasionally sleeps till gone 8.

Strangely Betty, my 12 year old cat sleeps all day too ... their sleeping patterns don't seem to change much, or need any interference from me!