8yo dd pushing bedtime back and back

[Deminism]

Dd has never found it easy to go to sleep. She is 8. For ages she would fall asleep at 9pm whatever time we started bedtime and however tired she was. Tbh I was same at her age - always a night owl. But recently she has been falling asleep at 10pm even when we start bedtime at 8.30 etc. We have tried all sorts. Reading in bed. Playing music. Stroking her head. Leaving her to think sleepy thoughts. She has no screens from 7.30 and doesn’t have caffeine or sugary drinks in the evening. Her dinner is about 6pm. It’s not that she doesn’t need sleep - she struggles to get up when we wake her at 8am. And if we wake her earlier so she is more tired in the evening it makes no difference. Any thoughts or advice please...

Try upping her activity — maybe adding a long walk after school and see if that helps.

Screens allowed until 7:30pm is way too late. Have you tried cutting screens during the week days all together? Or at least no screen after 5pm. Some children are more sensitive to screen time. I would try the no screen first for a couple weeks to see if it helps. Set up play date instead to help her keep occupied if that helps. For example, after school play date 3-5pm. Homework and/or arts and crafts, reading, lego etc 5-6pm, 6pm dinner. Wind down quiet play (whatever she is interested in...lego, art, board games or card games with you). Keep lights dim or at least not so bright. 7:45pm bath and pjs, brush teeth etc. 8:30 pm in bed reading. 9pm lights out. Once she is able to fall asleep 9pm again, then bring sleep time earlier to 8:45pm lights out.

No screens until 7.30pm is way way too late.

We have no screens after dinner and some days no screens at all (we have quite a strict routine because ds especially is badly affected by too much tv/gaming)

After dinner, the kids have a bath, potter, do puzzles etc etc.