What does your 6yo go to bed?

[SaintVal]

My DS6 (7 in December) is complaining I put him to bed too early and he is not tired. I end up reading 3 maybe 4 stories, turn the light out and then it starts - first he says he's bored, then he's not tired and sometimes we have tears and he gets himself into a state. He looks tired out to me but he insists otherwise.

He has the same routine every night: dinner at half 5/6pm; I run his bath at 7pm and TV goes off. We chat when he's in the bath and he's happy as larry. I get him into bed and say he can have two stories and as soon as I've finished he starts up saying he wants another and he's not tired.

By the time he gets to sleep it's near 9pm. I then have to do all my chores for the next day and it's time for my bed too. I can't remember the last time I sat down to watch a TV drama at 8pm. How parents get their kids in bed at 7pm, I will never know.

He's always only ever slept 9-10 hours a night. He eats well and he's doing well at school and above expectations. He says there is nothing on his mind and I can tell he's ok in himself. He's a happy boy.

So Mumsnetters, what am I doing wrong? If it's of any released, I work school hours and I'm a single parent - he has one night a week with his Dad (and every other weekend).

Any advice would be much appreciated

What time does your 6yo go to bed that was meant to say 🙈

and 'any relevance'. Sorry for all the typos

DD is nearly 7 (later this month).
Bedtime is never before 8pm. Average is 8.30pm, occasionally 9pm at weekends or if she needs to come out in the car with me/DH taxiing siblings to/from sports clubs.

Her bedtime has been 8-8.30 throughout her life, from being a baby.

Dinner 5.30-6pm. I only bath her once or twice a week. She generally watches TV as a means to relax in the hour or so through to bedtime. Then TV off, night wear on, face/teeth/toilet and story read in her bed. All that takes about 10-15 mins. Then either me or DH hang around upstairs for 15 mins, because she gets scared at the thought of being upstairs alone.

Timing of bedtime depends mostly on how the extra curricular clubs of her 3 older siblings work out - we are always very busy in the evenings between 6pm-9.30pm, 7 days a week, and so fit in youngests bedtime at any point between 8pm-9pm, where-ever we have 30 minutes spare.

My 6 almost 7 year old goes to sleep at 8pm. He listens to sleepypaws on youtube through a bluetooth speaker and falls asleep in about 10mins. However, it can be a battle to actually get him into bed some nights and he will say he's not tired or he's bored. I just try to be firm and once he is in bed he will be asleep in 10mins. He gets up at 7am so 11ish hours of sleep a night.

Also have a DS turning 7 in December. He now is probably in bed around 7.45 and then I will read to him a bit and then he will be left to read to himself for 20-30 mins, after which I will do lights out. So probably asleep around 8.30 most nights and up around 6-6.30. He has never needed as much sleep as guidance by age would suggest!

Bath, teeth, PJs at half 6, downstairs for one episode of TV, then both DDs up to my room for a chapter of a novel read aloud and some wind down chat. DD2 (6) reads afterward til lights out at 7.30. DD1 (9) has an extra 15 mins reading.

What time is he getting up at?

My almost 6yo is upstairs by 8, in bed by 8:30, asleep always by 9. I used to take them up earlier but as you say, they draw it out and that kills me! He wakes of his own any time between 7 and 7:45 which is perfect (finally - it wasn’t for a long time!)

He wakes up around half 6.

About 7.45 and is asleep by 8. She usually gets up at 6.30

My 6 year old is in bed by 8, reads until 8.30. Up at 7.30.

He sounds over tired possibly…. when they reach that state of going from tired to awake again?

DD is 6 and she goes up at 7.30 for story etc and is usually asleep by 8 (DH sits in her room until she’s asleep but they don’t talk etc). She tends to wake around 7-7.30 ish in the morning.

Mine gets into bed by 7.15, wakes up by 6.30am.

If dd says she’s not tired etc I always say “ok darling, if you’re not tired just lie down and chill out and think about nice things” and then there’s a no talking rule…. if she starts chatting we tell her that we won’t sit in with her.

My just turned 6 DD goes to bed at 7, reads until her alarm goes off on alexa at 7:30 and she is usually straight to sleep and up between 7-7:30 am.

My nearly 8 year old has the same routine but her alarm is 8pm.

They’ve always needed lots of sleep so this works for them.

8pm. But I have always been the Iron Lady regarding bedtime.

My six year old sounds the same as yours OP, fairly similar routine and timings. She takes an age to drop off. She’s never really needed an awful lot of sleep, disappointingly!

I'm so relieved to read this thread - I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my dcs, who don't ever sleep as much as recommended!

Ds1 is 7.5 and goes to bed at 9 and asleep by 9.30.

Ds2 is 5.5 and goes to bed at 7.30, asleep somewhere between 8 and 8.30. I should probably put him to bed a bit later as he tosses and turns for ages.

They both wake up around 7.30.

8pm here and then free reign with his kindle (not connected to WiFi obvs).

He always falls asleep reading and I have zero issues with that.

Upstairs at 7.15, ready for stories by 7.30, I leave at 7.45 and I think DC reads for another 15 mins or so. I don't police it and make sure the torch batteries are charged. Up at 6.30am regardless of bedtime!

My 6 year old is usually asleep by 7.45. Up at 7am..

Thanks for all the replies! It doesn't seem our situation is too unusual.

I left the bath run until half 7 tonight so he enjoyed that extra bit of play time. I still read three stories before I turned the light out but he was asleep at 8.40 so not too bad.

I wonder if I need to play with him a bit more after tea? I tend to go into tidy up mode whilst he's playing by himself so maybe he feels like he's not had much time with me, hence the request for 'one more story'. Hard when you're on your own isn't it?

Is the bath maybe waking him up? Mine were in bed at 7:30 at that age but always bathed at 6ish (2/3 nights a week) then wind down with tv and a snack

7.30 weekdays 8.30 weekends

Bath time is about 45 mins before, with 15 mins or so for a story afterwards.

@Nanananani that's a good point as he always plays in the bath and splashes around! Maybe I should do the bath early and let him wind down with the tv?

Hope it helps!