What is bedtime like for your 6 year old?

[nova99]

Asking because we are struggling from the transition from bath book and bed at 7pm in the toddler years to now. He needs about 10 hours sleep. We have let him play in his room after having a bath but he doesn't play well independently, will need a lot of input and reassurance. He asks 1000 questions a minute, by 7pm both DH and I are tired and need some headspace. Also need to have showers ourselves etc. We then go in at 8pm ish and do stories which we all enjoy, but he doesn't fall asleep for another hour or so.
At weekends we let him stay up in his room with the switch or tablet until about 8.30pm.
It's not working for us at the minute because he's in and out of his room, asking questions and wanting to play and we are either trying to cook dinner for us, having a shower that sort of thing and we end up going upstairs ourselves early because we are up and down the stairs. He's also keeping his little sister awake by rattling around on the landing.

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My 6 year old DS has shower about 6:15, then wind down play like colouring, maybe watching some tv together but nothing over stimulating, then story in bed at 7pm. Sometimes he goes straight to sleep, sometimes he asks to read for a bit if he’s not tired. He might shout out for extra cuddles but I don’t mind because he’ll quieten down after. Generally asleep for 8pm at the very latest.

I have a nearly six year old but she doesn’t have any access to a switch or tablet at any time, so possibly her behaviour is different. She has a light in her bed and certain calming toys on a shelf beside it. She has her own lamp. She has to stay in bed and only with the toys on her shelf, or the lamp is removed. She can ask for a parent to keep her company at any time. There isn’t really any other way to do it as she shares a bedroom with her younger brother so she can’t disturb him. She is very cooperative, I can’t remember ever actually taking her light away.

Family dinner for all of us at 5, bath or shower every other night. 6.30 supper, teeth brushing, she reads to us, we read to her, lights out somewhere from 7.15 to 7.45.

My son will be 6 in the next few months.

He's never been good at going to sleep but for a year or so now he will actually go to bed without too much fuss.

We eat around 6, up for bath or shower 6.45. Seems to take AGES. He could faff for England. Then a story at 7.30 and we let him read with a nightlight for about 45 minutes. He normally drops off at 9 or even later - even after a day running around, an early wake up or a full day of school. We don't do screens in the week because he gets totally hyped up and the tantrums when we turn them off outweigh the peace and quiet they offer.

We have just had a new baby and had forgotten those halcyon days when they are "down" by 7 and unable to leave their rooms!! So peaceful!

We've just kind of accepted that our nights are more interrupt-able if that makes sense, as he is a night owl. The advantage is that he will sleep in til 8.30 or 9 if left to it! I think one certainly can be more draconian about bedtime. I do hear people say "mine were put to bed at 7 and knew never to set a foot outside their bedroom until morning" - kind of admire it but it didn't feel right for us.

I do think it's partly in the genes...my daughter is asleep in minutes most nights and always has been (3.5).

After dinner we might play a family board game, then he watches telly until about 7. Sometimes a shower, then bed with a story from us - we’re moving on to comics or chapter books. He reads on his own for twenty minutes or so, then lights out. Definitely no playing or tablet etc in the bedroom once bedtime has started.

He needs to respect you both when you say stay in bed. We say read or play quietly In your bed but you don't get up if they do there are consequences for that behaviour. We give all day to our kids. Bedtime should be bedtime and a chance for the adults to relax

DS is 6 in June. Never been particularly early to bed. But TV is before dinner only. Dinner at 6 as we eat together and always have. Play after dinner but not screens. Upstairs at 7. Bath or shower. Into bedroom at half past, read together or on his own. Lights out at 8 but he can take a while to fall asleep. Doesn't leave his room though (virtually never has).
He's very hard to wake in the morning- he'd naturally wake well after 8. But DH and I aren't great at mornings so would rather not have an early riser

Showers/baths are always before tea unless we're running late. Bedtime is either 7 pm and one story or slightly earlier for 2. We stay until she falls asleep any time between 7.10 and 7.45.

Dinner 5.30, bath 6pm, jigsaw or board game, books, wee cup of milk, bed at 7pm - straight into bed two cuddles and the same words used each night saying sweet dreams. Leave bedroom, and that’s it. She has a book under her pillow in the summer. She knows it is disrespectful to younger sibling to disturb them so even if she needs the toilet she’s v quiet.

It may be helpful to establish a consistent bedtime routine that includes quiet activities to wind down, such as reading a book or listening to calming music. You could also try setting a timer for when it's time to turn off electronics and start the wind-down routine. Additionally, you may want to have a talk with your child about the importance of respecting others' need for rest and quiet time, and establish clear boundaries for what is acceptable behavior at bedtime.
How to Take Care of Your Baby’s Health

6pm bath, then books, then bed with yoto player for 7/7:15. He sometimes comes downstairs but not usually.

Bath is too exciting for my DS (7 now but this was always the case). We tidy toys away at 6.15, then pyjamas, toilet and tooth brushing, all of which I help with. Lots of quiet chat at the same time, generally discussing what story he'll want. Then I'll sit on his bed with him and read him a short story or a chapter of something longer, but again not overly exciting!

Then put his choice of audiobook on (usually Thomas audiobooks, they're free on YouTube on really long playlists), tuck him in with a hug and a kiss and remind him very firmly that it's bedtime now and mummy is going to go do something boring and grown up, like housework (I'm totally not btw, but it means he's not got FOMO).

He'll frequently call me back, which is annoying, but he's allowed quiet toys in bed with him and i just remind him again to listen to his audiobook.

He takes anywhere between a couple of minutes and a couple of hours to go to sleep.

I've considered gagging him and sellotaping his covers on for bad nights.....

Ummm we still do dinner, bath, story, bed for my 6 year old (and 8 year old although she gets to read independently instead).

So ideally it's dinner 5 - 5 30, some outside play until shower/ bath at 6. In bed for stories before 6 30 and then lights out by 7 (for both of them).

What we are though is more flexible so we have more late nights (probably at least once a week) whereas when they were younger it was very rare, where they are in bed lights out by 8 30 (no story/ reading).

And some nights it's in bed lights out before 6 when the 6 year old is super tired. The 8 year has more flexibility and sometimes is allowed to read in bed with a book light once the 6 year old is asleep, so cut off there is 7 30 lights out.

The 6 year old normally crashes into sleep pretty much straight away; the 8 year old tosses and turns and sometimes struggles a bit to sleep but has been like that since a toddler