Are there long term affects on not having a good bedtime routine?

[pepsi]

I get my children to bed on time pretty much every night and really work hard at the bedtime routine, I know others who dont and they say their kids are totally fine and dont get tired. ie. an 8 year old going to bed always after 8.00 in week, mostly after 9.00 in fact, at weekends staying up to whenever, last week it was midnight, but not necessarily having a lie in due to be woking by sibling. I hear of 5 year olds staying up until 11.00 in the week to...mainly because they wont stay in their rooms. Do children really not get tired if they dont get a regular sleep pattern. I know mine get really whingy when we have had a busy week with lots going on which is out of their routine so to speak and the teacher always knows when they are tired because my ds just cant concentrate at school. do some children just not suffer from this and am I insisting upon a routine that just isnt necessary...perhaps Ive got it wrong and the laid back approach of letting them go to bed when they want is the right way forward. Ive always felt that a good bedtime routine now will serve you well in your teenage years. Ive heard that children who dont get lots of sleep when they are young are tired teenagers. Is this true. Interested to hear comments from this.

I think there are natural larks and owls even amongst little children so if you have an owl I think it must be quite tricky at bedtime!

Some children need more sleep than others, I think.

But you do need to put kids to bed early-ish on school nights. Not for their teenage years, but so they can concentrate in school, surely?

I thinka bedtime routine is a good idea, so long as it is flexable when you need/want it to be.

BUT

not all children need a lot of sleep. My younger sister is a classic example. She has never slept much, from being a toddler. My parents were concerned and even went to GP about her lack of sleep. But even now, at 22 years old, she still goes to bed late (spends half night reading) and doesn't really lie in either. She just doesn't seem to need much sleep at all.

Speaking for myself I feel better if I go to bed the same time every night. The nights have been getting later with Christmas coming and a few nights out and it has totally exhausted me, surely children must suffer the same effects. My friends 8 year old fell asleep at 5.00 one night this week because she was obviously tired, then woke up at 7.00 for something to eat. I dont know what happened but I cant imagine she went to bed early after this sleep, although she caught up on sleep it must really put out the body clock. Sometimes I think Im becoming really anal about sleep. Id love to know if it really is the child who dictates how much sleep they get or indeed the routine the parent dictates. Give any child the chance to stay up late and watch TV they think they shouldnt be watching and they go for it no matter how tired they are I expect.