What time does your 6 year old go to bed and to sleep?

[handbagsandhairclips]

Struggling with working out if my 6 year old is overtired or under tired, on the best days, sleep is by 7:45 on the worst it takes up to an hour longer, we have to stay watching them fall asleep, I know I also need to tackle that at some point.

How are they when they have to get up? Also, what time do they get up for school? Mine is about an hour later, but then falls asleep quite fast, then doesn't need to be up until 7:45 next morning.

What works for you? What would you like to change? I have adult kids too so have been through this a few times ha ha.

So we started with 8 o’clock when they were about 3/4 (can’t remember now exactly. Now there’s a lot more pushing it (I need water, I need toilet, one more story, not tired, can’t sleep, moaning, moving around) when in contrast they used to just fall asleep within 15 mins. I am now drawing the conclusion that they’re ready to get closer to 9, as sometimes I allow it on the weekend if they’re not being a menace and then they go off like a light switch. Maybe it’s just a 6YOs clock.

My 6 yo is asleep by 8pm and wakes naturally just after 6am.

My 6YO goes up to bed about 8.15, some generally faffing, then a book followed by an audiobook. Usually asleep at about 9-9.15. Tends to wake up at about 7am.

If there's not such an impact on school (waking for school and such) then can you just go with it? 8, half 8 etc. Or will it do your head in? When I had my older ones, this would have totally done my head in, but with this 6yo, I know he's my last and I honestly don't mind as it's not forever that I get zero adult evening.

Of course, if you need your evenings back, that's perfectly understandable. As such, me and other Mumsnetters can offer further advice.

DS is 6, 7 in August. For the last month or so, he’s been going up at 8/8.30 but often not sleeping until 10pm or later. He’s often up until then reading. Gets up at 7.30 on the dot every day.

Surely you need to take account of what time you need them to get up in the morning. One family I know are all early birds so all up 6.00am. Children asleep in bed by about 8pm. Other family dont have to get up until 7.30am so their child is up until 9pm.

My 6 year old is asleep by 8/8.15.m but awake by 6 every morning, just her body clock no matter what time she goes to bed she wakes the same time. So annoying, tips welcome!

We had one DC that would say at 7/7.30 I'm off to bed, the other would stay up and had to be told to go to bed at that age. Both up a 7am.

Am in between 6 year olds ATM. However bedtime has always been around 6.30/7. We tend to head upstairs for 6.

The eldest has been an early riser since the day he was born, sometimes pre 5am. Making bedtime later makes everything worse. When he was younger some days he'd be in bed before 6 and those were often the days he'd actually sleep closer to 7 the next day. Little one has largely adjusted to the household schedule now and wakes around 7, but I think if she didn't have an older sibling she'd have been more of a late to bed, late to rise sort. Same deal though, sometimes she goes to bed super early and that's often the time we don't see her till almost 8 the next day.

Works for me to not be waking people for school and rushing around in the mornings, though I would also love more flexibility in the evenings. The older one is 7 now and honestly by now I thought we'd enjoy the odd night where maybe we're out and about till later, especially in the summer. But it writes off the whoooooole weekend as DS will be off the charts emotional for days afterwards. We've done it a few times and basically always regretted it to the point that now if we have a late night I'm so filled with dread about what's to come I don't enjoy the evening anyway.

My 5.5YO is usually up to bed about 8ish then we read a story and say goodnight then he lies in bed reading to himself (probably more looking at pictures) until he falls asleep. I don’t know exactly what time that is I reckon around 8.30. Weekends am more lax if we go out for dinner or the kids having a movie so that could be more like 9.30 but he would normally go straight to sleep if it’s a late one. Usually up at 6.30 during the week and 7-7.30 weekends. He seems to need about 10 hours of sleep.

Bed is 7.30 here for a 6 1/2 year old and he's normally asleep by 8 because he's up at 7 during the week. He's generally great at having later evenings on weekends and tonight was 8.30 because he was watching a film with Daddy. I think any earlier would be hard for us because he goes to after school club and I'd barely have any time with him during the week.

This is really helpful, thanks everyone! He is up normally between 6-6:30 am every day. He is happy, but when he has had a day with less sleep, the later end he is much more grumpy

Thinking maybe I start bedtime later, instead of up at 6:30 ish push it back until 7-7:15 and then do stories and lights out closer to the best fall asleep time

@handbagsandhairclips I think that approach sounds perfect.

My 9 year old is in bed by 7 on a school night, usually asleep for 7.30. But..he is one of those kids that if he doesn't get a solid 11 hours hes a nightmare the next day!
Weve always done it at the same time. Obviously if we are doing something/ on holiday or whatever its later but those are few and far between.
Its very rarely worth the overtired child the next day!

My 6 year old goes to sleep at 7.30pm and gets up at 7am (has to be woken up) shes always been a good sleeper though

my eldest 2 did 7pm- 7am at that age. Only moved to 8pm at aged 9ish. My youngest is 5 and does 8, but that’s only because the others are up still. He needs more sleep really.

@hangonwhilstioverthinkthis i have one like yours and last night was the first time ever as a family we’ve been able to stay out after about half six. Usually he would start to get tired and upset about that time but last night we were out until nine and he was begging to stay longer. Hoping we’ve finally cracked it, he’s six. It’s shocked me last night seeing the contrast with my youngest who has just turned two and was one of the last kids on the dance floor

@Byron1990 it's funny when you get two so different isn't it!!

I do think I'm at the point where DS is going to have to learn to suck it up a bit. He's 7.5 now and feels like there's more to life than being home by 6pm 95% of the time so we can get him his beauty sleep. It's ever so restrictive on the rest of the family. But at the time same I've tried making bedtimes later before, several times, and he just can't seem to help being an early bird. Tricky to get the balance!!

Hope you're right and you've cracked it! To be fair when we have had later nights the night itself is fine, it's the next afternoon and day after which are usually hell on legs. Even if we return to a regular bedtime the next night 🤦🏼‍♀️

I’d say on most days she goes into her room around 6:30 for a story/cuddles and always asleep by 7:30 absolute latest. She does wake up at 5:30-6 every morning however we need to leave at 7:15 for nursery/school run so that works for us anyways. Sometimes it’s a little later on weekends but she still wakes up at the same time.

My 5.5 year old goes up to bed at 7.30pm but will never sleep until 9pm. She gets up at 6.30am.

My 2.5 year old goes to bed at 7.30pm, falls asleep by 8.30pm and gets up at 4.30am! 😭 Cannot be persuaded otherwise 😭

My three year old has no daytime nap (dropped it a year ago) and used to go to bed at 7pm-7am when younger but now goes to bed at 8.30pm and wakes up at 6am!

I'm surprised your six year old has been sleeping so early for this long... Jealous!

At 6 it was about 7.30pm ish, well the time for being in bed, lamp on, story etc.