*Help !!!* My seven year old won't go to sleep

[Soapretty]

My eldest boy is 7 yrs old and won't go to sleep until 9.30 at the earliest. This morning he was awake at 5.15 after dropping off at 10pm last night. Is it me ? Is he just one of these kids who doesn't need the sleep. Currently I'm encouraging him to read himself to sleep (which usually sends me of in 15 mins) but 2 hours later, he's read 50 pages of 'famous five' and we're no further forward. The only sign that he's knackered the next day is his refusal to do anything I ask, but I'm not sure if that's just his age. Does anyone have any new and effective ideas for getting a 7 year old to drop off at 8pm or do I just have to kiss goodbye to my evenings. (5 year old sleeping just fine by the way!!)

My DS is 7 and I'd estimate that for 5 out of the seven nights in the week, he's a 9.30pm sleeper and awake at 5.30/6.00am.

He's never needed much sleep.

I, however, do need my evenings and so the deal is, he goes to bed at 8pm and he is allowed to read. Nothing else - no playing in bedroom, wandering around upstairs, coming downstairs etc. Reading or nothing - they're his options! I will go in at 9.30/9.45pm and it's lights out. End of.

Refusal to do anything - age/stage/phase, IMO and it gets short shrift here - do it, do it now or face the consequences.....normally I threaten an early bedtime

Is he quite seasonal? Some kids just sleep less in summer and more in winter.

Agree with doodle when you're fed up with having your evening invaded just send him up and let him read or draw or somethign else quiet for as long as it takes.

Look up 'stroppy sevens' there was a thread on it a while ago. my dd was awful, and just blatantly disobedient all the time. much better now.