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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Teenagers bedtime/rules around bedtime?

11 replies

ThatNewYearFeeling · 21/06/2025 22:34

Please give me wisdom of what your bedtimes look like for your teenagers.

Ages?
Time?
School night differ to weekends/holidays?
When did you stop telling them it was time for bed? Going up to say goodnight?
And any other routines around bedtime for you and your teens much appreciated.

Thank you

OP posts:
tourdefrance · 21/06/2025 22:48

Bedtime was 9.30 most nights. Later night for Scouts then Explorers once a week. 10/ 10.30pm.
Stopped saying good night / its bedtime in his room once GCSEs finished shortly after 16th birthday.

RareMaker · 21/06/2025 22:49

Likewise stopped encouraging a decent bedtime after gcses.

12yr old goes up at 9.30 and has to have lights out for 10pm.

creekyjohn · 21/06/2025 23:17

We never really had bedtimes when they were teens. They got to regulate themselves

Slippersandrum · 21/06/2025 23:50

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

mondaytosunday · 22/06/2025 00:15

Don’t recall having a bedtime. They were pretty sensible I took themselves to be at a reasonable hour. If my son was going out (of a weekend or summer break) had a home time of about 10pm at 14, 11pm at 15 and midnight at 16.

Seamoss · 22/06/2025 11:21

I can't remember when we stopped having a set bedtime, but our teens don't have one. So long as they're in their rooms by the time we go to bed (10.30 to 11 ish) and their electrics are off.

Sometimes they'll be asleep around 9/9.30. Sometimes they'll still be awake at 11 ish.

We say goodnight when they go upstairs, which can be at any point from 8pm onwards. After they've gone up, sometimes one of us will get a message on our phone asking one of us or both to come up and have a natter. Or if they hear us pottering around upstairs they'll invite us in for a chat. The best conversations happen then (and often the later nights!)

Blinkingbother · 22/06/2025 11:27

13 yo in bed, lights off by 10 latest (try for 9:30), 16 yo can turn their light off whenever they want but I take phone & devices at 10:30pm, 18 yo self sufficient but now actively chooses to not have their devices in their room overnight.

Matilda1981 · 22/06/2025 11:30

Year 7 and Year 8 kids don’t really have a set bedtime, they go up themselves and are normally asleep around 10, phones have downtime switched on at half 9 so they don’t have access to any apps until the morning, saves me having to take phones off them!

YourAquaTurtle · 24/06/2025 16:20

My DD14 still needs some structure at bedtime. On school nights she’s usually in bed by 9:30, lights out by 10, though I still remind her most nights. Weekends she stays up later, usually around 11, sometimes more if she's on her phone.
I still go up to say goodnight most nights, it’s one of the few calm moments we get. She also uses the health&wellbeing luna app (weareluna.app), which has some good tips around sleep and routines for teens. It helped her understand why sleep matters, not just because I say so. There's a sleep tracker too, but it's got loads of other stuff on body image, motivation, skincare etc.etc.
Every teen is different, but some gentle boundaries still help at this age I think.

Picklechicken · 24/06/2025 16:23

13 year old ds. Has autism and would happily never sleep …! Usually plays online with his school friends until around 9.45 and then comes off and has a shower. Sits with us till around 10.30 and then he goes up to bed at the same time as me; I give him a hug on the stairs landing and we go out separate ways 😊 At the weekend it’s kind of the same thing but maybe around 11pm we go to bed.

No gadgets allowed in the bedroom (he has a gaming room downstairs and iPhone has to be plugged in charging downstairs).

Witchywoo41 · 24/06/2025 16:40

Dd never needed a bedtime, she could regulate herself. Ds 15 needs structure or he wouldn’t go to bed, he goes to bed around 10 and lights out 10.30 on school nights, chooses himself on a weekend. I always say goodnight to everyone, first one to bed says goodnight etc, can’t imagine that stopping

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