Children's bedtimes

MissSun is only 3 but can go anytime between about 6.30pm (on a very good very energetic day) and 8.30pm (like tonight cause she fell asleep in the car on the way home at 5.30pm and was impossible to revive until about 6.45pm.

If she starts behaving like she's tired ie. tetchy, argumentative etc. then she goes straight to bed.

G is very nearly 5 (in reception). Usually she is in bed by 7 and asleep by 730. Weekends and holidays in bed by 8 and asleep by 830 at latest.

My 9 year old daughter is normally in bed by 8.30pm and my 11 year old son goes to bed at 9pm. Weekends is a free for all and they go to bed when I've had enough oft hem (around 10ish). If I notice that they look really tired then they go to bed earlier.

R (6) and A (4) both go to bed at 7pm on school days, and 7.30pm at weekends. I've said they can go at 8pm during the holiday (playing out until 7pm, then they come in for bath and story), but I'll bring bedtime earlier if we need to. I've also said R can have a 7.30pm bedtime from his next birthday.

At the moment they still need lots of sleep, they don't always go off to sleep straight away, but generally they are asleep within 30mins of "lights out".

Thanks for the replies, quite a range there. Master I seems to need about 10 hours as a maximum-he always seems to be on the lower end of the standard range for sleep. There's no way I could get him in bed by 7.00 these days (he'd be up at 5.00!). Hopefully he'll sleep well tonight and be less grotty tomorrow, bet Ill have to wake him up in the morning.

7pm if we are at home (later if we are out visiting or something) for a 2.5 year old. I tell her she doesn't have to go to sleep but she has to be in bed then. She can have a chatter to herself and anyone else who will listen for a good hour though. Any later and it would be eating too much into MY time ?

My 2 year old goes between 7 and 8pm, 7 year old about 8pm ish and my 9 year old about 9pm. I am trying to get my 9 year old to bed earlier but she tends to read!

Number 1 (5.5 in reception) and number 2 (2) share a room and I put them down at somewhere between 7.30-8pm it is normally a good half on hour of number 2 flaffing before they are actually asleep. At best they are in bed until 7am. I envy those who ask to go to bed or whom they have children they have to wake up!

Don't envy me Buckley - I have to wake him because we need to leave home by 7.30 most mornings!

Oh no! Not that early - I don't envy that, Good all credit to you I get stressed trying to get out by 8.30. More like people like my SIL who says she wakes the kids at the weekend at 10am - now THAT I envy!

Mine have never asked to go to bed!

I have to wake R up usually before school (never at the weekends or holidays!). Generally he needs at least 11 hours. A needs less - he's the one who comes bouncing in manically at 5.30am asking if its "getting up time yet?", but as he's the younger and they share a room I can't put him to bed later than R.

I was right- I had to drag a sleepy and grumpy boy out of bed at 7.10 this morning. Still, back at school in 7 weeks so routine will be restored!

I have children I have to try and drag out of bed at 7.45am during the school term, come holidays at 7am they're up and downstairs!

Why do they do that Gryfon? Master I loves to get up at 6am at the weekends too. Glad that they are all the same and it's not just me!

MissSun's the same. On my working days (mon-weds) I have to wake her at 7.30am, on my days off she's usually up and in my bed by 6.30ish. Very annoying.

? This is so true. We have to wake youngest on weekdays to get up for school, despite her sister being up for half an hour already, curtains open and lights on. However on a Saturday and Sunday she's downstairs at 7am watching Hannah Montana reruns on the Disney channel ?

It actually got so bad at one point that I told her she has to read in bed until 8am on the weekend so she gets a lay-in. We found her downstairs at 6am once. Eldest will sleep all day if we let her.

Bedtimes are 8.30pm for youngest and 9pm for eldest.

I can so sympathise. Weekends - 6am wake up call (on a good day!). Weekdays - when we have to be out of the house by 7(!!!!!!!!) I either have to go and wake him at 6:30 or worse, he wakes at 4, I manage to settle him back to sleep but then can't get back off again myself.

What's Master I doing during the holidays while you're at work?

Pah, I laugh in the face of your 6.00+ wake ups, Wizzy doesn't distinguish between days of the week, she wakes up anytime between 4.45am and 5.30am, very rarely will she stay in bed until 6. I am constantly knackered with stingy eyes ?

She goes to bed between 7 and 7.30 and my son (he's 14) goes to bed at 9.30pm on a school night. My doctor told me that teens need as much sleep as toddlers (hence the sleeping late) as their bodies are going through so many changes. In my experience this is definitely true!

Does she sleep in the day Hole?

Yikes Hole, that's hideous!

PP, he's spending 4 days a week at granny & grandpas. He's having fun so far but will wear them out. Understandably, they've booked a holiday in September ? They're taking him on holiday for 3 nights too. He's a busy boy.

Oh believe me, I've tried knocking the daytime naps on the head, still wakes at 5 ish, tried putting her to bed later, still wakes at 5ish. I try and remember that there are people a lot worse off than me sleepwise, but it doesn't really help at that time of the morning ?

My son was a v early riser too so I live in hope that she'll grow out of it. She starts nursery in September so might be a bit more tired then <crosses fingers>!

I'd be knackered too Hole, every now and then is ok and you can handle it but all the time? No way. I totally sympathise with you.

MissSun is totally worn out after 3 hours at playgroup so hopefully that'll be the turning point for you, you've just go to try and keep her awake until bedtime. I'm amazed the lack of sleep doesn't catch up with her, if MissSun was up at 5am she'd be hideous by 3pm. But she's like her dad, he's a real sleepy head, unfortunately.

L (3) has never been a sleeper, and used to do the early mornings too. Great fun!

I work 4 days a week and we don't generally get in until 6ish, I have a thing about us all eating dinner together, so she's generally in bed by 8pm. Any later and she turns into a monster. I don't generally keep her up any later weekends if I can help it, as I find it's easy to break a routine and hard work to get her back into said rountine!

I have two much older boys (18 & 20), and you spend the first 7/8 years trying to get them to sleep in and then the rest of the time kicking them out of bed. You will be able to get some revenge!!

G (recently turned 4) goes to bed at 7.00 and is asleep before I have got to the bottom of the stairs! But he was always a sleep monster, he's only dropped his daytime naps recently! He wakes between 7 and 7.30 most days, sometimes he sleeps in till 8 or just past but that's fine with me I like to be up early-ish to get stuff done before the day starts and I reckon 12 hours+ is good.

My 14 year old daughter goes to bed at 9.30 during term time and not much later usually during hols because she takes herself off to read in bed. And she must read till quite late as she never surfaces before about 11.00am during the hols or at weekends!

K is 4.5 and currently goes to bed at 7pm although I do hear him chatting for a while, when I go up about half hour later he is asleep. Sometimes it is later when we've been driving down to visit Mum in hospital but thats only because we don't get back until 9pm.

Regardless of what time he goes to bed he is still up about 6- 6.30am!! Although he does have a watch and I tell him he can play in his room until 7am and then he can come out.

I've never had to wake him in the morning, it sucks at times!