What is your 8-9 year old's bedtime? - Page 2

[Hey Mama!]

Goal is in her room at 8, but this is usually pushed back to 8:30. She can read, write, draw whatever but if I notice she's grouchy the next day she loses that. I wake them up at 6:30 because they need to leave for school at 7:30.

[JayGee]

Upstairs at 8:30, asleep by 9:00. I wake him at 7:30 the next morning for school, but he's usually awake and reading in bed by then.

[becoming]

My son will be 9 in just a few days & goes to bed at 9:00 most nights... some nights more like 9:30 or 10, depending on what we're doing. But 9:00 is his "bedtime." He does watch TV or read in bed, though, so I'd say he's usually asleep around 9:45-10.

[annethcz]

Bedtimes are fluid at our house, and my kids do a lot of extracurricular activities that keep us out late some nights.

But I like to have my 8 & 9yos in bed by 9pm on school nights if possible. If I feel like they need more sleep, sometimes we'll send them to bed before 9, with lights out at 9. Other times we allow them to stay up and read until 10, it just depends.

On the weekends, our schedule varies. They often stay up later, and it's not uncommon for the whole family to be out visiting friends until after midnight.

[Ruthla]

We're struggling with this right now. With two teenagers in the house, evenings tend to be busy- DD1 comes home from school around 7:00 PM Mon-Thurs, and on Wednesday nights they both go to a meeting that doesn't get them home until 8:45 PM.

I've been aiming to get DS to bed by 9:00 PM on school nights, but too often he's not asleep before 10:00PM. He clearly needs more sleep, but it's hard getting him to bed earlier when things aren't "calm" at night. How would an 8:00 bedtime work, if we'd need to start winding down at 7:00 and DD1 is just getting home at that time?

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

How would an 8:00 bedtime work, if we'd need to start winding down at 7:00 and DD1 is just getting home at that time?

What is it about dd's arrival that messes up ds's wind down?

Consider having ds take some "room time" from 6:45 onward, with the promise of reading time with you at 7:30. 6:45-7 gives him time to get involved in something quiet (reading, puzzles, quiet play) and settled in his room before his sister gets home. His sister could pop in and greet him, say goodnight, and then come back out to do what she needs to get done. You'd have 30 min to help her with her "get home" transition (eating, getting started on homework), and then tell her at 7:30 you need to get ds settled in bed. Read some books to him, tuck him in, turn out the lights at 8....and then you are free to spend more time with dd.

eta...if you want them to spend some time together, you could have dd read a book or two to him just before bed, after she's had some time to relax into the mood of the evening.

[Heavenly]

All 3 of my kids (4, almost 8, and 9) go to bed at the same time because the oldest needs more sleep than the others and the youngest needs less than you would think for a 4 year old. We start getting ready for bed at 7:30 with the goal of lights out by 8:15. If we let them stay up later I have to drag them out of bed for school in the morning (have to be up by 7:45am). Actually the middle child (almost 8) could probably get away with less sleep but she shares with her sister so it's just easier to have them all go to bed at the same time. And yes, most people do think we are nuts for putting them to bed so early!

[attached2ethan]

My almost 8yo goes to bed at 8:30 for reading time and is usually asleep around 9ish.

My 5yo has to be asleep by 8pm or he's a total mess the next day.

They have to be up by 7am for school, but 5yo usually gets up around 6:30am on his own regardless of his bedtime. Sometimes I have to wake 8yo but usually he's up by 7ish on his own.

I think the important thing is to be sure they're up on their own in the morning and not cranky- if you have to wake them every day and they're grouchy all day then earlier bedtime is probably neccessary

[mamalisa]

Ds has to be asleep by 9. He gets up at 715. Some nights I send him to bed at 8 but we really aim for 830. He needs a lot of sleep. His friends make fun of him for going to bed at 830, seems a lot of them stay up until 10. I don't know how, he's a crying mess if he doesn't get enough sleep!