What Time For Bed

[GJM]

DH & I disagree what time our DS (10) 5th. grade should go to be. I feel that 9:30 is a good time, he feels that 10:00 is fine. So what time do your 10/11 year old children in 5th. grade go to bed.

He also has to be up at 6:30 in the morning -

 

[pixie dust 112]

My kids went at 8:30 when they were in 5th grade.

 

[NAB]

My dd is going into grade 5 this year. Last year and this year it will be 9:00. Most times by the time she settles down it is closer to 9:30.

I have a boy going into grade 8 and he will be going to bed at 10:00-10:30

 

[cepmom]

I have a 10 year old going into 5th grade this year...during the school year she will go to bed at 9:00. She takes a while to settle down and fall asleep so getting her into bed early is necessary. Plus, her new school starts an hour earlier than last year so she will need to get up earlier too.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Well, I would think that would depend upon the child. If she goes to bed at 9PM is she well-rested the next day? Is she easy to wake? If not, she needs an earlier bedtime, if yes, try letting her stay up an extra half-hour and re-evaluate.

I was an odd child. My parents put me to bed at 8:30PM until I was in the 4th grade and one summer announced how nice it was that I actually got to SEE all the shows in summer that I only HEARD during the school year. Yes, I would lie in bed and listen to TV shows until 11PM when I finally fell asleep. After that, my bedtime was a loosely enforced 10ish on school nights. And I am a Morning person!

I've just never needed all that much sleep. Even now, if I sleep 8 hours, it's a wonder. I average 6 hours a night. After 6 hours or so I spring up, wide awake, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Some people need more sleep, some need less. Only you can figure out how many your child needs (although children do need more than adults).

 

[N&B'smom]

My DS11 is going into 6th grade this year but last year his bed time was 9:30pm. Each night he would get into bed at 9pm and read for 30 min. (his bed time will remain the same again this year)

 

[abdmom]

Last year, dd11 went to bed at 9 p.m, lights out at 9:30. She didn't have to get up until 8 a.m. though. The previous year, she had to get up at 6:30 and was sent to bed at 8 p.m., lights out at 9:00 p.m. She was very tired with that schedule.

 

[kristilew]

Wow. At almost 13, my DD is still in bed by 8 or 8:30 most school nights. 7:30 if either she or I has had a tough day! I can't imagine dealing with a kid up until 10. That's my time with DH!

 

[mhsjax]

My DD 11 goes to bed at 9:00 she is up at 6:00am. She does all of her homework including reading when she gets home from school, due to her sports activities. There are 2 nights a week when she doesn't even get home until 8:20.

DS is 13 he goes to bed at 10:00. He is in his room around 9:00 for TV or video games, but like his sister, all homework is done pretty much before dinner. IF they don't do their reading then, it won't get done.

I think it is neat how kids will go to their rooms and read for 30 minutes before bed, that would be like a punishment for mine, they hate it. They are good at it, but it is something that is not enjoyable to them.

 

[Mary•Poppins]

Our youngest is in 5th grade and his bedtime is 9:00 ... same as a previous poster ... we start at 9:00 and lights are out by 9:30.

I am a teacher also and I really cannot stress how important sleep is to children. There are so many children I teach that when they are having a bad day, I ask them when they went to bed ... and a lot of times they tell me when the news is on ... which is usually 11:00. Sleep really affects young children in a negative way and they lack the verbal skills to tell you "I am tired."

Just my opinion and hope this helps ... (Please tell your husband not to flame me! )

 

[tvguy]

From about age 3 or 4 our kids never would go to sleep before 10 pm.......and I worked graveyard shift, and left for work at 10:40 pm, and I can't tell you how many times I had a little face staring out the bedroom window and waving goodbye to me then.
Wait until the teen years, when you fight with them to go to bed before you leave for work at 6 am!!!!

 

[mhsjax]

Wow. At almost 13, my DD is still in bed by 8 or 8:30 most school nights. 7:30 if either she or I has had a tough day! I can't imagine dealing with a kid up until 10. That's my time with DH!

Lord, my kids ,even if they were home at this time, would never be able to fall asleep. I don't know how she can do this.

I do understand about the my time. Even on the weekends my kids go to bed around 10:00 but the oldest goes to bed whenever he wants, sometimes 2 in the morning, however he is in his room at 10:00 with his TV , ipod, or video games, I forget he is even in there sometimes.

 

[NAB]

Just remember you should ease them back into the bedtime not just start the day before school starts. It will make it easy for them and you. What time has he been going to bed?

We have been on holidays and bedtime is all out of wack. Just sent them up at 10:00 tonight, in a few days it will be there regular bedtime for school.

 

[SaraJayne]

We just started school bedtimes and wake ups this week...so next week isn't such a shock.

My 13 year old DS (going into 8th grade) goes to bed around 9pm.

My 9 year old DD (going into 4th grade) goes to bed around 8pm.

They both are up at 6:30.

We may allow DS to stay up a bit later this year, but we'll see. If getting up in the morning or attitude becomes a problem, then it will revert to an earlier bedtime.

I am very firm on bedtimes and kids needing a lot of sleep.

I also need kid-free time with DH at the end of the day.

IMO, 10pm (even 9:30) is much too late for a 10 year old child.

 

[JVL1018]

I have 2 night owls, just like their mama.
Right now, since it's summer, most of the time I make them go to bed around 10, sometimes I let them do what they want. The other night my son(the 8 year old) was up until almost 2am. Mostly they fall alseep around 11, 11:30.

My husband wakes them up at 8 when he's getting ready to leave for work. They pop out of bed ready to start the day.

You'd think they'd be cranky or extra tired and ready for bed earlier the next night, but..nope. I have the kids who just do NOT sleep. Both my kids gave up naps at 13 months old. It drove me insane, now I just accept it.

During the school year(they'll be in 3rd and 5th this year) most of the time they are sent to bed at 9, lights out at 9:30.
Ideally.
Sometimes, they end up with lights out around 10 instead.

My daughter falls asleep around 10:30, 11. My son falls asleep around 11, 11:30.
They get up at 7:30, 7:45 for school.

My daughter's dance class on Wednesdays doesn't even start intil 7:15. Finishes at 8:45, home by 9.
Practice for whatever they happen to be playing is usually 6-8.
There's just no way we can have an 8pm bedtime in our house, it would not work.
My husband and I stay up at least until midnight every night so we do get some downtime.
I can't MAKE my kids be tired. I can send them to bed, but they'll fall asleep when they fall asleep.

 

[clori]

I think bedtime has to do a lot with what time a kid needs to get up and how much sleep their body needs. My dd10 is starting 5th grade next week. I like to start bedtime routines close to 8:30with lights out around 8:50 on school nights and asleep close to 9pm. DD can sleep until 7:30 if need be though she is usually awake closer to 7am. I know my dd functions best with around 10 hours of sleep a night so that is our goal.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

What no other?!

My kids go to bed when they are ready for bed. Sometimes it is early, sometimes it is later. It all depended on what is going on that evening.

My 13yodd is on the living floor right now at doing her leg exercises and then she still has to shower. She probably will be in bed by 11PM tonight hopefully.

She took a nap and caught some sleep after school though.

I just can't do a set bedtime, it would never work at my house. Sometimes we are eating dinner at 8pm.

She has to catch the bus at 6:30am so she is up at 5:30am.

I think my college dd goes to bed at 3am.

 

[4greatboys]

My youngest boys are in 2nd and 4th grade. They go to bed at 9 and it's lights out by 9:30.
The 2nd grader gets up at 7 and the 4th grader gets up at 7:30. Their schools start at different times.

I can't see any of my kids being able to go to bed at 8 or 8:30.

 

[mamacatnv]

I voted 8:30 for DD 12 going into 6th grade. She also gets up at 6:30 and does read for 30 minutes prior to lights out at 9

Let me preface this with DD needs a lot of sleep. Couple of years ago when we were dealing with some severe anxiety issues the first thing her therapist did was figure out how much sleep she needs. Based on her needs and having to be at school at 7:45 we had to settle on the 8:30 bed time. We started 5th grade with a bedtime of 8 and bumped it to 8:30 about half way through the year.

We will start school with this schedule and if she is doing well or having a hard time going to sleep we might consider moving bedtime up 1/2 hour.

Every single kid is unique in what they need and bedtimes IMO need to be about what they need not what their friends are doing.

 

[kelly1218]

My DD11 has to be in bed by 10pm with the lights out. Most nights she chooses to go into bed a little after 9.

DD14.... well, her cell phone needs to be shut off by 9:30pm. I don't know what time she actually goes to sleep. I know she hides under her covers and reads until late. But as long as she's up for school without a fight...and isn't tired during the day, I don't argue. I guess that makes me a bad parent?

Both my children WILL go to bed as early as 7pm if they are tired. That happens very rarely though.

I sleep on average about 3-5 hours a day, and feel well rested.
Some people just need less sleep.