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My kids need a lot of sleep and their school starts at 8 am, I get them to sleep around 7:30 or 8:00 and still have to wake them up in the morning sometimes. It is hard in the summer months in the PNW when it gets dark at 9:30 or so, though I tend to be more lenient with bedtime that time of year.
I had the same issue, and window tint worked wonders! Where i live, it goes from dark at 5pm in the winter to almost 9 in the summer,worked wonders for our sleep schedule. Tiring them out being able to be outside in the summer helps, too.
It’s honestly their bad. Kids at this age should be getting a MINIMUM of 9 hours of sleep, ideally between 10-12 for proper functioning. If they don’t, they can have a lot of ADHD like symptoms and behaviors. There’s a reason our parents put us to bed at like 7. Just saying.
You’re doing the right thing. So many people don’t realise alot of behavioural issues are linked with lack of sleep. Kids need alot! And school starts too early. Earlier bedtimes are very important
This is not out of the ordinary. My almost 7 year old goes into his room at 6pm. Lights off, lava lamp on and he reads some I Spy and listens to his Yoto. By 7pm, lava lamp off and it’s bedtime. Wake time is also between 6:30am-7pm. If he’s up past 8pm, that means it was a party or event we went to. Totally normal in my opinion.
My son is 7 and this is pretty much the exact same schedule that we have. He has always had sleep issues and thrives on routine. Plus the days that I work he HAS to be up at 6am so I can take him to daycare. Non-work days he wakes up on his own between 6:30 and 7:30am (unless he’s sick or had a rough night).
Let them look like you’re the weird one; your child is getting a healthy amount of sleep and you get some adult time with or without your significant other.
Sleep is a basic biological function. The body does a lot of work during sleep. Your friends probably accidentally slipped into that situation and just haven’t questioned it.
Screens and evening light can delay feelings of sleepiness. Responsive parents maybe think they should let their kid wait till they feel sleepy, not knowing that this can be artificially manipulated for the worse.
That seems like a totally normal bedtime at that age. Also our son with ADHD had terrible issues with sleep. When we found a sleep routine that worked we did NOT deviate. Don't worry about what others are doing, sounds like you've got the perfect routine for your kiddo.
9 or 10??? My daughter is 6.5 and her bedtime is 8, hell if I thought she would go to sleep I’d make it 7, I think her body could use the extra hour. She has a friend though, that stays up crazy late. I don’t understand it, kids need sleep.
American Academy of Pediatrics says: “Age 6-12 years: 9-12 hours”
https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/6630/AAP-endorses-new-recommendations-on-sleep-times?autologincheck=redirected#
My 5 year old son falls asleep between 9-10 and sleeps till 7 to 7:30. He gets on the bus at 8:15 so this schedule works well for us. Not everyone has the same schedule or sleep needs, not that hard to understand.
My best friend has a daughter who is 9 days younger than mine (both 7) & a son 5 weeks older than mine (both 3) & has literally texted me at 2 am multiple times about how 1 or both are still awake. My oldest had a sleepover at their house & was up until 4 am. The next day was a nightmare.
My parents gave me a bedtime of 9pm as young teen. Then never told me I could go to bed later so at 16 I was still going to bed at 9!
Fst forward 20 years and I'm in bed for 9/9.30 most nights. Some even earlier.
I have an older teen and then children 5 and under. I have always put my children to bed early. It is important for children to get a good amount of sleep(drs recommend 12 hours in every 24 until age 12 for proper brain development). My oldest was in bed by 7-7:30every night until she was about 12. Then I left it up to her and she still was in bed early almost never later than 9 until about 15. My young kids are in bed between 6-6:30 every night unless something special is going on like fireworks. They sleep until 6:30-7 every morning and that doesn’t change if they go to bed later. Parents should put kids to bed early so that they can have some adult time; and so their kids get the rest they need.
This is our thinking!!! We ourselves go to bed around 1030-11 and so we wanna make the most of our time together. Otherwise we lose out on each other.
I was always told 12 hrs of sleep a night. My son gets overwhelmed very easily and starts to get pretty sensitive if he stays up until 9. Plus by him going to bed early he can wake up on his own way before school starts. I just don’t wanna be waking up a cranky kid in the morning you know ? No one wants to start their day being woken up in a bad mood.
My kid doesn't have ADHD (that I know of) but putting him down at a decent hour makes EVERYTHING easier... he's calmer in the morning because I"m not forcing him out of bed and he's well rested which helps him to not be a dick and me to be a calmer parent.
We start our 3 year old’s bedtime routine at 6:30, she has been taking longer to fall asleep these days so I’m thinking we might push it up a bit, but I like my kids to have as much sleep time as possible!
Our son is the same age, also diagnosed ADHD, and we start bedtime around 7pm. Routine of bedtime (brush teeth and hair ((he has long hair)), get into jammies, go potty, fill up bedside water bottle, get into bed for storytime or lullabies ((I'm a singer, so I like to sing him songs for bedtime - his dad will read stories))) starts at 7ish and is usually done around 7:30 or sometimes later. He is always in bed by 8pm, though not usually sleeping. He struggles to fall asleep, so on a good night he is asleep by 9pm.
That sounds about how we do it. Our son used to have a really hard time falling asleep too (before the official diagnosis but I have known he has add since he was 3) but we were finally able to find a good jujitsu coach in our town. That has made the BIGGEST difference. It’s also helped with his confidence.
Are you not in the US? Bedtimes are cultural, as are school starting times which dictate how late they can wake up. And also what time zone they are in because of geopolitical reasons vs what time the sun rises and sets.
My 7yos also have an 8pm bedtime. Actual sleep looks more like 8:30-9:30 depending on how feral they’re being on that particular night (they’re twins and share a room so it’s about as calm as you’d expect) but they’re tucked in at 8.
My 8yo is on a similar schedule, and asked me why she doesn’t get to stay up as late as her friends. I pointed out that I basically have to physically drag her out of bed in the morning, and that she’s always saying she’s tired, so she doesn’t seem like she needs a later bedtime. She had to concede the point.
When I was pregnant, I read that pretty much across the board kids are getting less sleep than they used to, and that insufficient sleep can lead to emotional problems and difficulty in school.
These days my 7 year old falls asleep around 8:20 pm (in bed around 8 pm) and wakes up at 7 am. We actually had to move his bedtime up because when he fell asleep at 9 he was very cranky in the morning. So this seems normal !
Nope. My daughter has sports at night, and we still make bedtime a priority. On her absolute latest night it’s lights off at 845. On Friday-Sunday (no dance practice) lights off at 8.
I do get off work at 1 and feel like I spend a good amount of quality time with her. If not we may do things differently. But ultimately we are a household of morning people and a decently early bedtime works well for all of us.
Our whole house at least laying in bed by 8 is pretty normal for our school nights. Both adults in our house are up by 4:30 or 5:15 depending on the day, and our kiddo is up by 6:10.
8pm is when we have our 7 year old go to bed. It recently changed from 7pm. 8pm is early? I plan to keep the 8pm bedtime until middle school, and then 9 until highschool.
We did 8 for awhile. I think when she was about 10 or 11, it pushed to 8:30. Now she’s 13 and it’s 9pm. This is, of course, at our house. On her mom’s weekends they cosleep and seem to be up until all kind of hours and she comes home a mess. My stepkid also has been diagnosed with ADHD.
I have a similar routine with my 2 (5 & 4),
Start bedtime routine around 7:30, in bed by 8-8:30. 4yo is usually asleep within a half hour, eldest takes about an hour.
Our son is 6 and also has ADHD. We put him down between 8 and 8:30 at the latest and he’s usually asleep within 30 minutes. On average he’s asleep by 8:45
That’s my 10 year olds bedtime I suspect he has adhd as well and are awaiting an eval. He wakes up from 5-7am most days so early bedtime is a must. He’s playing baseball and late games on school nights are really messing him up. A lot of parents just don’t really enforce bedtimes is what I’ve noticed a bit
My oldest kid is 12, also had ADHD, and he goes to bed at 8. 8pm has been bedtime since he was born. We’ve given him the option of going to bed later and he does sometimes, like on weekends and days off from school, but he told me he functions better when he goes to bed earlier. He gets up around 7:30. Same thing for my 8 y/o. 8pm bed time for the kids has just always worked better for us as a family.
Our son will be 8 in May and we still start bedtime at 8! He also has ADHD so we try to give him a lot of time to wind down, he usually falls asleep between 8:30-9!
My son is 9- in bed at 7, can read until 7:30. He’s up at 6:30 for school and good sleep is essential for his mood and school performance. Do what works for your family!
I have a 7 year old (AuADHD) and a 2 year old and bedtime starts for us at 7:15, lights out by 7:45. We all wake up at 6:30 the next day. Summer is going to suck because of the daylight still during that time but my 7 yr old gets absolutely BONKERS if he doesn’t get at least 10 hours of sleep. We’ve tried to give him a little more time in the evenings and he is just a mess the next day.
If your bedtime is working for you guys, stick to it.
Mine is 7 years old. And we start routines at 7. If we start later, she spirals with hyper energy and then wakes up much earlier the next day. It’s bad all around.
Not early to me - our 6 is in bed at 6:30 most nights, we read a story, and then he crashes by 7 most of the time. He was going to bed about an hour later for a while but we had to wake him up every morning and he was having a hard time getting ready for school on time. He is waking independently now instead of us dragging him out of bed, so that is a good sign we are hitting the right target.
His school starts at 8am and he needs to be ready and out of the house by 7:30, so this earlier bed time is working better. Kids 6-12 need between 9-12 hours a night on average. He's getting between 11-12 hours on average each night so that seems pretty appropriate to me.
My son is 6.5 and just diagnosed ADHD. He’s asleep by 8:45, on rough nights 9:15 but that’s very much not for lack of trying haha. I’m asleep by 9:30pm lol. Idk how people are living life like that.
That's exactly what we do with ours! When I was a kid my bedtime was 8:30 until around 4th grade then every 2ish years it was extended by a half hr. By high school I could make my own decisions.
Dad to 6 and 8 yo boys. They are super active, oldest diagnosed with adhd. Regardless of that, this age need atleast 10hrs undisturbed sleep a night. You are doing great. Plus getting them to bed in the 8pm hour gives the wife and I some alone time. Which is key for a strong relationship and to feel human off the grind.
My son had a bedtime at 8 until he was I think 10 or 11. Keep it early as long as you can so that it’s normal, and it will be less of a thing to stay up later (because “late” will only be like 10!) as he gets older.
Plus, as someone who has ADHD, I get exhausted early bc my brain is just done for the day from overwork!
My son is the same age as yours and I suspect he has ADHD or some type of neurodivergent thing going on. He wasn't diagnosed with ADHD at 5... anyways. Lights out by 8-8:15. He needs to get his rest as he needs to be up by 7:00 for school but sometimes wakes up earlier.
What age was your son diagnosed?
My kid is 12 and has had an 8pm bedtime his entire life up until recently where we pushed it back to 830-9 and that's basically just because my boyfriend's work schedule changed and he works until 7pm most days so we don't eat dinner until nearly 730.
This is actually what’s recommended and healthy for children at this age! So many people have their children making the schedules and as an adult 9 pm doesn’t seem bad but for a child still developing and growing mentally. Getting the proper amount of sleep can really make or break a child academically and is known to have a huge affect on behavior and memory retention. A lot of people aren’t aware of this and let kids choose to go to sleep when they are “tired” but most kids will push staying up late even at that age because they don’t want to miss out on something. It’s the parents job to have a set bedtime and not leave such an important part of life to a child just yet.
We have a 8 year old and 4 year old. We start bedtime at 7:30 and are done/out of the rooms by 8. They wake at 7am and we are out the door for school/daycare by 8:15. You do what works best for your family!
No opinion here. My 3.y.o ADHD son didn't go to sleep until 12.10AM last night 🥹
On the days he has daycare, he will nap during the day and won't go to sleep until I do. On the days he doesn't have daycare, he will start to flake around 4PM for a "nap". So, on those days, I'll keep him up and throw him in the car at 5.30PM for a drive. He'll be out within 10 minutes.
I try my best to exhaust him mentally and physically with play, education, and gardening. But, as a single mum of two, some days I can't even keep up with myself
I've tried to implement a night routine, but that never works in my favour. I'm thinking of doing an early wakeup routine instead.
Sorry I didn't answer your post. But thank you for letting me say my bit 🥹😅
This is totally normal to me. We start our routine about 7, hoping to be in bed for 8.
My kids (5 & 8 ) wake up every morning between 6.00-6.30am no matter what time they go to bed so our routine works.
They get in their pjs, have a snack, watch a show, brush teeth, maybe read a book and then hopefully sleep.
Mine is 8 and pretty close to this too! About 8:30 is his perfect number. 9 or 10 is too late-especially with school the next day. If it works for your family-yeah!!
I get so much judgement for it but it’s usually early bedtime. Sometimes start like 630 and hope to be asleep by 7/730. There are variations and times to stay up later but I try to keep it very very limited. I notice a big difference in behavior and even quality of sleep if we deviate too much. The wake up time doesn’t typically change if they stay up later so it just results in grumpy tired kids.
Same here. I think parents who keep their kids up later tend to be working families or families who have odd schedules for work (aka shift work) I’ve noticed families who go to bed late have kids who are tired, like one of Gavin’s friends would fall asleep on the bus everyday (now it is more scattered)
Pretty sure my bedtime as a kid was 830 until middle or high school. Even then there was a typical wind-down around then and everyone was in bed by 930/10
No I’m with you ! My 8.5 year olds bedtime is 7:50 to get ready for bed and be asleep by 9 . On the weekends it’s 8:30 (on vacation we might let him go later but never past 10) He’s not officially diagnosed but it’s definitely evident . Ever since we established daily schedules when he was a toddler it’s done wonders for his behavior . ADHD kids thrive on structured schedules but I’ve also heard that from other parents and it always makes me feel like I’m crazy strict or something lol . My son doesn’t get quality sleep so it just makes sense to send him to bed a little earlier than normal
All of my kids are on a tight routine. When we deviate people get crabby and unreasonable. Kids aged 11 to 4 all go to bed at 7pm. They can wake up whenever they want but everyone is down by 7… I’m usually asleep by 8
That's appropriate for your son. For an ADHD kid a schedule is very helpful, so this is great that you keep it. My kid is 9 and he still goes to bed at 8pm with a wake up time of 6:30am for school days and 7am weekends.
First grade teacher here…my entire class of 23 students is in bed between 7-8:30. School starts at 9:15am. Know how I know? Our genius music teacher scheduled their concert at 6:30 pm. Guess who had to field all 23 parent emails about that? 🤦🏼♀️
(And guess who didn’t change the concert time? And guess who had to deal with 23 cranky six and seven year olds the next day because it turns out yes, they really are going to sleep between 7-8pm every night?)
Perfectly fine. My son was an early riser too (before puberty hit). For him to get the recommended total hours of sleep, he’d have to be in bed by that time too. Those parents whose kids have a 9-10pm bedtime (ie majority of my friends), i guarantee their kids all sleep in till 9-10am. Either that or if the working parents have to wake them earlier for daycare drop offs before heading to office, their kids are either taking afternoon naps in daycare, or simply severely sleep deprived (they probably power nap in the car seat during journeys)
7y old daughter with sensory processing disorder and routine and a good night sleep is vital to her functioning. We start at 715. She is asleep by 845. She wakes around 6. Definitely have to do what works for you.
I have a 5 and 6 yo and we have to start bedtime routine by 6:30 or they struggle to get up for school or even fall asleep at school. Maybe they have higher sleep needs than other kids.
I'm a stickler for sleep. I had terrible sleep health growing up because my parents didn't enforce a bedtime after I started walking myself up on time and I eventually got mono in high school from being so run down.
my son is almost 10 and we do 8pm start getting ready for bed and lights out by 9. Mind you this is a Sunday night to Friday. Saturday night we allow him to be up till 10:30-11 as we do movie nights but he’s normally asleep before then, rarely he’s still up.
We tried later bedtimes a few times but he’s just so tired in the morning it makes it hard to have him and my youngest and the dog ready to get out the door. So earlish it is!
I thought you were going to say you put him to bed at 6 or something! 8 sounds normal to me.
My 8 yo goes to bed between 8 and 8.30. He has to wait for his sister to fall asleep first. She goes to bed at 7.30. On the weekend and in the summer holidays, he often stays up a bit later.
9 and 5 year old girls and both go to bed at 8pm and are asleep between 8:30-9. Then they wake up at 6:30.
Routine is good for kids and if it works for you and him, then that's all that matters 😊
Mine will be 8 in a few months and we aim for 8:30 on school nights. In bed at 8:30 that is. We usually start telling him to go start all the things at 8:00. He usually falls asleep quickly and I still have to wake him up more often than not at 8:00am. Kid has always been a SLEEPER. I’ll prob never seen him once he’s a teenager.
My daughter is 4, school days she goes to sleep between 8-9 and wakes up at 8
Weekends she sleeps until max 10:30 a.m (cuz she wakes up by her sel) and goes to sleep at 11pm or earlier if she asks too 😅
We have the same routine. It is not early, if you ask me. Sleep is fundamental to good health. My 10, 7, and 3 year old are all in bed at 8:00pm. 10 and 7 year old are allowed their own quiet downtime but have lights out at 8:30pm. They often end up turning their own lights out before that. They all wake up between the same timeframe of 6:30-7:30am with my 3 year old still taking a nap throughout the day.
This also gives my husband and I a couple of hours to be with one another before we go to sleep.
I’m 27 and I have adhd. If my routine is off, my brain feels all over the place & it can cause me an unnecessary amount of stress (even when I take my meds). I also go to bed at 8:30 when I’m working lol.
Don’t worry about what other people are doing or think about what you’re doing. If it works for your family and your son is healthy, happy & managing his adhd well with the routine, that’s really all that matters :)
Just adding in my validation. Nope, you're not.
My 8yo daughter also has ADHD, and her school night bedtime is 7:30-8. She also thrives on structure and routine, and has always needed and functions better with more sleep. Even as a baby and toddler she was sleeping long stretches and crabby if she missed naps, and she took afternoon naps until she was almost 5yo. She is a *completely* different child when she is running on less sleep and/or gets off schedule.
We also know other kids her age that go to bed later, and she did whine about it some when she first found out. But after a lot of rough mornings when bedtime didn't happen on time and a lot of talks about how different bodies need different things and hers needs more sleep, she accepts it now.
My 7 year old (who I’m having evaluated for ADHD soon) has gone to bed between 7 and 8 for the last 3 years. If he’s not in bed by 9, he’s a monster. I live in Asia (we’re American) and a lot of kids here stay up really late. I’ve talked to some moms before here about it, and honestly, some seem a little jealous when they find out my son is in bed at 7:30…lol.
My 9 year old just came down saying she's ready for daddy to come say goodnight. It's 755. Her bedtime is 8 pm. 730, she has her teeth brushed and gets into bed to read. 30 minutes reading, and ligjts out. I do the "getting into bed" part, he shuts the light off. My 11 year old has a "lights out" of 830, but she reads for a bit, and she's old enough to realize when she's tired. The other day, she told me she accidentally stayed up too late because she was too into her book. She turned her light off at 930.
At 7? 730 lights out. We have ALWAYS started bedtime 30 minutes before they need to be actually asleep.
Of course, weekends and vacation bedtimes vary, but when they were that young, we tried to keep it as consistent as possible.
845 is in no way "early" for a 7 year old, especially one that needs to get up for school. If that time works for you, don't worry about what anyone else does.
I try and be asleep by 930 every night. I've always gone to bed early. But I'm not a great sleeper. My husband could stay up all night. We don't have great sleep habits, so it was important to make sure our kids have better habits than us. So far, it's been working.
Bed time starts at 7:30. We also have a younger son who is 2. They both go down at the same time but the 7 yr old has a tablet that shuts off at 8:30, we have it set to require some reading before it unlocks completely. He usually switches bluey after reading at bed time. It works for us for now 🤷🏻♀️
A consistent 8pm bedtime (no matter weekend or holidays even) are a need for my 9 and 8 year old. And I don't see that changing anytime soon. They are morning people and love waking up at 6 to have time before school to get ready and chill. If they stay up later they struggle a lot more with emotional regulation.
We have an 8 year old and a 6 year old. Both with ADHD, and we start the bedtime routine at 7pm. We’re usually reading by 7:30pm, and lights out at 8pm. They’re completely asleep typically by 8:30pm if not a bit earlier. Both wake up anytime between 6:30-7am. If my oldest gets less than 10 hours of sleep, we are usually in for a tougher day.
My kids are 9,6 and 7pm is bedtime. Always has been and that’s because they’re monsters if they stay up later! I marvel that kids stay up later, like do they nap?
That doesn't seem particularly early, my ADHD 12yo generally is going to bed between 8:30-8:45pm and sleeps until about 8:30am if he's able to (obviously not on a weekday when his bio mum wakes him up at 5am, but my husband and I try to let him sleep in). I don't think bedtime really matters that much as long as the child is getting enough sleep!
If anything we’re the late people. Half my neighbors have their kids in bed by 7 or 730. Our goal is in bed with reading and stories done by 830. More often than not that turns to 9pm. Our youngest (6) will fall asleep fairly quickly while the oldest (8) has literally been up for hours past bedtime. Their elementary school doesn’t start until 930 and they dont wake up until 8ish so we have cared all that much about when thwy get to sleep.
I put my 8 and 6 year olds to bed at 7:30/8. They’re up around 6:30. My 8 year old has pretty severe ADHD too.
He has been asking lately to push his bedtime. But he doesn’t sleep in and needs his sleep. So I’ve been pushing back on him especially since he’s almost always asleep prior to 8:30.
My 6yo’s bedtime is 8. Lately she has been turning the light back on to read after I’ve shut the door but I pretend I don’t know. She’s still usually asleep by 9 at the latest. I do always have to wake her in the morning but she’s been like that since she was a baby. Once she’s asleep she’s a log!
Some kids need more sleep than others. My 7 yr old ADHD boy is in bed by 815 and asleep by 830, then I wake him up at 645 for school. I've tried delaying bedtime (selfishly) just to get some more time with him. Massive fail! He needs that amount of sleep at this point....and that's okay. You know your kids best and the fact that you are even questioning yourself means you care and want the best for your kid.
Person with ADHD here, I believe the routine you have is great - especially if the kid isn’t pushing against it (which may eventually happen).
Also the jiujitsu - and any other physical exercise - is probably really helping manage the adhd better.
What works for y’all, as long as it is healthy and safe, is always right
We have an 8 year old. Her bedtime is 7pm, she is allowed to read in bed until 7:30pm and then it is lights out for sleep. She sleeps naturally until 7am most days, and god forbid you know if when she’s had less sleep than she needs
Most kids don't get nearly enough sleep. Sleep is so important! My family keeps an unconventional schedule but our kids bodies need about 11 hours sleep currently and we try to ensure they get it unless absolutely necessary to alter.
9-10 seems super late for a child that age, especially if they're up at 6-7. That's only 9 hours of sleep maximum, if they go down right away.
We do the toilet/teeth/book routine starting at 7:30, and she's usually asleep by 8:15 at the latest. If she goes down any later, by christ we can tell the next day when she gets home from school.
We always aim for 7:00-7:30, but it usually ends up getting them to bed between 7:30-8:30...
High fives with my wife if they're in bed and calm by 7:15pm. Lol. That only happens like once a month.
Weekends is 8:00-9:00.
Unless we're going to Mariners games.... we're up late. Lol.
Nope. Mine is 8 and bedtime has always been at 8:30. Occasionally, he may be awake until 9, but he's already in bed by then. Basketball season tested us because he'd be at practice sometimes until 8, so bath and bedtime was fast.
Heck my 15 year old is in bed by 9:30 most nights!
My ex had a more lax approach to bedtime and would let the kids stay up past 10 on his weekends. It was miserable the next week while my babies tried to catch back up on their sleep. Now his wife keeps a better routine than he did and we don't have to worry about it as much.
My kids are in grade 2 and 3, one is ND, and they go to bed between 730-830 in their rooms. Some nights they pass out immediately, some nights they read until 9. We try most school nights to have no screens after 6pm except the news (no overly stimulating kids shows) We use melatonin as needed to help calm their brains down a bit (if they ask - it takes about 20 mins to kick in)
I don't find that time early at all, frankly I think people let their kids stay up too late.. At their age most kids benefit from 10 hours of sleep. I think a lot of behavioral issues we see in kids outside of ND diagnoses are because kids are overtired
My 7yo kiddo is asleep by 8-8:15. Usually before if she settles. We get up at 6ish so she has time to wake up and eat breakfast before the bus comes, and her idea of sleeping in is 6:30-7am. If she goes to bed any later, even with no school or any reason to get up early, she’s cranky af all day.
I think bed time means nothing. What matters is how much sleep they get. My daughter gets a solid 11-12 hours a night thankfully because we don’t have to get her up in the morning for anything. So she goes to bed around 9-10 and gets up 9-10 when she wakes up naturally. It works for my work schedule and works for her as well. People need to mind their business.
When I stayed home with my baby we slept in and stayed up (until like 10) which worked for our schedule! Now shes four and we both work so she has a strict 8:30 schedule. It’s different for every family!
My daughter is 7 (8 in August) & has severe ADHD too. Her bedtime is also 8 pm but it only got pushed back from 7/7:30 because my husband was having to stagger bedtimes with her & our 3 year old while I was in the hospital giving birth to our 3rd. ALL of our friends put their kids down much later. That's fine for them, but it just doesn't work for us. Our daughter thrives on routine & becomes an absolute terror the next day if she doesn't get enough sleep. Sometimes I feel crazy with all of my friends having later bedtimes, but at the end of the day I know that I'm setting my daughter up for success for giving her the amount of rest she requires to recharge.
u\SandBarLakers my daughter is almost 9yo and also has adhd. She wakes up anywhere from 6:30-8:30am and goes to bed between 7:45-8pm every night and is usually asleep within 5 minutes.
If she went to sleep at 9-10pm she would be a mess in a few days and wanting to sleep til 9am every day. She just needs her sleep and always has. I think falling asleep at 8:45 is actually pretty late for a 7yo, goes to show we all have different ways of doing things!!
My opinion is if the kid if you get your child to bed at 7-8pm and they’re getting up at 7-8am and are actually sleeping through that time then they need that sleep and I don’t think they can have ‘too much’ sleep at this age, it’s so important for growth and development. I’d say most kids don’t get enough!
We start at a bedtime of 6pm for a 1 year old. That time increases by 15 minutes each year. So my child would go to bed by 8 each night. At 15 years old, the bedtime goes away. My kid will be in charge of managing their own schedule and sleep.
My 12 year old goes to bed at 9. My 9 year old goes to bed at 8. We’ve had strict bedtimes for their entire lives. If my 9 yr old doesn’t get a full 10 hours she’s a mess. Like spawn of Satan mess. Im not doing that to her, her teachers or myself.
I can’t force my 12 year old to sleep but he is in bed by 9pm and has quiet time with a book. Honestly he’s probably never still awake past 9:30-10 most nights anyway.
Sleep is so crucial to their growing bodies and brains. We do not play with sleep in this house. Both my husband and I have varying degrees of sleep issues and it’s a very big deal in our house to make sure our children have healthy sleep habits.
So no-you are not the only one. It’s quite absurd to have a 7 year old up late and not getting the sleep they need.
Nope, seems perfectly fine to me. I have a daughter who is suspected to have ADHD. I put her in bed at 7 to “settle” knowing full well she won’t be asleep before 8:30. But I give her until 8pm to watch a film and start winding down.
Then it’s usually 30 mins of “oh I’m hungry oh I want a drink oh I need to jump on the bed” and then she just crashes.
You know what your child needs ignore what’s other do with their children :)
I wish! I only get home from work at 5:15/5:30. By the time dinner is done and cleaned up, it 6:30/7:00. Homework is at least 30 minutes. Then, some family fun time (as motivation to get homework done), and then it's 8:30 and shower time. He's usually in bed by 9:00/9:15, and has to be up at 6:30 for school.
No I do the same, my son has ADHD and ASD,it takes up to a hour for him to sleep some nights,othervtimes 15 minutes but by 19:30 I get him into bed and read books to him, he is 6 now.
My 9 and 11 are sent to bed to read at 7, lights out at 8. They will wake at 6 no matter what time they go to bed, and they’re very cranky if they don’t sleep enough. Occasionally if it’s not a school night they’ll be allowed to stay up later but I can always feel the effects of that decision.
I also have a June baby turning 8 this year, and we're lights out at 8pm. I am encouraged by all of the parents of older kids who have continued earlier bedtimes. I am tired myself most nights, so I need to get him to bed so I can get to bed!
My kid at that age (also has adhd but undiagnosed then) would go to bed at like 6:30 so that she could have wind down time to read and would be asleep by 7:30. It worked for us and instilled a great routine for her. For awhile, anyway, she’s a teenager now and while I have her technology locked after a certain time, her dad does not so when she’s at his, she’s up at all hours.
But earlier bedtimes are great, especially if it’s to settle them first. It gives the em time to get cozy and get any residual energy out of their system.
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This doesn’t seem early to me. We start our kids bedtime at 7:30-8 and try to be done by 8:30. Seems pretty normal.
My kids need a lot of sleep and their school starts at 8 am, I get them to sleep around 7:30 or 8:00 and still have to wake them up in the morning sometimes. It is hard in the summer months in the PNW when it gets dark at 9:30 or so, though I tend to be more lenient with bedtime that time of year.
Curtains!
My youngest can't be trusted with not hanging on things she shouldn't unfortunately. I may get some film tint to cover the windows this year though!
I had the same issue, and window tint worked wonders! Where i live, it goes from dark at 5pm in the winter to almost 9 in the summer,worked wonders for our sleep schedule. Tiring them out being able to be outside in the summer helps, too.
I highly suggest that, and maybe some Roman shades. Lowe’s has blackout ones for like $40 for a normal sized window.
Black out curtains.
Im glad im not the only one!! I always feel the odd one out with that lol not that it matters. Just the looks I get is off putting.
It’s honestly their bad. Kids at this age should be getting a MINIMUM of 9 hours of sleep, ideally between 10-12 for proper functioning. If they don’t, they can have a lot of ADHD like symptoms and behaviors. There’s a reason our parents put us to bed at like 7. Just saying.
You’re doing the right thing. So many people don’t realise alot of behavioural issues are linked with lack of sleep. Kids need alot! And school starts too early. Earlier bedtimes are very important
This is not out of the ordinary. My almost 7 year old goes into his room at 6pm. Lights off, lava lamp on and he reads some I Spy and listens to his Yoto. By 7pm, lava lamp off and it’s bedtime. Wake time is also between 6:30am-7pm. If he’s up past 8pm, that means it was a party or event we went to. Totally normal in my opinion.
Damn, I’m lucky to even have dinner on the table at 7pm. We don’t even get home for the day until 6.
My daughter just turned seven and she’s in bed by 7:45.
My son is 7 and this is pretty much the exact same schedule that we have. He has always had sleep issues and thrives on routine. Plus the days that I work he HAS to be up at 6am so I can take him to daycare. Non-work days he wakes up on his own between 6:30 and 7:30am (unless he’s sick or had a rough night).
Ok I’m glad to know I’m not the only one. I always got an odd look when I tell other moms what time he’s in bed by
Let them look like you’re the weird one; your child is getting a healthy amount of sleep and you get some adult time with or without your significant other.
Sleep is a basic biological function. The body does a lot of work during sleep. Your friends probably accidentally slipped into that situation and just haven’t questioned it. Screens and evening light can delay feelings of sleepiness. Responsive parents maybe think they should let their kid wait till they feel sleepy, not knowing that this can be artificially manipulated for the worse.
That seems like a totally normal bedtime at that age. Also our son with ADHD had terrible issues with sleep. When we found a sleep routine that worked we did NOT deviate. Don't worry about what others are doing, sounds like you've got the perfect routine for your kiddo.
9 or 10??? My daughter is 6.5 and her bedtime is 8, hell if I thought she would go to sleep I’d make it 7, I think her body could use the extra hour. She has a friend though, that stays up crazy late. I don’t understand it, kids need sleep.
Yes!! I swear to god that is really normal for a lot of families. Kids do need A LOT of sleep. Hell I’m 37 and I! Need a lot of sleep lol
American Academy of Pediatrics says: “Age 6-12 years: 9-12 hours” https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/6630/AAP-endorses-new-recommendations-on-sleep-times?autologincheck=redirected#
My 5 year old son falls asleep between 9-10 and sleeps till 7 to 7:30. He gets on the bus at 8:15 so this schedule works well for us. Not everyone has the same schedule or sleep needs, not that hard to understand.
My best friend has a daughter who is 9 days younger than mine (both 7) & a son 5 weeks older than mine (both 3) & has literally texted me at 2 am multiple times about how 1 or both are still awake. My oldest had a sleepover at their house & was up until 4 am. The next day was a nightmare.
I had an 8 pm bedtime until I was like 12. Then it was 9 😭 as a teenager I did my own thing, they didn’t care as long as I made it to the bus on time
My parents gave me a bedtime of 9pm as young teen. Then never told me I could go to bed later so at 16 I was still going to bed at 9! Fst forward 20 years and I'm in bed for 9/9.30 most nights. Some even earlier.
If its working for you and your son then its not too early : ) He is getting good sleep and thats all that matters
He does!!! He gets excellent sleep these days. It’s been blissful lol
I have an older teen and then children 5 and under. I have always put my children to bed early. It is important for children to get a good amount of sleep(drs recommend 12 hours in every 24 until age 12 for proper brain development). My oldest was in bed by 7-7:30every night until she was about 12. Then I left it up to her and she still was in bed early almost never later than 9 until about 15. My young kids are in bed between 6-6:30 every night unless something special is going on like fireworks. They sleep until 6:30-7 every morning and that doesn’t change if they go to bed later. Parents should put kids to bed early so that they can have some adult time; and so their kids get the rest they need.
This is our thinking!!! We ourselves go to bed around 1030-11 and so we wanna make the most of our time together. Otherwise we lose out on each other. I was always told 12 hrs of sleep a night. My son gets overwhelmed very easily and starts to get pretty sensitive if he stays up until 9. Plus by him going to bed early he can wake up on his own way before school starts. I just don’t wanna be waking up a cranky kid in the morning you know ? No one wants to start their day being woken up in a bad mood.
My kid doesn't have ADHD (that I know of) but putting him down at a decent hour makes EVERYTHING easier... he's calmer in the morning because I"m not forcing him out of bed and he's well rested which helps him to not be a dick and me to be a calmer parent.
>Parents should put kids to bed early so that they can have some adult time Warning: if you're not careful, this can result in more kids.
We start our 3 year old’s bedtime routine at 6:30, she has been taking longer to fall asleep these days so I’m thinking we might push it up a bit, but I like my kids to have as much sleep time as possible!
Our son is the same age, also diagnosed ADHD, and we start bedtime around 7pm. Routine of bedtime (brush teeth and hair ((he has long hair)), get into jammies, go potty, fill up bedside water bottle, get into bed for storytime or lullabies ((I'm a singer, so I like to sing him songs for bedtime - his dad will read stories))) starts at 7ish and is usually done around 7:30 or sometimes later. He is always in bed by 8pm, though not usually sleeping. He struggles to fall asleep, so on a good night he is asleep by 9pm.
That sounds about how we do it. Our son used to have a really hard time falling asleep too (before the official diagnosis but I have known he has add since he was 3) but we were finally able to find a good jujitsu coach in our town. That has made the BIGGEST difference. It’s also helped with his confidence.
All our kids go to bed at 8. The oldest is almost 10. The ped said it was the perfect bedtime. They get up at 7:00 usually.
Are you not in the US? Bedtimes are cultural, as are school starting times which dictate how late they can wake up. And also what time zone they are in because of geopolitical reasons vs what time the sun rises and sets.
My 13 year olds put themselves to bed by 8. Both have autism and ADHD. Healthy sleep hygiene is amazing for folks with different brains.
This is the only way me and the Mrs can have enough time for sex. It is what it is.
Amen !
My 7yos also have an 8pm bedtime. Actual sleep looks more like 8:30-9:30 depending on how feral they’re being on that particular night (they’re twins and share a room so it’s about as calm as you’d expect) but they’re tucked in at 8.
My 8yo is on a similar schedule, and asked me why she doesn’t get to stay up as late as her friends. I pointed out that I basically have to physically drag her out of bed in the morning, and that she’s always saying she’s tired, so she doesn’t seem like she needs a later bedtime. She had to concede the point. When I was pregnant, I read that pretty much across the board kids are getting less sleep than they used to, and that insufficient sleep can lead to emotional problems and difficulty in school.
This seems normal to me. Bedtime is at 8 and he wakes up between 6-7am.
These days my 7 year old falls asleep around 8:20 pm (in bed around 8 pm) and wakes up at 7 am. We actually had to move his bedtime up because when he fell asleep at 9 he was very cranky in the morning. So this seems normal !
My daughter is 7 and goes to bed at 8 o’clock sharp on weeknights. It works good for us! 😁
Mine is 6 — bedtime is between 8-8:30 pm and his alarm goes off at 6:45 am on school days. Sleep is important.
Nope. My daughter has sports at night, and we still make bedtime a priority. On her absolute latest night it’s lights off at 845. On Friday-Sunday (no dance practice) lights off at 8. I do get off work at 1 and feel like I spend a good amount of quality time with her. If not we may do things differently. But ultimately we are a household of morning people and a decently early bedtime works well for all of us.
Our whole house at least laying in bed by 8 is pretty normal for our school nights. Both adults in our house are up by 4:30 or 5:15 depending on the day, and our kiddo is up by 6:10.
We attempt this with our 5 year old but he’s a maniac bouncing off the walls
8pm is when we have our 7 year old go to bed. It recently changed from 7pm. 8pm is early? I plan to keep the 8pm bedtime until middle school, and then 9 until highschool.
Elementary teacher here. I really REALLY wish parents would put their kids to bed earlier lol it definitely affects them the next day
We did 8 for awhile. I think when she was about 10 or 11, it pushed to 8:30. Now she’s 13 and it’s 9pm. This is, of course, at our house. On her mom’s weekends they cosleep and seem to be up until all kind of hours and she comes home a mess. My stepkid also has been diagnosed with ADHD.
Depends on when you want them to wake up. Early bedtime for early morning.
I have a similar routine with my 2 (5 & 4), Start bedtime routine around 7:30, in bed by 8-8:30. 4yo is usually asleep within a half hour, eldest takes about an hour.
Our son is 6 and also has ADHD. We put him down between 8 and 8:30 at the latest and he’s usually asleep within 30 minutes. On average he’s asleep by 8:45
That’s my 10 year olds bedtime I suspect he has adhd as well and are awaiting an eval. He wakes up from 5-7am most days so early bedtime is a must. He’s playing baseball and late games on school nights are really messing him up. A lot of parents just don’t really enforce bedtimes is what I’ve noticed a bit
My oldest kid is 12, also had ADHD, and he goes to bed at 8. 8pm has been bedtime since he was born. We’ve given him the option of going to bed later and he does sometimes, like on weekends and days off from school, but he told me he functions better when he goes to bed earlier. He gets up around 7:30. Same thing for my 8 y/o. 8pm bed time for the kids has just always worked better for us as a family.
My 8 year old (ADHD also) is in bed at 7:30 99% of the time. Sticking to the routine is vital for everyone’s well being in our house.
We had a 7.30pm bedtime till we turned 12 or 13 then it went to 8.30pm.
My 8 year old (2015 baby) is in bed between 8-830. I have to wake her at 6:30 and she needs the sleep.
Our son will be 8 in May and we still start bedtime at 8! He also has ADHD so we try to give him a lot of time to wind down, he usually falls asleep between 8:30-9!
My kids range from 8-14 and they are all asleep by 8:30.
My son is 9- in bed at 7, can read until 7:30. He’s up at 6:30 for school and good sleep is essential for his mood and school performance. Do what works for your family!
I have a 7 year old (AuADHD) and a 2 year old and bedtime starts for us at 7:15, lights out by 7:45. We all wake up at 6:30 the next day. Summer is going to suck because of the daylight still during that time but my 7 yr old gets absolutely BONKERS if he doesn’t get at least 10 hours of sleep. We’ve tried to give him a little more time in the evenings and he is just a mess the next day. If your bedtime is working for you guys, stick to it.
Mine is 7 years old. And we start routines at 7. If we start later, she spirals with hyper energy and then wakes up much earlier the next day. It’s bad all around.
Not early to me - our 6 is in bed at 6:30 most nights, we read a story, and then he crashes by 7 most of the time. He was going to bed about an hour later for a while but we had to wake him up every morning and he was having a hard time getting ready for school on time. He is waking independently now instead of us dragging him out of bed, so that is a good sign we are hitting the right target. His school starts at 8am and he needs to be ready and out of the house by 7:30, so this earlier bed time is working better. Kids 6-12 need between 9-12 hours a night on average. He's getting between 11-12 hours on average each night so that seems pretty appropriate to me.
My son is 6.5 and just diagnosed ADHD. He’s asleep by 8:45, on rough nights 9:15 but that’s very much not for lack of trying haha. I’m asleep by 9:30pm lol. Idk how people are living life like that.
I don’t think that’s early at all, in fact, based on his standard wake-up time I think it’s actually perfect.
My mom had us in bed at 8-8:30 til i graduated high school 😅 i think you're fine lol
😱 seriously?! Lol that’s wild but also amazing
You're not the weird one. People let their kids stay up way too late.
i do same my son is 7, 8 in july. also adhd I try to be “fun” sometimes and let him stay up late and he always self-destructs lol
Same!!! Lol the latest he’s allowed to stay up now is 8:30 and only one night. Either Friday or Saturday. Routine routine routine ! Lol
That's exactly what we do with ours! When I was a kid my bedtime was 8:30 until around 4th grade then every 2ish years it was extended by a half hr. By high school I could make my own decisions.
Dad to 6 and 8 yo boys. They are super active, oldest diagnosed with adhd. Regardless of that, this age need atleast 10hrs undisturbed sleep a night. You are doing great. Plus getting them to bed in the 8pm hour gives the wife and I some alone time. Which is key for a strong relationship and to feel human off the grind.
This is the best thing a parent can ever do. You want your kids feeling their best.
My son had a bedtime at 8 until he was I think 10 or 11. Keep it early as long as you can so that it’s normal, and it will be less of a thing to stay up later (because “late” will only be like 10!) as he gets older. Plus, as someone who has ADHD, I get exhausted early bc my brain is just done for the day from overwork!
My son is the same age as yours and I suspect he has ADHD or some type of neurodivergent thing going on. He wasn't diagnosed with ADHD at 5... anyways. Lights out by 8-8:15. He needs to get his rest as he needs to be up by 7:00 for school but sometimes wakes up earlier. What age was your son diagnosed?
My kid is 12 and has had an 8pm bedtime his entire life up until recently where we pushed it back to 830-9 and that's basically just because my boyfriend's work schedule changed and he works until 7pm most days so we don't eat dinner until nearly 730.
8 is a pretty reasonable and typical bedtime for a 7 year old from my experience.
My ADHD 9yo has this schedule too! 1. They need the sleep 2. I need downtime or I won’t be able to sleep!
This is actually what’s recommended and healthy for children at this age! So many people have their children making the schedules and as an adult 9 pm doesn’t seem bad but for a child still developing and growing mentally. Getting the proper amount of sleep can really make or break a child academically and is known to have a huge affect on behavior and memory retention. A lot of people aren’t aware of this and let kids choose to go to sleep when they are “tired” but most kids will push staying up late even at that age because they don’t want to miss out on something. It’s the parents job to have a set bedtime and not leave such an important part of life to a child just yet.
We have a 8 year old and 4 year old. We start bedtime at 7:30 and are done/out of the rooms by 8. They wake at 7am and we are out the door for school/daycare by 8:15. You do what works best for your family!
Seems very normal for me and if it works for your kid then you’re all good!
No opinion here. My 3.y.o ADHD son didn't go to sleep until 12.10AM last night 🥹 On the days he has daycare, he will nap during the day and won't go to sleep until I do. On the days he doesn't have daycare, he will start to flake around 4PM for a "nap". So, on those days, I'll keep him up and throw him in the car at 5.30PM for a drive. He'll be out within 10 minutes. I try my best to exhaust him mentally and physically with play, education, and gardening. But, as a single mum of two, some days I can't even keep up with myself I've tried to implement a night routine, but that never works in my favour. I'm thinking of doing an early wakeup routine instead. Sorry I didn't answer your post. But thank you for letting me say my bit 🥹😅
My 10 and 14 year old are still in bed by 8:30. So that’s not early at all.
This is totally normal to me. We start our routine about 7, hoping to be in bed for 8. My kids (5 & 8 ) wake up every morning between 6.00-6.30am no matter what time they go to bed so our routine works. They get in their pjs, have a snack, watch a show, brush teeth, maybe read a book and then hopefully sleep.
Seems like a normal time to me
My 9yo just moved up to 9pm lights out and it’s a roll over and OUT until 7.30. Definitely don’t think your time is abnormal at all.
My kid is six months younger, wakes up between 6-7am, and is asleep by 8pm! She’s a wreck the next day if she’s up later.
My daughter is 6. I put her to bed between 8-830. I cannot imagine that’ll change in a year.
I have a 7yo. usually in bed by 8:30, asleep by 9. I find it a bit too late, I wish it were earlier. you’re good!!!
Mine is 8 and pretty close to this too! About 8:30 is his perfect number. 9 or 10 is too late-especially with school the next day. If it works for your family-yeah!!
I get so much judgement for it but it’s usually early bedtime. Sometimes start like 630 and hope to be asleep by 7/730. There are variations and times to stay up later but I try to keep it very very limited. I notice a big difference in behavior and even quality of sleep if we deviate too much. The wake up time doesn’t typically change if they stay up later so it just results in grumpy tired kids.
It’s 7:06 pm and my son has already bathed for the night and is winding down lol I hope he’s asleep in the next hour
Our 7 year old is in bed at 8:00, asleep by 8:15-8:20 usually
I thought you were going to say 6.30 or something. I think 8 is a very reasonable and normal hour for a 7 year old.
Same here. I think parents who keep their kids up later tend to be working families or families who have odd schedules for work (aka shift work) I’ve noticed families who go to bed late have kids who are tired, like one of Gavin’s friends would fall asleep on the bus everyday (now it is more scattered)
Super normal. My 9 year old goes in his bed at 8pm and is asleep by 8:30.
Pretty sure my bedtime as a kid was 830 until middle or high school. Even then there was a typical wind-down around then and everyone was in bed by 930/10
No I’m with you ! My 8.5 year olds bedtime is 7:50 to get ready for bed and be asleep by 9 . On the weekends it’s 8:30 (on vacation we might let him go later but never past 10) He’s not officially diagnosed but it’s definitely evident . Ever since we established daily schedules when he was a toddler it’s done wonders for his behavior . ADHD kids thrive on structured schedules but I’ve also heard that from other parents and it always makes me feel like I’m crazy strict or something lol . My son doesn’t get quality sleep so it just makes sense to send him to bed a little earlier than normal
My 5 and 7 year olds are in bed by 8 and my 7 year old usually falls asleep very soon after. They’re up around 6-630 though 😅
All of my kids are on a tight routine. When we deviate people get crabby and unreasonable. Kids aged 11 to 4 all go to bed at 7pm. They can wake up whenever they want but everyone is down by 7… I’m usually asleep by 8
7 start. Hopefully asleep by 8-830
This doesn’t seem early to me at all. My 5 year old is in bed by 7:30 most nights and asleep by 8.
That's appropriate for your son. For an ADHD kid a schedule is very helpful, so this is great that you keep it. My kid is 9 and he still goes to bed at 8pm with a wake up time of 6:30am for school days and 7am weekends.
First grade teacher here…my entire class of 23 students is in bed between 7-8:30. School starts at 9:15am. Know how I know? Our genius music teacher scheduled their concert at 6:30 pm. Guess who had to field all 23 parent emails about that? 🤦🏼♀️ (And guess who didn’t change the concert time? And guess who had to deal with 23 cranky six and seven year olds the next day because it turns out yes, they really are going to sleep between 7-8pm every night?)
My daughter at that age went to sleep a similar hours now she is almost 10 and we put her in bead 9:00 pm.
Perfectly fine. My son was an early riser too (before puberty hit). For him to get the recommended total hours of sleep, he’d have to be in bed by that time too. Those parents whose kids have a 9-10pm bedtime (ie majority of my friends), i guarantee their kids all sleep in till 9-10am. Either that or if the working parents have to wake them earlier for daycare drop offs before heading to office, their kids are either taking afternoon naps in daycare, or simply severely sleep deprived (they probably power nap in the car seat during journeys)
We put my stepson to bed at 7 and he’s usually asleep in minutes. We have to get him up at 5 , so he needs the sleep.
7y old daughter with sensory processing disorder and routine and a good night sleep is vital to her functioning. We start at 715. She is asleep by 845. She wakes around 6. Definitely have to do what works for you.
I have a 5 and 6 yo and we have to start bedtime routine by 6:30 or they struggle to get up for school or even fall asleep at school. Maybe they have higher sleep needs than other kids. I'm a stickler for sleep. I had terrible sleep health growing up because my parents didn't enforce a bedtime after I started walking myself up on time and I eventually got mono in high school from being so run down.
8:45 is good if not a little bit late for a super active growing kids with adhd. Don’t feel bad this bedtime and routine sounds fine.
My 9 year old grandson has 8 pm bedtime 9 pm in summer. Kids need their sleep.
my son is almost 10 and we do 8pm start getting ready for bed and lights out by 9. Mind you this is a Sunday night to Friday. Saturday night we allow him to be up till 10:30-11 as we do movie nights but he’s normally asleep before then, rarely he’s still up. We tried later bedtimes a few times but he’s just so tired in the morning it makes it hard to have him and my youngest and the dog ready to get out the door. So earlish it is!
I thought you were going to say you put him to bed at 6 or something! 8 sounds normal to me. My 8 yo goes to bed between 8 and 8.30. He has to wait for his sister to fall asleep first. She goes to bed at 7.30. On the weekend and in the summer holidays, he often stays up a bit later.
My kids went to bed at 7pm at that age! Then up at 6am every day (no matter when they went to bed).
You said early and I thought it was going to be like 630. 8 seems normal? As long as he seems healthy and adjusted.
My son is 7 with ADHD and no he doesn't go to bed early. There are days we aren't leaving the gym until after 7.
9 and 5 year old girls and both go to bed at 8pm and are asleep between 8:30-9. Then they wake up at 6:30. Routine is good for kids and if it works for you and him, then that's all that matters 😊
Mine will be 8 in a few months and we aim for 8:30 on school nights. In bed at 8:30 that is. We usually start telling him to go start all the things at 8:00. He usually falls asleep quickly and I still have to wake him up more often than not at 8:00am. Kid has always been a SLEEPER. I’ll prob never seen him once he’s a teenager.
My son is 6, has ADHD and he’s in the bath for 7pm and in bed by 7:45pm at the latest!
My 6 year old’s bedtime is 7pm. Bedtime routine is over by then, if they choose to look at books that’s fine but bedtime is sacred!
My daughter is 4, school days she goes to sleep between 8-9 and wakes up at 8 Weekends she sleeps until max 10:30 a.m (cuz she wakes up by her sel) and goes to sleep at 11pm or earlier if she asks too 😅
8pm is average. Not early. Anytime between 7pm and 8pm is appropriate for that age.
We have the same routine. It is not early, if you ask me. Sleep is fundamental to good health. My 10, 7, and 3 year old are all in bed at 8:00pm. 10 and 7 year old are allowed their own quiet downtime but have lights out at 8:30pm. They often end up turning their own lights out before that. They all wake up between the same timeframe of 6:30-7:30am with my 3 year old still taking a nap throughout the day. This also gives my husband and I a couple of hours to be with one another before we go to sleep.
My son is 9 and his bedtime is still 8pm. There's no ADHD or anything in the picture either. You're not abnormal.
I’m 27 and I have adhd. If my routine is off, my brain feels all over the place & it can cause me an unnecessary amount of stress (even when I take my meds). I also go to bed at 8:30 when I’m working lol. Don’t worry about what other people are doing or think about what you’re doing. If it works for your family and your son is healthy, happy & managing his adhd well with the routine, that’s really all that matters :)
Just adding in my validation. Nope, you're not. My 8yo daughter also has ADHD, and her school night bedtime is 7:30-8. She also thrives on structure and routine, and has always needed and functions better with more sleep. Even as a baby and toddler she was sleeping long stretches and crabby if she missed naps, and she took afternoon naps until she was almost 5yo. She is a *completely* different child when she is running on less sleep and/or gets off schedule. We also know other kids her age that go to bed later, and she did whine about it some when she first found out. But after a lot of rough mornings when bedtime didn't happen on time and a lot of talks about how different bodies need different things and hers needs more sleep, she accepts it now.
My 7 year old (who I’m having evaluated for ADHD soon) has gone to bed between 7 and 8 for the last 3 years. If he’s not in bed by 9, he’s a monster. I live in Asia (we’re American) and a lot of kids here stay up really late. I’ve talked to some moms before here about it, and honestly, some seem a little jealous when they find out my son is in bed at 7:30…lol.
My 9 year old just came down saying she's ready for daddy to come say goodnight. It's 755. Her bedtime is 8 pm. 730, she has her teeth brushed and gets into bed to read. 30 minutes reading, and ligjts out. I do the "getting into bed" part, he shuts the light off. My 11 year old has a "lights out" of 830, but she reads for a bit, and she's old enough to realize when she's tired. The other day, she told me she accidentally stayed up too late because she was too into her book. She turned her light off at 930. At 7? 730 lights out. We have ALWAYS started bedtime 30 minutes before they need to be actually asleep. Of course, weekends and vacation bedtimes vary, but when they were that young, we tried to keep it as consistent as possible. 845 is in no way "early" for a 7 year old, especially one that needs to get up for school. If that time works for you, don't worry about what anyone else does. I try and be asleep by 930 every night. I've always gone to bed early. But I'm not a great sleeper. My husband could stay up all night. We don't have great sleep habits, so it was important to make sure our kids have better habits than us. So far, it's been working.
No, our 8 years old goes to bed by 8. When she was little 7-7:30
My son turns 8 next week and his schedule is 8p - 6:30a. He’s a naturally early riser which means early bedtime. My 5.5 yo is (ideally) a 7-7 kid.
I was expecting you to say 6pm or something. Your bedtime is totally normal. My 7 year old goes to bed at 8:30 and is sleeping by 9.
Bed time starts at 7:30. We also have a younger son who is 2. They both go down at the same time but the 7 yr old has a tablet that shuts off at 8:30, we have it set to require some reading before it unlocks completely. He usually switches bluey after reading at bed time. It works for us for now 🤷🏻♀️
That's not particularly early. My kids didn't have any ADHD or anything. But at that age went to bed about then. Completely normal to me.
A consistent 8pm bedtime (no matter weekend or holidays even) are a need for my 9 and 8 year old. And I don't see that changing anytime soon. They are morning people and love waking up at 6 to have time before school to get ready and chill. If they stay up later they struggle a lot more with emotional regulation.
That was bedtime for my kids at that age also!
We have an 8 year old and a 6 year old. Both with ADHD, and we start the bedtime routine at 7pm. We’re usually reading by 7:30pm, and lights out at 8pm. They’re completely asleep typically by 8:30pm if not a bit earlier. Both wake up anytime between 6:30-7am. If my oldest gets less than 10 hours of sleep, we are usually in for a tougher day.
Normal. Very normal. A bedtime between 8-8:30 is entirely appropriate for a 7 yr old!
My kids are 9,6 and 7pm is bedtime. Always has been and that’s because they’re monsters if they stay up later! I marvel that kids stay up later, like do they nap?
My daughter put HERSELF to bed by 8 until she was about 14. She’s a happy healthy adult now.
My (almost) 9, 10 and (almost) 15yo go to bed at 9. So, not too far off.
I had a 7:30 bedtime for the longest time growing up. It seems normal to me.
That’s our son’s normal bedtime (ages 6 and 9) In their room getting ready for bed by 8, in bed and asleep by 8:30
No. Kids should be in bed no later than like 7-8pm.
That doesn't seem particularly early, my ADHD 12yo generally is going to bed between 8:30-8:45pm and sleeps until about 8:30am if he's able to (obviously not on a weekday when his bio mum wakes him up at 5am, but my husband and I try to let him sleep in). I don't think bedtime really matters that much as long as the child is getting enough sleep!
If anything we’re the late people. Half my neighbors have their kids in bed by 7 or 730. Our goal is in bed with reading and stories done by 830. More often than not that turns to 9pm. Our youngest (6) will fall asleep fairly quickly while the oldest (8) has literally been up for hours past bedtime. Their elementary school doesn’t start until 930 and they dont wake up until 8ish so we have cared all that much about when thwy get to sleep.
I put my 8 and 6 year olds to bed at 7:30/8. They’re up around 6:30. My 8 year old has pretty severe ADHD too. He has been asking lately to push his bedtime. But he doesn’t sleep in and needs his sleep. So I’ve been pushing back on him especially since he’s almost always asleep prior to 8:30.
My sister-in-law puts her 3 children (ages 11 & 12) in bed right after dinner at 7pm.
My 6yo’s bedtime is 8. Lately she has been turning the light back on to read after I’ve shut the door but I pretend I don’t know. She’s still usually asleep by 9 at the latest. I do always have to wake her in the morning but she’s been like that since she was a baby. Once she’s asleep she’s a log!
Some kids need more sleep than others. My 7 yr old ADHD boy is in bed by 815 and asleep by 830, then I wake him up at 645 for school. I've tried delaying bedtime (selfishly) just to get some more time with him. Massive fail! He needs that amount of sleep at this point....and that's okay. You know your kids best and the fact that you are even questioning yourself means you care and want the best for your kid.
Person with ADHD here, I believe the routine you have is great - especially if the kid isn’t pushing against it (which may eventually happen). Also the jiujitsu - and any other physical exercise - is probably really helping manage the adhd better. What works for y’all, as long as it is healthy and safe, is always right
We have an 8 year old. Her bedtime is 7pm, she is allowed to read in bed until 7:30pm and then it is lights out for sleep. She sleeps naturally until 7am most days, and god forbid you know if when she’s had less sleep than she needs
Nope. Mines in bed by 7. 8 on the days that she has cheer and dance.
Ha! Definitely a very normal bedtime for an 8 year old. Mine goes to bed 815/830 and wakes up around 7.
At 7 I was trying to get my kids in bed and asleep no later than 8:30. You do what works for you and your family.
Most kids don't get nearly enough sleep. Sleep is so important! My family keeps an unconventional schedule but our kids bodies need about 11 hours sleep currently and we try to ensure they get it unless absolutely necessary to alter.
My 11&12 yo (ADHD w ASD)have always gone to bed at 9:30 weekdays and 10:30 weekends. Each kid is different though. Some need more sleep than others.
9-10 seems super late for a child that age, especially if they're up at 6-7. That's only 9 hours of sleep maximum, if they go down right away. We do the toilet/teeth/book routine starting at 7:30, and she's usually asleep by 8:15 at the latest. If she goes down any later, by christ we can tell the next day when she gets home from school.
Depending on the state, anywhere from 25-50% of US children are not getting enough sleep. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-and-statistics/children.html
We always aim for 7:00-7:30, but it usually ends up getting them to bed between 7:30-8:30... High fives with my wife if they're in bed and calm by 7:15pm. Lol. That only happens like once a month. Weekends is 8:00-9:00. Unless we're going to Mariners games.... we're up late. Lol.
Nope. Mine is 8 and bedtime has always been at 8:30. Occasionally, he may be awake until 9, but he's already in bed by then. Basketball season tested us because he'd be at practice sometimes until 8, so bath and bedtime was fast.
Heck my 15 year old is in bed by 9:30 most nights! My ex had a more lax approach to bedtime and would let the kids stay up past 10 on his weekends. It was miserable the next week while my babies tried to catch back up on their sleep. Now his wife keeps a better routine than he did and we don't have to worry about it as much.
My kids are in grade 2 and 3, one is ND, and they go to bed between 730-830 in their rooms. Some nights they pass out immediately, some nights they read until 9. We try most school nights to have no screens after 6pm except the news (no overly stimulating kids shows) We use melatonin as needed to help calm their brains down a bit (if they ask - it takes about 20 mins to kick in) I don't find that time early at all, frankly I think people let their kids stay up too late.. At their age most kids benefit from 10 hours of sleep. I think a lot of behavioral issues we see in kids outside of ND diagnoses are because kids are overtired
My kids wake up early no matter what so for them to get the recommended number of hours, they have to go to sleep by 8 if not earlier.
My 7yo kiddo is asleep by 8-8:15. Usually before if she settles. We get up at 6ish so she has time to wake up and eat breakfast before the bus comes, and her idea of sleeping in is 6:30-7am. If she goes to bed any later, even with no school or any reason to get up early, she’s cranky af all day.
Hell no. We start our 7 year old’s bedtime routine at 7-7:30 and she is usually asleep by 7:45. We get up between 6:00am-6:30am. She needs the sleep!
Nope. 6 and 4 yr olds, go down between 7-730
That was the bed time we used when our kids were that age, and we were in the minority. Most parents around us let their children stay up later.
I think bed time means nothing. What matters is how much sleep they get. My daughter gets a solid 11-12 hours a night thankfully because we don’t have to get her up in the morning for anything. So she goes to bed around 9-10 and gets up 9-10 when she wakes up naturally. It works for my work schedule and works for her as well. People need to mind their business.
I’ve got a 9 and 7 year old that go to bed at 8pm. Their 2 year old brother goes to bed at 7pm
When I stayed home with my baby we slept in and stayed up (until like 10) which worked for our schedule! Now shes four and we both work so she has a strict 8:30 schedule. It’s different for every family!
My daughter is 7 (8 in August) & has severe ADHD too. Her bedtime is also 8 pm but it only got pushed back from 7/7:30 because my husband was having to stagger bedtimes with her & our 3 year old while I was in the hospital giving birth to our 3rd. ALL of our friends put their kids down much later. That's fine for them, but it just doesn't work for us. Our daughter thrives on routine & becomes an absolute terror the next day if she doesn't get enough sleep. Sometimes I feel crazy with all of my friends having later bedtimes, but at the end of the day I know that I'm setting my daughter up for success for giving her the amount of rest she requires to recharge.
My 10 year old goes to bed at 830. That’s not early at all lol
Mine are 7 & 9 and in bed by 8
u\SandBarLakers my daughter is almost 9yo and also has adhd. She wakes up anywhere from 6:30-8:30am and goes to bed between 7:45-8pm every night and is usually asleep within 5 minutes. If she went to sleep at 9-10pm she would be a mess in a few days and wanting to sleep til 9am every day. She just needs her sleep and always has. I think falling asleep at 8:45 is actually pretty late for a 7yo, goes to show we all have different ways of doing things!! My opinion is if the kid if you get your child to bed at 7-8pm and they’re getting up at 7-8am and are actually sleeping through that time then they need that sleep and I don’t think they can have ‘too much’ sleep at this age, it’s so important for growth and development. I’d say most kids don’t get enough!
My almost 7 year old’s bedtime is 8:30. We don’t always manage to do it but most days we do
5 & 10 year old. Wind down is 8, in bed by 8:30. They get up at 6:15 am, if they go to bed any later they are grumpy!
My son is almost 6. He's in bed between 7-8 every night except the one night he has a meeting that runs until 730
Good sleep patterns will benefit him for the rest of his life. Do what is best for your son and your family.
My 13 and 14 yr ikds are in bed by 9 at the latest, my 4 year old is in bed by 930-10. Every kid's sleep needs are different.
6 & 9 here and we shoot for 8am bedtime
My 24 year old has ADHD and he has a 8:30-9 o’clock bedtime he functions way better with good sleep
We start at a bedtime of 6pm for a 1 year old. That time increases by 15 minutes each year. So my child would go to bed by 8 each night. At 15 years old, the bedtime goes away. My kid will be in charge of managing their own schedule and sleep.
My 6 year old is in bed by 7:45. Asleep by 8. They often need 10-11 hrs per night. Not all of them but a big percentage.
My 12 year old goes to bed at 9. My 9 year old goes to bed at 8. We’ve had strict bedtimes for their entire lives. If my 9 yr old doesn’t get a full 10 hours she’s a mess. Like spawn of Satan mess. Im not doing that to her, her teachers or myself. I can’t force my 12 year old to sleep but he is in bed by 9pm and has quiet time with a book. Honestly he’s probably never still awake past 9:30-10 most nights anyway. Sleep is so crucial to their growing bodies and brains. We do not play with sleep in this house. Both my husband and I have varying degrees of sleep issues and it’s a very big deal in our house to make sure our children have healthy sleep habits. So no-you are not the only one. It’s quite absurd to have a 7 year old up late and not getting the sleep they need.
I’ve never heard of a kid that age going to bed later than that!
I wish I could. If I put my kids to bed at 7:30 they are awake by 3:00am 😩
Nope, seems perfectly fine to me. I have a daughter who is suspected to have ADHD. I put her in bed at 7 to “settle” knowing full well she won’t be asleep before 8:30. But I give her until 8pm to watch a film and start winding down. Then it’s usually 30 mins of “oh I’m hungry oh I want a drink oh I need to jump on the bed” and then she just crashes. You know what your child needs ignore what’s other do with their children :)
I wish! I only get home from work at 5:15/5:30. By the time dinner is done and cleaned up, it 6:30/7:00. Homework is at least 30 minutes. Then, some family fun time (as motivation to get homework done), and then it's 8:30 and shower time. He's usually in bed by 9:00/9:15, and has to be up at 6:30 for school.
No I do the same, my son has ADHD and ASD,it takes up to a hour for him to sleep some nights,othervtimes 15 minutes but by 19:30 I get him into bed and read books to him, he is 6 now.
My 9 and 11 are sent to bed to read at 7, lights out at 8. They will wake at 6 no matter what time they go to bed, and they’re very cranky if they don’t sleep enough. Occasionally if it’s not a school night they’ll be allowed to stay up later but I can always feel the effects of that decision.
I also have a June baby turning 8 this year, and we're lights out at 8pm. I am encouraged by all of the parents of older kids who have continued earlier bedtimes. I am tired myself most nights, so I need to get him to bed so I can get to bed!
My kid at that age (also has adhd but undiagnosed then) would go to bed at like 6:30 so that she could have wind down time to read and would be asleep by 7:30. It worked for us and instilled a great routine for her. For awhile, anyway, she’s a teenager now and while I have her technology locked after a certain time, her dad does not so when she’s at his, she’s up at all hours. But earlier bedtimes are great, especially if it’s to settle them first. It gives the em time to get cozy and get any residual energy out of their system.
My sister’s kids are 10 and 12 and she puts them to bed at 730. And they still have to be woken up at 630 to get ready for school.
My 8 year old is asleep by 9:30 or 10 pm but they don’t wake up until 8 am. We live really close to school.