What time does your 5 yr old go to bed, and what do you do to help make it easier?

Deborah - posted on 11/24/2009

My daughter, Aria, has a very strict feeding schedule with her feeding tube so after her 8pm feed she usually falls asleep right away. She has very sensitive hearing due to her visual impairment so we keep a fan turned on high to drown out any noises that would normally wake her (like cars passing by, thunderstorms, or the neighbors that live upstairs in our apts.)

Katrina - posted on 11/22/2009

My son goes to bed at 9pm and gets up at 10 minutes to 7 to get ready for school. I think it is just a rountine thing. Brandyn is so tired by 9 that he has no problems going to bed.

Terri - posted on 11/17/2009

my baby goes to bed at nine every night, and she also takes a nap at school. I had her on that schldule everysince she was 1 yrs old.

Camille - posted on 11/12/2009

I believe that routine is the key to getting children to sleep on time. After dinner, my kids take a bath usually around 7:15 or so, then by 8:00pm we are having story time for around 20-30 minutes and they are n bed by 8:30. I also make sure to turn off all the lights in their bedroom except for one night light.

Tania - posted on 11/12/2009

My daughter's bedtime is 8pm, weekday or weekend. She gets up at around 7am everyday and if she doesn't fall asleep by 8:30, 9pm at the latest she's just impossible to deal with! haha

Camille - posted on 09/10/2009

My daughter goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00pm. She is usually awake by 6:45am. She no longer takes naps either. I find it helps to have a routine. We usually have dinner about 6:30 or so and right after dinner it is bath time sometime between 7:00 and 7:15. After their bath they brush their teeth and read stories together until about 8:00, 8:15.

Kelly - posted on 08/17/2009

we try to start the bedtime routine by 7:30 but my daughter always takes her sweet time and its usually very frustrating every night because she does take so long. What can we do to encourage her to move along with getting on her pjs, brushing teeth, etc. so she can get a story and actually get to bed by 9? She's starting kindergarten in Sept and I want her to have enough sleep for her days at school (she can be a "bear" when we know that she hasn't had enough sleep).

Skylar - posted on 07/08/2009

In bed, lights out by 8 PM. Bedtime routine (brush teeth, PJ, stories, prayer) starts at 7:30. She falls asleep anywhere from 8:10-9, but the hard and fast rule is that she has to be in bed and stay in bed by 8. She listens to music and talks to herself until she falls asleep. We've been pretty strict about bedtime because we feel we need alone time / adult time in the evening.

Raina - posted on 04/18/2009

My son still pushes as late as he can. We get up around 8 am sometimes a little earlier or later, but school nights bedtime is 10pm and weekends are supposed to be 11. Most of the time it turns out to be midnight-ish and sometimes later.

Crystal - posted on 04/03/2009

My son goes to bed at 7pm everynight (except mondays because he has Beavers). I have always been very strict on his bedtime routine though. Bath, brush teeth then a few moments to play quietly, storytime, then bed. I feel like one he is in bed then its my time to relax.

Laura - posted on 03/25/2009

Thanks you guys-I'm actually getting somewhere now. For about a month now he has been in bed by 9:30-9:45pm which is a huge change. He starts to get ready arond 8:30-9:15pm. and my daughter is usually asleep by 10pm now. So now I'm able to get at least an extra hour of sleep-NICE.

Cherice - posted on 03/11/2009

both my kids are in bed at 7.. why u ask? because it dont matter what time the go to bed they are up at 7 am.. so if i put tthem to bed at 7 they get a nice long sleep and i have time for myself after theygo to sleep.. i just let them cry in there room if they dont wanna go.. but thats about it.. i dont know what else to say

Sarah - posted on 03/02/2009

Jacob gets his pjs on around 6:30, and then has some more time to play until bedtime. His routine consists of brushing teeth, going pee, then a few short stories in bed. Until about a month ago his routine started at 7pm, which meant asleep just after 7:30. We've now moved it to start at 7:30, so he's usually asleep by 8pm. He wakes up sometime between 6:30-7am.

Joyce - posted on 02/20/2009

I agree that it's definitely routine. Our little dude is usually asleep by 9pm. I try to start his bath at 8-ish then he gets a snack and I read him a story then it's bedtime! Of course this is difficult when we're gone out somewhere shopping or whatever, but on school nights (he's 5) I try my darndest to get him sleeping by 9! Ideally I'd like him to sleep earlier because he has to get up at 6:15am (school bus comes at 7am!), however realistically, especially in the summertime the kid wants to play outside and stuff and it sucks to have to go to bed when it's still light out! He sleeps in on the weekends till almost 10 so I'm hoping that makes up for it. We're a family of sleeper-inners anyways! I would just try putting your son to bed earlier each night by 15 minutes, he probably won't even notice if you do it gradually.

Joy - posted on 02/16/2009

I need to correct the name of the book I recommended by Kim West.  She is known as the Sleep Lady, but the name of her book is Good Night, Sleep Tight. 

Kt - posted on 02/13/2009

I think it is all about a routine. My daughter goes to bed around 9-9:30, and is usually up around 7am. We let her have some control of bedtime. At about 8:30, we remind her to get her PJs on, brush her teeth, do her inhaler (asthma child!). That way, she can do them at her own pace.



We usually let her watch one of her shows on TV, play a game, or do a craft as a "quiet activity." We always give her a "time warning" about when we are heading to bed (when the show is over, then the game is over, etc.). Then, she knows it is coming.



Bedtime is just a story or two, a hug, and good night. NO staying in bed with her, NO glasses of milk, NO "I need this, that..." (we all know the tricks!). If she comes down again, she never gets another story or going to bed routine from mom or dad -- she has to put herself back to bed.



I think the trick is figuring out what he/she can "control" (getting PJs on, teeth brushed) and what mom/dad control (WHEN to go to bed, and STAYING there!). I think when the kid feels they have some control AND routine over bedtime it goes pretty smoothly.

Joy - posted on 02/07/2009

wow! that is very late! i guess you have to do what works best for your schedule, but i guess it isn't since you are posting your question. Does he seem tired during the day? i think kids this age are supposed to get 10-11 hours/night, but the rare child just doesn't require that much. I have had a lot of sleep issues with my 5 year old, from day one really. He finally does well now, but it has been a long road. I start his bedtime routine about 7:30-7:45ish which means he gets his pjs on, has a bedtime snack, brushes his teeth and i meet him in bed after that. Actually, before all that my husband or I try to settle him down a bit with a quiet board or card game and that has really helped. I always read him 2 books, then lights out and I snuggle by him for a few minutes. I fell into the trap a long time ago of lying in bed with him until he fell asleep and that was a nightmare I am NOT repeating with my 2 year old! Finally he is good about falling asleep on his own, but sometimes likes me to "check" on him.

I am doing much better with my 2nd boy with the help of a great book I would recommend. The Sleep Lady Book by Kim West. She had a system called the sleep lady shuffle. you are probably past that part, but she has LOTS of great sleep advice, including tips for older kids. And it would probably greatly help you with your daughter. I worship this book! It has changed my life!

Good Luck!