When is bedtime?

Experts recommend that children between five and twelve need nearly eleven hours of sleep to be at their best. Most children in that age group get nine hours or less. Teens need at least nine hours of sleep each night. What time is a good bedtime for your child?

Well take for example my little man Collin. When he comes home from daycare at around 5:30 he is normally already completely spent! He is cranky and honestly would probably go to sleep right when we got home if I let him. Normally we will feed him, bathe him and by 7pm he is out!

People of all ages sleep better if they have an established routine that they follow each night before going to sleep. This is especially true of children. However, when they’re heading back to school after being out for the summer, it may be hard to re-establish that routine.

What time is a good bedtime for your child? Actually, your child’s doctor will be able to determine the best time for your child to go to sleep. They will be able to tell you how much sleep would give them the most restorative benefits.

Based upon the doctor’s recommendations, determine the amount of sleep your child needs each day. If they are very young, they may get some of their required sleep in at naptime. If they have started first grade, they no longer get a naptime. Do you know how to tell if they haven’t had enough sleep? They fall asleep in the car, you have to wake them in the morning, they stay up late, they’re unusually cranky during the day, or they rub their eyes a lot.

Limit the amount of sugar and caffeine your child eats before bedtime. Sugary drinks or snacks will cause the child not to sleep, rather than help them get to sleep. Having sugary snacks close to sleeping also is not healthy as they won’t be able to adequately digest their food and allow the body to work they way it should during sleep.

Set a specific time in which your child should be in bed. If they have to be up by 7:00 a.m. and they’re young, they’ll need to be in bed ready to sleep no later than 7:00 p.m. If they’re older, they may be able to stay up a little past 8:00 p.m., but not much.

Establish a routine that will help your child unwind – bathing, brushing their teeth, reading a story, or doing another quiet activity should help relax your child and ease them into sleep. If possible, follow your child’s cues. Teach them to recognize those cues as well so they will be able to go to bed without having to be told.

How do you know what is a good bedtime for your child? Try to encourage them to get at least ten hours of sleep a night. They may not always make that amount, but they’ll feel better the closer to it they get.

So what is your bedtime routine?