Starting school and bedtime

[k4th]

Dd is starting school in September and I'm just wondering what times everyone's kids needed to go to bed when they started school? I know they're all different and some need more sleep than others but just looking for general thoughts - did your lo need more sleep, an earlier bed, a later bed etc?

She's a great sleeper and currently goes to bed at 7pm and sleeps until 7.30am give or take. I was thinking of pushing her bedtime back to 7.30 as she's started playing up a little bit at bedtime and saying she's not ready. I'm a bit reluctant to start messing with it though as we have baby number 2 due in the next couple of weeks and then she starts school.

She does already go to preschool three days a week and until I started my maternity leave she was doing long days - 8am to 5pm, so I'm not sure school will wear her out much more.

Would love to know how school affected (or didn't affect!) your kids sleep & what time reception kids go to bed. Thanks

 

[kerrie24]

My son goes between 8.30 and 9pm as he will only go with his sister who is 9. He gets up at 6am most days. Hes never been a sleeper.

 

[laurajo24]

As close to 7pm as we can. We get up at 6.40am. He really needs his (almost!)12 hours! He sometimes needs an earlier night towards the end of the week. There really is no right or wrong answer though, whatever length of sleep suits her best! x

 

[Vickie]

At age 4 Hannah went to bed at 7 and got up at 6:45 for school. For age 5 and most of 6 she went to bed closer to 7:30 and got up at 7:45.

She started needing a bit less sleep a couple of months ago (she turns 7 in a month) so she went to bed at 8 and got up at 7:45 (we changed schools)

 

[Natasha2605]

I'm thinking that summer will need to be sleeping by 7.30. She needs just under 12 hours.

 

[Tasha]

Mine all went at 7.30pm and up at 7.30 am xx

 

[supertabby]

Can't offer much advice, my eldest is starting reception in September too so no experience yet. However my niece is in reception now and was doing long days at nursery - she's much more tired from school. I think it does tire them out more. If you push back bedtime you might find it harder to pull back if you need to?

 

[RachA]

Starting school didn't really affect my youngest. She's always been an 8pm to bed girl and then gets up any times between 7 and 8am-usually 7.

My eldest though got really tired (still does in year3). Pre school he went to bed at 8pm and got up 8.30-9am. But once he started school he started going to bed at 7.30 and I'd have to wake him at 8am!

 

[northern_me]

The first few weeks of school have been rough for the past 3 years. Expect that a grumpy child may be normal.

My oldest is going to grade 2 and she goes to bed around 8 and gets up at 7. However, I feel like she could probably still benefit from going down at 7. Getting a 6 year old to bed when it's light out is one of the biggest parenting challenges I've faced. The winter isn't so bad.

 

[Lauraxamy]

Mine have always had to be up and out the house early as I work and they've always been dropped at nursery for 8:00-8:15 unless they were at their Dads. I've always had their bedtime at around 7-7:30 for them to be up at 7 sometimes 6:30 depending on what time I need to be at work. When my daughter first started school she was going to bed earlier as she was just so worn out but she's used to it now and is back to her normal bedtime.

 

[Twinmum87]

This is the recommended sleep for each age, might help you work out bed times.

https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Childrenssleep/Pages/howmuchsleep.aspx

Tbh mine never needed much sleep when they were younger, even a babies they slept no where near as much as other babies. When they started full time school at 4yr old they were put to bed at 7.30pm but was lucky if they actually calmed down and went to sleep before 10pm and they were always up at 4am hyperactive and were hyper all day. By about 5.5 yr old they finally started sleeping from 9pm-5/5:30am. Now at 7 yr old they go to sleep at 8:30pm and get up anywhere from 6-7:15.

 

[jd83]

Right now mine goes to bed at 8pm, up at 6am, but he still often takes a short nap. I think since we will for sure have to cut the nap altogether with full day kindergarten, I'll move his bedtime to 7-7:30pm if needed.

 

[lindseymw]

Mine go to bed between 7 & 7.30pm. We get up at 7am at the latest (usually between 6 & 6.30am.)

For the first few weeks when Joshua started School, he was wrecked and would generally fall asleep at 5am. Once he settled in and got used to going, he went back to bed at 7ish.