What is the perfect bedtime for an elementary school child?

1. 86

   Robie Benveposted 12 years ago

   What is the perfect bedtime for an elementary school child?
   
   How many hours of sleep do they need? How late is too late for children bedtime?

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2. 38

   ChristinSposted 12 years ago

   Knowing my son the way I do and how much he is not a morning person we have done well with a 9pm bed time.  Later than that and he is a complete grouch in the morning.  Earlier than that and he tends to get up way too early. 
   
   I think every child is a bit different in their needs, but I think anything after 10pm at the absolute latest is probably too late for a child that young.  I know I was allowed to go to bed when I got tired after about the 3rd grade.  The result was I would stay up WAY too late and then struggle to stay alert in class the next day.

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3. 70

   sassydeeposted 12 years ago

   I would say 8:30 p.m would be a perfect time maybe even 8:00 if possible.

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4. 60

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   My girls went to bed at 9 for years until they were old enough to decide for themselves.  It seemed to work for us as they did not have to ride a bus or get up ridiculously early.
   
   They probably could have gone to bed later and gotten enough sleep but I needed the time alone until my bedtime!

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5. 89

   bankscottageposted 12 years ago

   I agree with duffsmom.  The kids should go to bed at least 1 hour before their parents so the parents can have a little time to themselves before they have to go to bed.

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6. 66

   Handicapped Chefposted 12 years ago

   WELL I'M A SINGLE PARENT AND WITH MY BOYS BETWEEN 8-9 WAS THERE TIME WITH MY DAUGHTER i REALLY DID NOT HAVE A TIME FOR HER BECAUSE SHE WOULD FALL TO SLEEP WHILE WE WERE WATCHING T.V. AFTER DINNER AND WOULD SLEEP THRU THE NIGHT.

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7. 75

   guy6336posted 12 years ago

   My kids go to bed at 8. If they stay up any later they are hard to handle in the morning.  It also gives my wife and I some time to get some stuff done and hang out.

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8. 74

   Lady Wordsmithposted 12 years ago

   Elementary school?  Is that the same as Primary School in the UK? Ages 4/5 - 10/11?
   
   My kids go to bed at 7pm, and I get a lot of time to myself in the evening.  My eldest now stays up until 8.30pm - he's 8 - but he has to spend the time quietly, reading, or writing, or doing something productive and/or creative. 
   
   We get up for school at 7am, and on 12 hours of sleep the kids are cheery, happy, alert, productive, inspired and eager.  They can manage with less sleep, but I notice a difference in their behaviour.  I'm strict about bedtime, because it's important.  They've never been allowed to play for time, to ask for more stories, to eat or drink in the middle of the night, to come into my bed (unless ill) - they've got a lot of learning to do, and they can't do it properly if they've not had a good night's sleep.

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9. 91

   Brainy Bunnyposted 12 years ago

   I'm with Lady Wordsmith on this one. My kindergartner has a 7:30 bedtime and my 3rd-grader goes to bed at 8:00. They have to be up at 10 to 7, so they really need their rest. My 3rd-grader actually voluntarily moved her bedtime 15 minutes earlier a couple of months ago because now that she's doing sports after school, she was so exhausted that she was an emotional wreck. That 15 minutes (sometime a half hour if it's been a hard day) has made a HUGE difference in her attitude and behavior. We're also fairly consistent with bedtimes on the weekend -- Friday nights are sometimes late nights, but only when we're at synagogue. Saturday nights are regular bedtime nights.

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