Is it normal for an 8 year old to stay up to 12 at night?

Answer 1

most 8 yr olds can't hold out that long, a few can, my 12 yr old has been a night owl all his life, but he still gets up about 6:30 every morning.

Answer 2

Absolutely not. An 8 year old should be in bed by 8 or 9 o'clock, on school nights, and maybe 10 or 11 on weekends. They should not get to stay up as long as they want to. Who's the boss in the house, they should make the rules not the child. Children only know what they want, not what they need.

Answer 3

Bed times are cultural creations, although the need for sleep is biological. 8 years olds need 9-11 hours of sleep per night, so if your 8 year old goes to sleep at 12, expect him or her to sleep in until 10 or 11 in the morning in order to stay healthy. Unless you're in a family where naps are taken seriously and regularly and there will be an extensive nap in the afternoon to make up for missing morning sleep.

In the US, parents generally want their 8 year olds up between 7-8 in the morning, so they send them to bed between 8 and 10 at night. And then the parents get some time that they feel is much needed without the young child. But in other countries and cultures, the kids go to bed when the parents do, so if the parents are up until 12 or later, so are the kids. In those countries, the kids generally get to sleep in late in the morning, or else have the opportunity for long naps in the afternoon.

When living in Arabia, I observed it was common for Arab parents to drop off their 5-12 year olds at the midnight movies at the mall as a form of childcare while they went shopping. So you could say it was normal in Arabia for kids to be up at 12 at night. But in the US, I think many parents would find that rather odd.

Answer 4

It's only normal because the parent is letting them stay up that late. Children who do not have a proper bedtime and sleeping schedule are moodier and do poorly in school. An 8 year old's bedtime should be between 8:30 and 9:30. I assume the child is in school and probably gets up somewhere around 6:00. If it's your child, I would suggest starting a routine ASAP. Remember, you are the parent. If they refuse to sleep, at least make sure the child is in their bed by the set time with lights off.

Answer 5

Stay up to 12 at night, or be endulged and able to stay up to 12. I say you wake the 8 up at 7AM make the 8 run some laps then have soccer practice, go swimming and play in the neighborhood. This may change the bedtime.

Answer 6

I have an 8 year old and i'm sure she would stay up until midnight if i let her... the latest she has stayed up this summer so far is 10:00pm.. i thought by having her go to bed at 8:00pm and letting her watch TV in her bed she would fall asleep at around 9:00pm but that has not happened yet i have to shut her down at 9:00pm.. the thing with 8 year olds they are not babies, toddlers, or preschoolers any longer and not preteen or teens they are in between.... i guess they like testing the waters..

Answer 7

It would be helpful to have some more info such as level of caffeine and sugar consumption during the day, what time s/he gets up in the morning, etc. Kids that age need to get 8-10 hours of sleep per night. I have heard that extremely bright kids sometimes need less sleep.

Answer 8

no. im 13 and have to be in bed by 1. my 12 year old sis has to be in bed by 11. my 9 year old sis has to be in bed by 10. , my 7 year old bro in bed by 930, 6 year old sis @ 9, and 5 year old sis @ 9. so no, 11 year old should NOT stay up that late (at least not in this house) this is the summertime schedule.

Answer 9

Depends on if there is school tomorrow or not. But a healthy bed time the same time every night goes a long way to help establish healthy sleeping as an adult.

Answer 10

Yes. They should be sleeping at the latest, 10. Maybe 11 SOME days. 12 is way too late.