Is 9pm an appropriate bedtime for a 7 year old?

Question

He always gets up in the morning before the alarm goes off, and doesnt seem tierd during the day, o is this ok?
My friend says that he should be in bed the same time as her son of the same age, 7pm...what do you think?

Answer 1

I think that he should be go to bed when he is tired, within reason. It is up to you when your son goes to bed, after all, you know him better than your friend does!

Answer 2

I have twin brothers that just turned 7 at the beginning of August. Their bedtime is 8:30, while Levi's is 9.. and Levi is 11, going on 12. I remember when i was 6-9, my parents put me to bed around 8-8:30 so that i would be sleeping by 9..

All in all, it depends on your son. If he's getting up before the alarm, that's always a good sign that he's getting a decent amount of sleep. Some kids don't show signs of being tired during the day and it takes time to catch up to them. I personally think that 8:30 is plenty late for a child of his age to be awake. A good idea would be to call your child's teacher and ask how your son is doing during class, if he's wide awake, observant, and paying attention. If he's doing well in school and the teacher is ok with him, and he's not having attitudes from being tired when he's home, his bedtime seems reasonable. But you know your son better than anyone else, so it's your call.

Answer 3

My son just turned 8 and i think 9pm is a perfect time. That is when my sons bedtime is and it covers all the bases. Most of the time he gets up before the alarm, but there are those times when he played hard and learned alot that he sleeps in, like 8am. Your son sounds like a morning person so is mine. 9pm fits 7pm is way too early for a morning guy. If he does'nt get tired throughout the day then it seems that schedule is working. your doing good...

Answer 4

7 may be a little early. Everybody has slightly different sleep needs, even kids the same age. At seven, he should still be getting around 10 hours of sleep each night, but you know him better than your friend!

When I was seven, I had a hard time sleeping at night, but I went back to taking an hour nap after school. My daughter is 6 and seems to be doing fine with 10 hours - she usually goes to bed between 8:30 and 9 and gets up on her own around 7.

You'll want to be sure that he's got no access to energy drinks, which are often marketed to kids. And of course, if you need more time as a grown-up, it might be convenient to establish a slightly earlier bedtime. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry!

Answer 5

I think it is a fair time. You are the parent and you say when he goes to bed not your friend. As long as he gets up when he is told and he is doing good in school and not falling asleep during the day I don't see a problem. I think 8 should be the earliest a child should have to go to bed at that age. 7 is way to early. I don't even put my son to bed that early he goes at 8 and he is only 16 months. But what time you feel best is what you should put him at.

Answer 6

I try to get my 8-yr-old to bed at 8:30, because he's a little blurry in the a.m. otherwise. He often stays up later trying to read by the hall light or a flashlight or something, and I can always tell.

The recommendations for this age is 9-11 hours. Some kids do well with 9 hours, some 11. So if he's doing great on just 9 hours a night and your friend's kid needs 11, that's okay. Everybody's different.

Answer 7

Kids are different just like adults. I go to bed at 11 & get up at 7. Some people would not be able to do that. You are his mom, if you think it's not affecting him then it's fine. You may want to ask a teacher though. Between lunchtime & dismissal is when my daughter gets the sleepies. The teacher will notice if he is not paying enough attention. My daughter is 9 btw & her bedtime has never been earlier than 8:30.

Answer 8

My son is 7 and in bed at 8:30 and prob falls asleep close to 9:00. He is still sleepy when he wakes for school. I think it depends on the child though...some need more sleep than others and some need less. I think 9:00 sounds reasonable.

Answer 9

I think it may be a little late but I think 7 pm is WAY too early! It's your child and you really are the best judge of this. My son is nine and goes to bed at 8:30 and is allowed to read for 20 minutes [he has to for school, and it's just something I would have him do anyway] and then for forty minutes he can draw, do word puzzles or color or read. No TV, No Video Games.

Answer 10

Each child is different but honestly its not ideal. Young children need more than 8 hours of sleep to function properly. Even if he does not seem tired during the day, he could still be suffering the effects of lack of sleep. A better bedtime would be 8 oclock so that by nine he is already asleep. Talk to your pediatrician.

Answer 11

My daughter is Six and I put her to bed at 8. But i also give her some classical music for about 20-30 minutes to help her go to sleep. Personally for my daughter, if she doesnt get that amount of sleep, she starts to act up and not be quite herself. If your son behaves and can keep up in school, then so be it. I know alot of people here in Europe let their kids stay up til 9, i suppose it's just whatever works for your family. At the end of the day, we are all just guessing anyways. Good luck ;)