Should children be forced to go to sleep at night even if they don't want to?

Answer 1

The younger a child is, the more sleep they need, so I would say yes. They need a set bedtime EVERY night, the lights should be put out and they should be settled in. A wise parent will expect that they will not always go to sleep at that time, but the children need to be aware that getting out of bed after that time to play is not acceptable. Also if you spend some time before that bedtime with a quiet time (a warm bath and reading a book is good) it helps them to be settled when they should be.

Answer 2

I would say yes. Children need routine in their lives. Sometimes children dont feel like sleeping, whether they are over tired ect however, making sure that they go to sleep at around about the same time every night will ensure they that get into a routine that enables you and your children to have a happy and healthy relationship. If you allowed your children to stay awake as long as they wanted, they would take full advantage of that and in the days after would be cranky and snappy from lack of sleep. In the end they would end up sick. Its also good to establish a good behaviour pattern. By making sure they are in bed at the same time every night, you establish that this is a rule that you are going to follow and the child then understands that. Children sometimes want to stay up because you are too and even though it may seem like you are forcing them to go to sleep and you might feel bad for it, dont, you are doing them a favour in the long run.

Answer 3

Yes - because you have to force them to get up in the morning even if they don't want to. They need an adequate amount of sleep if they are to be in a fit state to learn. For almost all children, learning happens during the day because that's when education happens, be it play for very small children, formal school, or homeschooling. So they need to be awake and alert during the day, which means they need to sleep at night.

You can't force them to sleep, though. You can only insist that they go to bed at a reasonable hour. But really, it doesn't hurt in the slightest if there's a small amount of flexibility in what time that is.

Answer 4

I was always a nocturnal child growing up. No matter what my parents did, they could not keep me in bed at night if I did not want to be there short of staying up all night every night and guarding my door.

I can't say that my staying up at all hours and not having a bedtime routine helped me in any way, as my sleep is still an absolute mess, but I think it always would have been due to the way my brain is wired. I think in my case it was just an early indication of the anxiety problems that would later become acute as I entered my 20s.

I would suggest talking to the child about their sleeping. If they are having trouble sleeping, if they are feeling anxious about something going on at school or at home etc. These things are best addressed as early as possible before they lead to a chronic insomnia problem in adulthood.

Answer 5

absolutely, children have to learn to do lots of things in life they don't want to, but its for their own good. A child like adults require a certain amount of sleep although they require more then us, it's very important they get it, sleep is good for their brain development and to help their health as well. Kids always feel like they are missing out on something when they are sent to bed and adults are still up, but soon enough they drift off to sleep. Also like the someone else said the need routine. Remember your the parent not the child. Children aren't always gonna like your rules but your the parent and you know whats best.

Answer 6

i think in a way yes, if your children are sleeping through the day and not at night then you have to get them into a rountine and then you woudn't have to ask that question because your children will eventually go to sleep when there tired at night but until they do, you have to force a routine on them and if they come out of there rooms at night then you have to keep putting them back after the second time they come out don't say anything to them just put them into there room and continue to do so until they go to sleep

Answer 7

No, but they should go to bed at a set time. My older children (6 and 8) go to bed at 9PM during the week and 9:30PM on the weekends. They have no toys in their room but are allowed to have books. They read until they are tired. They need to learn to know when they are tired. My 16 month old goes to his crib at 8:30PM and he often times plays with his teddy bear and blanket until he is tired and lays down. He also wakes up at night to play a little but he is usually quiet. If he cries he needs something. I don't bother forcing anyone as it just causes resentment and then they won't sleep.

Answer 8

Yes. If it's for the benefit of their health then yes they need to maintain a healthy amount of sleep. It is very important for a growing body to get not only a proper amount of sleep but to stay on a normal schedule. For instance if the person gets up a 6:00 in the morning they should be in bed by 10:00 (earlier for teenagers and youngsters) to get a full 8 hours. They should not get much off that schedule on the weekends. I allow my son to stay up and hour after his regular bed time on weekends and limit the late nights as much as possible.

Answer 9

anyone who's a parent knows they can't force their kids to sleep. i have one who is a terrible insomniac, but he does still have to go to bed on schedule and at least rest. there are some nights that he will lay there until 5 in the morning and never fall asleep....but at least he's being still and letting his body rest. we've tried everything to help him sleep short of giving him sleeping pills but nothing seems to work. the doctor told us that when his body really needs sleep then it will do it....until then as long as hes getting rest and its not affecting school then we shouldn't push any further. for the moment he's on the honor roll in school and doesn't have a problem getting up in the morning so we're letting it be. but yes, kids should have definite rules and guidelines as far as bedtimes go......

Answer 10

Well you cannot force someone to go to sleep because if you are not tired it simply won't happen. It is probably better for the child if they are forced to go to sleep at night because of things like school in the morning, weekends are not so bad though.