Bedtime for young children

digitalphase

Our neighbours have two grandchildren, one of approx 2-3years and another of around a year old.
Their parents bring them around very very regularly and often leave at 10-10.30pm. During the week we are often in bed by 10, to go to work the next morning, and can hear the older child running about and the grandparents/parents chasing them and shouting. So, we're in bed but these kids are still up at 10/11pm at night.

Surely this is not acceptable/normal behaviour? I do not have children, but would presume an acceptable bedtime for these children would be 7/8pm at the latest.
Sometimes they are dropped off at their grandparents at 10pm and then picked up half an hour later. Often we see them brought back around to the grandparents in the morning, and the kids are asleep.

Any thoughts on this? I think it very strange.

kindofagilr

Its up to each parent when they put their kids to bed.

Personally I wouldnt want my child awake at that time of night, but they may not have any choice? Work patterns or something of the sort?

My friends daughter always went to bed the same time as her, sometimes 10pm I never agreed with it, but didn't say anything, as it's not my place to say.

binkyboo_2

my little girl who is nearly 2 and a half goes to bed at 7pm every night if we go out somewhere or a special occasion she may stay up till 8pm. My neighbour has a child of around the same age and he regularly goes to bed around 10-11pm i often hear him playing long after i have gone to bed. i'm not sure if people do it so they can have a lie in in the morning or what? i like my evenings to myself and don't mind getting up early to spend the day with my daughter. Children need quality sleep at this age and it confuses me when i hear of people that don't seem to see this.

jamespir

its another one of these they don t do it that way in my rule book threads again

its each to their own really

my childs in bed by 730 and usually falls asleep straight after but some people prefer to keep their children up later

BitterAndTwisted

There might be all sorts of reasons why those youngster aren't kept to a conventional bedtime but I agree the noise-disturbance must be irksome, to say the least.

I'd try and have a chat with the next-door neighbours and ask very politely whether they might be able to help you get to sleep at your own bed-time a bit better. If they are aware that you can hear them and it's disturbing you they just might try and keep it down a bit

brazilianwax

After a few months of trying my own mother gave up trying to get me to sleep at a decent time. Didn't matter what time she put me down, I would not sleep until midnight. On the other hand I'd never wake before noon. So I got plenty of quality sleep, just not at conventional times.

My mum realised that actually it worked quite well. She put me in my cot at about 10pm when she went to bed, and i would happily play with my toys. She'd wake up at 7 or 8am and have most of the morning to sort the house, get a meal ready for the evening, have time to herself etc and then she could spend all afternoon playing with me. My dad got loads of time with me every evening too.

32 years on I still can't sleep properly during the evening and am more of an owl than a lark (although modern life demands that I follow lark patterns :mad:). Just goes to show that sometimes the 'standard practice' doesn't suit everyone

aliadds

I agree that people operate on different time zones! I go to bed at 7pm and get up at 4.30am for work everyday, and that suits me very well! But my younger sister is never in bed before midnight and at the weekend doesn't get up much before mid day!

With regards to the children I always used to put them to bed at 7 and they would wake up at 7 in the morning! While I would agree that you can't make them sleep, I also think it's good for them to be in their bedroom relaxing, not running around or watching tv! It's also important for the parents to have some quality time in the evening.

elfen

I never used ot have a regular sleep pattern, I was an insomniac since about the age of 4. When it started, my bed got moved so the bedroom door could be opened enough to get light in so I could read without disturbing my sisters. I'd usually sleep about 11. Then I got older, and it carried on, I'dnever sleep til about 1 but I'd be up at 7 bright and early.

weenickieS

My daughters are 5 and mearly 3. They go to bed at half past 8 and i actually think that is quite late as my oldest has school the next day. I might change this to 8pm.
When its the weekend i let them stay up later since we dont need to get up early.
10.30 is quite late but if they have no reason to be up early the next day then i dont think its too bad. Also, maybe they work shifts and it is the only time they can see the family.

Counting_Pennies_2

It isn't ideal by the time they go to school, but preschoolers can catch up with sleep in the day.

In fact, my son used to wake at 9/10am and have two naps in the day and spend time with daddy when he came home from work and then go to bed about 8pm, sometimes it would be a little later.

When it comes to being at school, I agree that a bedtime routine should be set and even if they child doesn't need the 12 hours a night, at least a calming time should happen with baths at times and books and milk etc.

weenickieS

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

It isn't ideal by the time they go to school, but preschoolers can catch up with sleep in the day.

In fact, my son used to wake at 9/10am and have two naps in the day and spend time with daddy when he came home from work and then go to bed about 8pm, sometimes it would be a little later.

When it comes to being at school, I agree that a bedtime routine should be set and even if they child doesn't need the 12 hours a night, at least a calming time should happen with baths at times and books and milk etc.

I totally agree with this