Poll: What Is Your Child's Bedtime

My almost 3 year old goes to bed every night at 7. My 6 year old goes to bed at 8. Every night like clockwork. Consistency is more important than the actual time. I absolutely need every moment I have after 8 p.m. to get the rest of my day finished up. Just remember that routines are good for kids. 7 p.m. is not too early for a 2 year old. Dinner/bath/book/bed. Read a book evey night at 6:45. Music on and lights out at 7.
Good luck.

Hi A.-

My 5 and 3 1/2 year olds both go to bed between 7:30-8:00. Sometimes we let them stay up a little bit later on the weekends if we have special activities planned. Normally, we stick to a pretty strict bedtime.

Hope this helps!
-L.

My son is 14 months and goes to bed 99% of the time at 8. There are nights where he doesn't settle down and ready to go until 9.

My daughter goes to bed between 8:30 and 9pm.... BUT she sleeps till 8am. She also takes an afternoon nap (which last about 2 hours, sometimes less) so she is never ready for bed till 8:30pm.

I am sure once she starts preschool and no longer needs an afternoon nap we will have to adjust the bed time so we can get out of the house on time... so her bedtime will move closer to 7:30pm.

You have to do what works for your family... kids need about 10 hours of sleep at night and more if they do not nap during the day. If you need to get up at a certian time for school or work adjust your child's bedtime on that to make sure everyone is well rested.

my son is two and a half. Since about 2 years old, maybe earlier, he has fallen asleep around 10pm. Now, having said that, the actual time of going to sleep is less relavent than how many hours he sleeps. We get up at 8am. So if we needed to get up at 6am, an 8pm bedtime would be perfect.

Seems I read somewhere that toddlers need about 12 hours sleep in 24 hours. My son gets 10 hours at night and between 2 and 3 hours nap most days.

So take naps and total hours slept into consideration. Also I would mention that for us, our son's bedtimes have varied over the course of time. We look more for signs of tiredness than to have a hard and fast time for bed (though there is a cut-off: if he's still up at 10:30pm it's time for bed no matter what.) Some months he will seem to need an earlier bedtime 8 or 9pm, and then it will be later again a few months down the road.

I know a lot of moms will completely disagree with my loose approach to bedtimes, but it works well for us, and we take that approach to most other aspects of parenting too.

My son is 10 months old since 3 months old he has gone to bed at 7pm. my sister has a 5 year old and a 8 year old and they are starting to bed by 8 and lights out at 8:30 on week nights and 9-10 on weekends or when spending time with family

My daughter (22 months) goes to bed between 8-8:30pm and wakes up at 7am on weekdays. On weekends we let her go to bed around 8:30pm and she usually wakes up around 7:30am. My son (4.5 years) goes to bed between 8:30-9pm and wakes up at 7am on weekdays. On weekends he goes to bed at 9pm or a little later and usually wakes up between 7:30-8am. Both kids take afternoon naps. My youngest will nap between 2-3 hours, while my oldest only naps about 1 hour or sometimes longer. Be sure you have a good bedtime routine. Ours is bath (if it's bath night), put pjs on and read books. We put our daughter to bed first but we get my son ready at the same time. Then when daughter goes to bed my son gets to have mommy and daddy time until he goes to bed.

different situations require different bedtimes. if you have to get up early and/or if she is tired and cranky by then, then keep it at 8. you could always pick a night like friday or saturday to let her stay up later as a treat for going to bed on time all week. it's harder at age 2 but it gets her in a routine for when she does start school. my daughter is 12 and still goes to bed at 8. i let her read or watch t.v. or whatever til 9 but she has to be ready and in bed at 8. it is an hour later on weekends. some say she's old enough to stay up later now but she is a kid that needs alot of sleep to get up for school so that is what works for us.

S. m

I put my kids to bed about a hour before I go to bed so i can have some down time with my husband.

My children are 8 and 3 Bedtime is 8:00

My 19 month old daughter goes to sleep around 7:30 PM. She goes into her room and says goodnight and sleep and that is the end of it. For now...

Wow with one hte way I would stick to your guns about an early bedtime. MY 2 yr old goes to bed 7-7:30 and my 5 year old at 7:30-8:00. We find if they stay of later they get wound-up and really don't want to go to bed. A 2 yr old needs between 12-14 hrs asleep including nap; take note of how much she is getting. You can also start setting the stage for sleep by making sure you do the same things every night and we start with turning down the house lights about 45min between we even hit the pillow. Hope this helps.

Every family needs to find a schedule that works for them. That said, at 2 yrs, we were letting our son stay up until 9:00...sometimes even 10:00. But here's why:

1.) We both work and wanted to squeeze in as many hours as we could with him. And daycare was accommodating of his need to take 2 naps.
2.) We didn't have our 2nd until the oldest was 4.5...And so we didn't have to set a schedule that accommodated an infant and a toddler.

We have a 2 1/2 year old and 5 1/2 year old. They go to bed at 7:00pm and are sleeping by 7:30.

In the summer we let that bedtime slide and usually they are sleeping by 9:00pm, depending on their mood and what's going on outside with friends or organized activities (soccer, t-ball, etc.) Let's face it, summer is to short to waste it by being in bed at 7:00pm! :)

Holy Cow - you've had a lot of responses! Well, I guess I'll add my 2 cents to the bedtime issue:

My son is one month away from being 2, and has pretty much always had a bedtime between 7-8 (depending on his nap and current temperament). I would say that since you've been consistent with the 8:00 time, there is no reason to change it. I always think parents are CRAZY to keep their kids up late - put the baby night night!! :) Anyway, your little girl needs a LOT of sleep, and she'll probably wake up at the same time no matter when you put her down. Keep your bedtime routine (and time) the same, and don't let her make the rules! Start now, and you'll be better off later.
Best of luck,
Amy K
(p.s. And congrats for the one on the way - me too!)

My 6yo usually goes to bed between 7:30 and 8 (gets up around 8:30 am) , and my 2yo between 8 and 8:30 (gets up around 7:30 am).
Since my 2yo takes at least one nap during the day, he can stay up a little later.
My 6yo needs 12-14 hours of sleep, so he rarely gets to stay up past 8:30. The difference in his attitude is amazing when he gets at least 12 hours.

My son is 3 and has an 8:30 bedtime. He has had the same bedtime for probably 2 years or more. I don't have much adult time at night, but it helps give me time to get ready in the morning without him under foot.

My friends think I am crazy but my 9 yr old son's bedtime is 9:30. If I put him to bed any earlier than that he is awake by 4:30 in the mornings. He has been this ways since he was a baby too. It is not hard to get him up for school either.

my sons who is 20 months and 2 years old bedtime is at 7:00 pm and my 3 year old daughters bed time is at 8:00 pm..

trust me i understand about the adult time.. i'm not going to say what you should or shouldn't do but it will get harder if you don't set limits now with her. plus you really need time as an adult to relax exspecially when your pregnant

I have 3 kids, ages 5, 3.5, and 23 month old. They all go to bed between 9-10pm sometimes 10:30pm. My husband works the day shift and I work the night shift til usually 3am so if my kids were up at 7am I would be having some troubles only getting 3 hours of sleep at night. So they go to bed later so that they get up later. I think when you put them to bed kinda depends on when they have to be up in the morning. If I didn't work night shift they'd be getting up earlier and going to bed earlier.

My son is 8 and still goes to bed at 8 - 815, it's good for him to get the sleep he needs for school and good for us to get adult time. I can't imagine what would have happened if when he was little we would have said 9 was fine and then school came and he had to wake up early and function all day. He either would have not made it or felt punished for us lowering his bedtime... Kids really do need lots of sleep to function with good attitudes.

At 2 years old children still need at least 11 hours of overnight sleep (plus a two hour nap ideally for a total of 13 hrs a day) so factor that in to her wakeup time. If she can afford to sleep in until 7:30 (i.e. no one has to get off to work, etc) then extending bedtime by 30 minutes may be a good compromise. If you're on a tight schedule however I'd stick to the 8:00 bedtime. Our little one is 19 months and still goes to bed at 7:00 every night.

Read SLEEPLESS IN AMERICA. My copy is on loan so can't give you the author's name, but it is an excellent resource for parents. Each family is different but this book is very practical and helps you sort out what is interfering w/ establishing a consistent bed time and is full of ideas. I had many "ah-ha" moments while reading it. Money well spent.

Our son is 3 and his bedtime is 8:00. He doesn't always go to sleep right away but most nights he does. Our alarm goes off at 6:30 so he also gets an afternoon nap around lunch time. His nap usually lasts a couple hours. His bedtime has been 8:00 since he was about 6 months old.

We try to get our 6 yr old in bed by 8:00 most nights and the 3 yr old is in bed by 8:30. Since a 2 year old cannot tell time, you dictate what time to start the bedroom routine. We find keeping a routine helps get the kids to bed on time. Maybe if you can end the day with some snuggling at least you will be getting some down time.

Our daughter does not nap and goes to bed at 6:30pm (sleeps until about 6:30am). Our son still naps...he goes to bed around 7:30pm (sleeps until 7ish).

You need to make sure that your daughter gets as much sleep as she needs. I have 3 kids, my 3 year old and 5 year old are in bed with lights out at 7:30. My oldest who is 8 1/2 goes to his room to read between 7 and 7:30 and lights out between 8 and 8:30. I also enjoy my evening time and I know that if my kids don't get their sleep they are very grumpy the next day. No matter what time my kids go to bed they are up around 6:30 or 7.

19 months - 6:30 -7:15.

My son is 4 years old and he is in bed by 8:30 p.m. We start our bedtime routine around 8:00, and finish with a bedtime story. He is allowed, although not reccomended by many professionals, to watch television before falling asleep, but if he keeps him awake we shut it off.
I think it's better to continue to stick with your scheduled bedtime so that you can get your 'you time' that you need at the time you need it. After both my kids are in bed, I workout and have time to complete my nightly tasks before heading to bed myself. I know it can be difficult to set schedules and stick to them, but if it is something that you feel is worth it, then keep at it!

S.

My children are 3 and 4, and for the most part their bed time is 8:30, although that is not a very strict schedule. They go to 4 year kindergarten and daycare twice a week, so on "school nights" I try to have them in bed at 8. Other nights, since they don't have to get up early, it's more 8:30-9:00. I totally agree with you though, I won't go past that because I need my "me time".

My 2.5 year old goes to bed at 8 pm, gets up around 7:30 am, and does not nap.

My daughter is 17 months old and we start her bedtime routine around 6 pm (give or take fifteen minutes), she gets into her pjs, brushes teeth, and we read stories. It all takes about 1/2 an hour. Then we put her in her crib and she's asleep by 7 pm. She wakes around 6 am, entertains herself until we go get her at 7 am.
She still naps during the day, but it varies from 30 minutes to a 2 hour nap.

My 5 year olds bedtime has been 8 for about a year but when she goes through growth periods or times where she is extra tired or cranky I try to get her in closer to 7. She usually wakes up between 6 and 7. Before age 4 I wasn't very good about sticking to her bedtime and she started having a hard time at day care. After i finally mad a bedtime and stuck to it she started doing a little better. I didn't realize how helpful having a time was instead of just going with the flow.

we do let her stay up til 9 occasionally if we have plans and it is a weekend night. she does well with that. sometimes she stays up til midnight when shes at a party with her dad and when she comes home is completely cranky and rude the next day and it takes her a few days to get back to her schedule. (we have split custody)

I have two boys, ages 6.5 and 3, and both are in bed by 7:30pm during the week. My oldest is in 1st grade so he is up by 7am every morning. My 3yr old usually sleeps until 8am.

If they get to bed later, they are still up at the same time, so they get to bed early and get the sleep thier bodies need.

My 15 month old goes to bed at 7. Some days if he is really tired I lay him down between 6:30 and 7. There is a great book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." Keep in mind if your daughter to bed too late she may start waking up earlier as overtired children do not sleep as well as rested children. The few times that my son has woken up too early I have put him down at 6:30 instead of 7 and he has slept about an hour later in the morning.

My 5 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old girls go to bed at 8pm and my 21 month old boy goes to bed between 8:30/9:00. Our son also doesn't get up in the morning until 8:30am, so we don't put him down until later than the girls. My oldest is in Kindergarten so she knows she needs to go to bed early. When we put our kids to bed, they get their PJ's on, brush their teeth, read a book, and then into bed. We usually start this about 1/2 hour before bedtime so they can wind down. Just be consistent and she'll start to come around. Congratulations on baby #2!

My 3yr old daughter is in bed by 8:00 each night, sometimes a little earlier depending on her mood. Some nights she falls asleep right away, and others she talks to her stuffed animals for about an hour.
I wake her between 7-7:15 for daycare. On the weekends we let her stay up later so she can spend some more quality time with us.
At daycare she takes about 1.5hr naps, and on weekends they are usually about 2.5hrs.

My 12 month old goes down around 8pm and gets up around 6:30, sometimes later on weekends. He naps 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon.

Hi A.,
Most of my kids are in their teens, or will be this year, they all had 8:00 bedtimes when they were younger. They were already on a schedule so it was much easier when they started school.
Adult time is very important. We also need that time to get stuff done and relax.

A.,

At age 2, my children went to bed at 7pm. 8 wasn't a bedtime until they were school aged. I wouldn't let her stay up later, she will just keep pushing boundaries.

Good luck,
S.

My 4 1/2 yo goes to bed at 7:30, but he used to go to bed much later. Because we are up for School Readiness fairly early, and because my kids really thrive with routine, we put them down early, but they're up by 5:30-6 am. My "baby" is 15 mos, and he goes down at 7:30 too, though with a few adjustments, we could easily keep him up later. But, for adult time, we put him down at 7:30 too. We're still up multiple times a night with baby, so we often hit the hay at 9, and the boys aren't settled until about 8. Most of the preschool kids in my neighborhood go to bed at 7-7:30; the kids who are younger stay up a little later. Mostly, it's up to you; do what works for you and your family, esp if you only have one for now. Just make sure she gets enough sleep! Oh...I just saw one on the way...do think about that...it was very very helpful to us to have a well-established nighttime routine w/ #1 when #2 arrived.

Whatever you have to do KEEP IT!!! I have seen so many of my friends who let their kids dictate the time and they end up staying up until 10 or later. And we're talking about 2+ yo. The parents are exhausted and crabby by the end of the day and there is no alone time for either you or your partner. We have 3 kids with one on the way and they are in bed 8-8:30 the youngest stays up in their room (they all share) and plays for a bit longer sometimes, but he stays in there and doesn't keep the others up. Of course the downside is that they get up about 6:30 everyday, but I would much rather have my time at night.

My son just turned 2 and he's asleep anywhere between 8:15 and 9:00, depending on the day's activities :) You definitely need your "mommy" time, though!

Our two year old goes to bed between 730 and 8 and normally takes a 1.5-2 hour nap during the day.

My two year old goes down between 6:30 and 7:30...we have been doing this since about 8 months. I also read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" it was a lifesave! Following the ideas in this book took us from a 7 month old who still woke to nurse 4 times a night, had to be rocked to sleep, and only took a couple 20 minute cat naps, to a 8 month old till now who puts herself to sleep, sleeps 12 hours at night plus naps equaling about 2-3 hours total, and wakes up happy and plays in her crib for up to an hour happily after waking!!!!

You may actually need an earlier rather than later bedtime! Personally I wouldn't move it back any, my own bedtime was 8:30 through 8th grade (of course I was allowed to read in bed for an hour or so, but still), and I think that was actually a good thing for my health. Also, that adult time is crucial to your health and sanity!

Good Luck - the book is highly reccommended - check out your local library, and if they dont' have it, ask them to interlibrary loan it for you (it should be free to do that - it is at the library I work for).

Jessie

We co-sleep so our kids do not have a bedtime. We all just go to bed together typically between 8:30 and 9:00 PM. Then we pray as a family, crawl into bed and read our family dovotians, and then read a couple story books. So our kids (ages 3 1/2 and 19 months) usually don't fall asleep till 9:30 or 10:00 PM. Our kids do nap during the day and are allowed to sleep as late as 8 or 9 AM most mornings, as we farm. (We have tried strict schedules for nap and bedtimes and it was not a good fit for our family. My husband only gets in from the barn at about 8 PM and the kids LOVE spending some time with him then....)

But I have a friends whose kids are on a strict schedule of naptime at 1 PM and bedtime at 7:30 PM. They NEVER stray from this schedule.

So, you need to pick what works best for YOUR FAMILY! There really is no right answer. You just need to figure out what you and your family thrives best on.

My son is 2.5 yrs old and his bedtime is 9pm. We picked that because we KNOW he's tired then and he won't throw a fit. We've also found that the later he stays up the later he usually sleeps in the morning, which is good especially on weekends!! I really don't have much "adult" time though, because I usually go to bed around 9:30-10:00pm, so that part would be nice. Stick to your guns, mom!

My son is 2 1/2, he's in bed by 8:00. We usually start our bedtime routine about 7:15 and read for 10-15 minutes and then get his pjs on, he brushes his teeth and then in it's into bed. We used to let him watch a show at 7:00 and then read, etc., but I decided to take that out of the routine when he stopped taking his afternoon nap and would get up too early! And by 6:30/7:00 at night you could definitely tell he was a tired, cranky little boy who needed to go to bed. So now that he doesn't get tv time, and we start the bedtime routine a little earlier and he sleeps until at 7:30 or so and can make it through the day without getting super crabby/cranky later in the day.

M.

My 20 month old goes to bed at 6:45/7:00.

I have two girls, ages 5 and 2 1/2. Bedtime is 7-7:30pm for my 2 1/2 year old and 7:30-8pm for my 5 year old. It is really important to my husband and I to have some time to our selves at night after the kids go to bed and this also allows my kids to get enough sleep. They get up around 7am.

Definitely stick to 8 at the latest. You might find if you put her down even 15 minutes earlier, it will be easier. Sleeps begets sleep. When they get over tired, they can become "wired" and getting them to sleep is more difficult.

Just be aware of the window of opportunity to get her to sleep.

And, yes, you do need that time at night for yourself.

My kids are 5 1/2 and 4 and they go to bed at 8 PM and sleep until about 7 AM.

K.

Our 2 year old's bed time is 8 and if he gets too out of control or is having a hard time staying out of control I will start the bedtime routine early. He also has to get up M-F about 6AM so I can get to work and mornings are not his strong suit. Although, I personally think that if I was a stay at home mom I would still have him in bed by 8. Our daughter who is 1 next month has been going to bed between 7 and 8 and gets up around 4:30 for a bottle and then up to get ready for daycare around 6AM. She still takes 2 naps during the day (morning is short 30-60 minutes and afternoon is 1-2 hours). Hope this helps.

My 2 year old goes to bed at 8 too. Sometimes she plays a little but then falls asleep. She is still in a crib and has not climbed out yet. Don't know how your is.

When I do bedtime, it's 7:00, when my husband does it, we start a little later (when he gets home from work) and they boys are in bed between 7:30 and 7:45 (they are 2 and 3).

Jessica

Our son is 14months. We eat dinner about 5:30/6. Then bath at around 6:30. Then he starts getting fussy around 7...we still do a bottle in the morning and night...and give him a bottle. He is usually asleep by 7:30/7:45.

I have a 4 and 2 year old. They both have a bedtime of 8:15. I would like it to be 8, but my husband doesn't get home until 7:45 and he is a huge part of the bedtime routine. Although my 4 year old took naps until he was 3, my 2 year old stopped almost the day he turned 2. He is a happy child and just doesn't need the nap. At the end when he was still taking a nap, we fought him every night for bed. Now he goes down really well most nights.

My son is 3 1/2 and has a 7:30 bedtime during the week and an 8:30 bedtime on Friday and Saturday. He is up by 6:30 or 7:00 each morning during the week. I think it really depends on when your daughter gets up in the morning and how much she sleeps during the day. My friend's daughter goes to bed each night between 8-8:30 and that is enough for her. Good luck - the bedtime battle is no fun!

When we the kids were young I would put them to bed at 7 since they were up at 6am. This gave some private time for my husband and I to cuddle and spend together. They went to bed at 7 even when they started school since they had to be up at 6 to catch the bus at 7. We lived on a ranch. When we moved to town they were 5, 9 and 10 and I upped their bedtime to 8 since they now could sleep until 7. When they got to be teens, I let them stay up until 10 or so as long as they were able to get up in the mornings for school without a fight.

When my youngest was 5 he went out to my parents and she brought him in around 9 that night. He kept trying to fall asleep on the way into town and she wouldn't let him. When they pulled up he got out of the car, put his hands on his hips and announced "Well, I guess we now KNOW why my bedtime is 8:00!"

Our child will be 2 in February. We start the sleep ritual at 6:30pm. We set a timer at 6:30 telling him that in 15 minutes the timer is going to go off and then it is time to clean up and get ready for bed. At 6:45, we clean up, change him into night-time diaper, lotion him up, put on pj's. Then we brush teeth then into his bedroom we go. My husband does the rest: I kiss James good night and my hubby reads him a book, says 2 prayers and sings a song. He puts him into the crib at about 7-7:10pm telling him that we love him and will be here for him in the morning. James will cry sometimes but we never go in!!

This is what works for us! My two cents for you is no later than 8!! for your own sake!

My son is 13 months old, and he goes to bed anywhere from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., depending on if he had a nap that day and what his mood is like.

He usually takes a 2-hour nap during the day, usually something like 12:00-2:00.

He wakes up anywhere from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Not the tightest schedule, but he does not go to daycare. He is home with either my husband or I.

I use to have my daughter in bed by 8 or 8:30 every night. We had a great routine. After our family vacation last year she started trying to push her limits and I let her (rookie mistake). Now she's 3 and won't go to bed until 9 or 10 every night. We usually both end up passing out on the couch from exhaustion. I'm 3 months pregant again and I'm desperately trying to get our routine back. Now I'm so exhausted from this pregnancy that it's harder than ever. My advice is, it's easier to stick with a good thing than to try to get it back. Good luck!

I could never give up the time in the evenings, my kids are almost 5 and 3 and do not go to bed any later than 8, earlier on days that have been long or they have not napped. I couldn't give it up! Call me selfish lol! That said they do wake at 6-7am which works for our schedule and eventually the school schedule coming up.

My 2 year old starts getting ready for bed at 7:30 - jammies and time alone with mom. Bed by 8:00. My six year old gets herself ready for bed while I am putting 2 year old down. She then picks out a game or story for bed and goes down about 8:30. We struggle sometimes - especially with the 6 year old. But we try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. Good Luck and congrats on baby number two.

My 2-year-old goes to bed at 7:00. It was 8:00 until the time change, about which time, my husband deployed. I need him to go to bed for my own sanity because I am alone and pregnant and I have kidney stones, so after a day of working at home and watching him alone, I really need the rest.

My 3 year old starts the bedtime routine about 6:45pm - pick up toys, get jammies on, brush teeth, books and so is down by about 7:15pm and wakes around 7am (she doesn't take a daytime nap).
My 11 month old gets his bottle around 7pm and is down by about 7:15pm also, he sleeps through the night and wakes about 6:30am (he does two naps during the day also, about an hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon).
I love having the "kid-free" time in the evening to recharge or get things done.

This may not be very helpful, but I'd move her bedtime up to 7:30. Two year olds need lots of sleep. Maybe if she's being difficult it's because she's overtired?

3 year old goes to bed at 8:00
(he wakes around 6:30 and naps 2 hrs during the day)

6 mo. old goes to bed around 7:30-8:00
(he wakes around 6:00 and naps 3+ hrs throughout the day)

I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old...bedtime begins at 8 PM and they are generally asleep by 8:30/9 PM.

2 - 11 yr olds 8:30 p.m. (when they turn 12, it will go to 9:00 p.m. where it will stay until they hit High School)
1 - 9 yr old 7:30 p.m.
1 - 7 yr old 7:30 p.m.

It might also be helpful if we indicate the wake up time as well - all my kids get up at 7:15 a.m.

Our bedtime for our 2 year old is also 8 pm, and we have been having the same problem. I think it probably has a lot to do with cabin fever and not playing outside during the day. I am hoping to return to our normal bedtime routine when the weather supports playing outside every day. Right now he goes to bed between 8 to 8:30.

My 2 year old is in bed by 8:30pm and my 8 year old is in bed by 8:30 lights out at 9:00pm. They both wake up in the morning around 7am.

Our son, who is 2, goes to bed at about 8pm. He usually sits in his room and talks to himself and his toy for awhile. He will then sleep until 8-9 in the morning. He also takes about a 3-4 hour nap in the afternoon.

my 3 year old's bedtime had been ~7p until a few months ago, a month or two before he turned 3 we extended it to 730-8p. he's always been a great sleeper (12hrs) and continues to be. Bed time can be a long drawn out affair but have recently startted turning off the tv and cuddle with mom and dad. after which he's much much easier to put to bed. good luck

At 2 1/4 my son's bedtime is 7:15pm. He set his schedule early as a 7pm bedtime and waking at 7am.

My almost 3 year old pretty much goes to bed between 8 and 8:15. Good luck!

My daughter's bedtime was 7:00 since birth and when she turned 7 years old we let her stay up til 7:30. But she needs a lot of sleep! Even going to bed that early she can still sleep til 8:00.

My 1 year old goes to bed at 6:30pm and wakes about 6:30am (I wake her by 6:45am if she is still asleep so that she's ready for her morning nap).

My 3 year old doesn't nap and she goes to bed at 7pm and wakes anywhere between 7 and 8am.

Hello!
I too have read many sleep books and websites. My son is 20 months and he goes to bed at 7, some nights it needs to be 6:30 and some nights 7:30 depending on his naps. He also still takes 2 naps a day. He just can't make it through the morning and afternoon without them. My doctor told me they need to take naps until they are 4. But I agree, you may need an earlier bedtime not a later one. Also you may need to start your routine earlier... just because bedtime is 7, doesn't mean you start your routine at 7. Start 15-30 min. earlier. Do bathtime and jammies and stories. Then I sit and rock my boy in the dark and sing to him a minute, the lay him in his crib. 2 good websites are: www.sleepyplanet.com (go to tips and tools) and www.familysleep.com. I use both. Hope that helps!
L. L.

Since I stay at home with the kiddos, my 9 year old is normally asleep by 8 - 8:30 when his medications kick in. My 3 year old twins go to bed between 9 - 9:30 fall asleep by 10:00. My 9 year old is up by 7 and the twins normally sleep in until 8 - 8:30 depending on what kind of noise the 9 year old is making. Sometimes the girls will take a short cat nap, also depends on the day since they go to Preschool M,W,F.

M.
mom to Ryan 9 (Down syndrome, severe ADHD, Bipolar, anxiety, GERD, autistic like tendencies, asthma and allergies)
Abbey and Alexa 3 my "normal" princesses

My 1-1/2 year old goes to bed at 7:30. It gives us parents some alone time which is needed!

I have a 5-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl. Bedtime is 8:00 for both. The 3-year-old is always in bed by 8:00 because I, also, need some quiet time. She no longer takes naps and really needs to be in bed at this time. My son is in preschool three days a week. On school nights, he, too, is in bed no later than 8:00. Occasionally, he can stay up late (about 9:00) when he does not have school the next day. But it's totally different than a 2 or 3 year old. I recommend keeping her in the routine. Once she starts school, she will need it!

My 2.5 year old starts winding down about 8:00 and then is usually sleeping about 8:45 / 9:00.

Hi A.,
My boys- ages 5 and 3 1/2 both go to bed at 7:00. They usually get up between 6:30 and 7 am. My older son (who just turned 5) goes to preschool a few mornings a week and needs to be there by 8:30. Otherwise we are home during the days. I like (ok, love) the "adult time" it gives my husband and I during the evening. It's obviously different for each family. That is just what works for us. :-)
It will be fun to see how your survey turns out!
Thanks,
Tami

We put our 20 month old to bed between 7 and 7:30pm, but he usually is talking in his crib until around 8pm.

My 16 month old goes to bed at 7:00 and my 5 year olds still go to bed at 7:30. We find that we really need the "adult" time at night! Is she still taking a nap? Maybe you could move that a little earlier in the day and it might help with bedtime? I've also found that a very consistent bedtime routine helps.

Good luck!
J.

my 21 month old every night goes to bed between 7:30 and 8 every night she will climb the stairs telling me she is ready.

my 3 year old i still fight with getting him to sleep he don't like to go to bed at all. i get him asleep about 9:30- 10 every night.