What time does your 3.5 year old go to bed?

I've always been a pretty stickler on routines since they were born - as we all know, that's usually the best way. Bed time was no exception and I found that they did better on a routine and the earlier the better. Now, obviously that has been adjusted as they have gotten older.

Our girls go to bed at 7 every night. Around 6:30 we start clean up time, then we get PJ's on and read several books and they go to sleep at 7 and most night fall asleep rather quickly and sleep until 7-8:30 AM (we usually do bath either earlier in the evening or in the mornings as baths seem to wind my kids up). They do not take any naps now and go to pre-school 5 days a week from 9 AM to 1 PM. And they participate in gymnastics 3x a week for an hour each time.

So, this discussion has come up a couple of times in different situations at pre-school, etc and the other parents look at me like I'm crazy. One mom said her daughter (same age as mine) is a night owl and stays up til around 10ish each night. Others said more like 8:30-9 for their kids.

So, I was just curious as to what the average seems to be for this age group.

And my DH and I own our own business and I work from home and he is very flexible, so I understand if you have to do later because of working, commuting, dinner and everything else that has to be done, but I was just curious.

Thanks!

 

We try to have the girls in bed by 7:30. I have always been one to also try to stick with a schedule and put them down at the same time. Over the summer, they did get used to going to bed by 8-8:30 because we often were outside playing or on walks. Once fall hit, we moved it back to 7:30. Sometimes there are times on the weekends when they go to bed a bit later because we have been over at my parents.

 

We start bedtime for all the girls during the week at 7. With any luck they are in bed by 7:30, but it's sometimes more like 7:45. The reason for the early bedtime is that I wake them all up at 6:30 because we have to be out of the house by 7:45 each morning. On weekends bedtime is more like 8pm. Once school is out bedtime goes out the window! When there's no need to get up early, I don't worry about bedtime!

But 7:30 works well in my house!

 

My boys went to bed at 7pm sharp at that age and to be honest, tonight we finally decided to stretch it to 7:30 and they're 4.5 now! LOL!

 

Mine just turned 3, and I guess things might change in the next 6 months -- but at the moment they go to bed between 8-8:30. That's not to say they are asleep right away, but they're usually asleep between 8:30 (if they're really tired) and 9:30 (if they took a long nap).

They are going to bed/sleep about an hour later than they did a year ago -- it's been a big change. Partly it's that they are able to stay up longer and we take advantage of that to do more evening things (have dinner with friends, etc.) -- partly it's that our bedtime routine has gotten so much more complicated, it just takes way longer to get them to bed.

They do still nap (about 2 hours) almost every day, and wake up on their own at about 6:45-7:00. I imagine (hope) when they quit napping, bedtime will get earlier again. We can't really let them sleep later because of daycare.

 

My girls usually go in their room around 8:30. Some nights they come down to go potty again and again and wind up going to sleep later that 9.

 

All four of mine go to bed at 7:30. My girls are out in a matter of minutes but my boys tend to talk, play, potty time and time again. So they are our by 8:30 on a good night. We have always put the kids to bed early.

My 8 yo has really bad days if she is not in bed on time the night before.

And don't feel bad I get those looks as well.

 

My son will be 4 in December. We try to get him to bed, and then we start story time, between 8 and 8:30. We are flexible if we are out, or it is the weekend and we are doing something as a family. He still takes a nap (around 1.5 hours) and hits the floor running before 6 ish every morning (bleh.)

 

We head towards bed about 8 and they are usually asleep by 9. They don't take naps and they wake up around 8:30 a.m.

 

Since my guys are early risers and are always up b/w 6-6:30, they are in bed by 8, latest.
I usually start getting them ready (baths, book reading etc) around 7:15.

 

We start bedtime around 7pm and Sarah is usually out like a light by 7:15. Alex takes longer to settle down and it's usually more like 7:45 for him. Mine don't take naps and do preschool 3 days a week. Bedtime is pretty consistent, no matter the time of year or if it's a weekend, not only b/c they are tired, but also b/c I AM TOO!!

 

:wavey: Hi Wendy!! Great to see you again!!! :wavey:
We are 7:30 and only 8:00 if they nap or 7:45. I've been pretty stickler on that except for special circumstances. (Last night it was well after 9:00 and I am PAYING for it this morning!!!)

 

We try to get them into bed between 7:30 and 8 PM (all three kids). They usually sleep until about 7 AM.

Lately, it has been a little later. I started working for the holidays and head out at 6:30, my husband has not been a stickler for schedule as much as I would be and I had to talk to him about it, because I don't want their bedtime changing for all eternity. I'm home for the next two nights, so early to bed again!

My kids have stayed up later (10) on special occasions, but 10 every night seems so late for a 3 or 4 year old. Mine would never get up for preschool in the AM.

 

My DD is 3 1/2 but I usually put all of my kids to sleep at the same time, with the exception of my oldest DS, who is almost 5. Sometimes I will let him stay up 30 mins later. I usually try to get them in their room laying down between 8-830. I do work full time and we usually dont get home until almost 6 and we have dinner and baths and play, clean up, etc. . We also have to wake up at 6 am in order to get them to preschool and me to work on time. With this bedtime they still dont usually fall asleep right away and sometimes it is after 9, which makes for rough mornings. It takes mine a long time to wind down at night and I dont know whats worse.. letting them play longer to try to use their energy, and laying down later.. or putting them in bed earlier and having a VERY long bed time routine to settle down While in bed.

Oh yeah, and they sometimes stay up later on weekends b/c we are visiting friends/family, or just b/c we dont have to get up early so I will let them stay up about an hour later. The twins especially have to be asleep by 930 or DS will start fighting it and being VERY crabby.

 

So good to see you Wendy! I voted 8-8:30. I think you will see some variance depending on naps. Ours girls still nap 2hrs each day. I would love to drop the nap and get them to bed by 7:30. If we put them to sleep any earlier than 8 right now, they are up before dawn. We also have issues with Alex waking early and they always hear him. We are sort of in sleep hell right now so I guess I shouldn't have answered. lol.

Anyway, I think your routine sounds divine.

 

I used to be a sticker about the 7 p.m. bedtime and on occasion, still am, but for the most part, over the past 6 months, it's been pushed back towards 8 p.m. Most of it has to do with her and I spending alone time together, once the boys are asleep.

 

my kids go to bed about 7pm because no matter when they go to bed, they're up at 7pm.

as far as weekends, we try to keep them at the same time except when we are busy doing something we will allow them to stay up later.

 

We have the night owls here. The boys go to bed pretty late sometimes after 10-1030. I dont work and I'm not a morning person and neither are the boys. We have tried early bedtimes and they just dont work b/c regardless of the time they go to bed they dont get up until after 10 sometimes every 11am and they are just not ready for bed at an earlier time.

The are not in preschool or anything like that so they dont have to get up early. Over the next year we will be trying to adjust this bedtime b/c they cant go to bed so late and get up early for school but right now this works for us. I cant imagine having to get up before 9am.

Right now Im thankful they sleep late with me

 

We're also in bed at 7:00, usually asleep within 15 minutes, and waking around 7:00 am. No naps here.

ETA - I voted "other" for weekends. It just depends on what's going on. Sometimes we do go out and they won't get to bed until later. Bedtime was also more like 8:00 in the summer, but we were doing more stuff outside and it's hard to convince kids to go to bed when it's daylight out.

 

Up until my boys started preschool they always went to bed around 9-10 PM. Now they go to bed at 7:30 most nights.

 

Bedtime is 7:30. No naps here. They are up on most days by 7.

 

I wish we could have a real routine. I completely agree kids thrive on them. We have always had a pretty late schedule. DH is in retail and some days he opens and gets home at 7:00 and other days he closes and doesn't get home until 9:00. I never tried to keep them up for his late nights, but on the days he opened, I wanted him to get to spend some time with them. So, I moved bedtime back to 9:00. This way we could eat dinner as a family and then they could play with their daddy.

Now, I work two nights a week while they stay with my parents. I don't get out of work until 9:00, so by the time I pick them up and we get home, they aren't in bed until about 10:00. I hate it, but we need the money. I don't try to keep them up the rest of the week until that time, though.

As for weekends...we don't have normal weekends. DH works on Saturday and is off on Wednesday and Sunday. I also work every other Saturday. But, on Wednesday, we have church and often don't get home until 9:30. On Sunday we have church in the evening, too, but get home about 8:30.

Right now, our bedtimes look something like this:
Sunday: 9:30
Monday: 10:00
Tuesday: 9:00
Wednesday: 10:00
Thursday: 10:00
Friday: 9:00
Saturday: 9:00

It makes for some cranky kids sometimes.

 

I try to get DD in bed by 9:30. Before I had the twins I worked full time and so did DH. By the time we got home and had dinner and either played or had bath time (depending on the night) it was always late. As someone else mentioned, I am a night person (as you might be able to tell since I am replying to this at 1 AM). DD wakes up every morning between 8:30-9, regardless of when she goes to bed. The boys also usually let me sleep until about 8:30. I would rather that then 5 AM. She is not in pre school or anything and does not nap during the day. If she does take naps - even if only for 30 min - 1 hr - she won't go to sleep at night. She'll keep getting up for different reasons and stays awake til almost 11!! After 9:30 is my time to be by myself - or with DH. So staying awake till 11 just doesn't work for me. I think she will be starting pre school in January so I am going to try to move her bedtime a little earlier. Hopefully it works!!
Erin

 

Our bedtime was 7/7.30 at that age too, varied a little on weekends if we went somewhere, but I've always tried to make it the same time. Even now at 5 we aim for 7.30pm if possible. If its working for you I wouldn't try to change it, sounds like they need that amount of sleep.

 

My kids started going to bed at 7:30pm when they turned 3 (it was 7pm before that). Now that they're in school, their timing hasn't changed. They start getting read for bed at 7:15 and are done with stories etc. by 7:45 latest. They stay up late on weekends, but very rarely after 9pm unless we're out.

 

I voted 8 - 8:30 & other.

Bedtime is 8 pm for my 3 youngest and has been for a long time. On weekends we are a little more lax sometimes if we are watching a movie as a family, playing games, out @ friends, etc

 

My boys get up around 6ish for school so we start getting them to bed around 6:30. One is usually in bed by 6:45 and the other around 7.

During the weekends we let them stay up an extra 1/2 but not much later since they are usually tired by then anyway.