Bedtime and Routines?

[JulieBaby]

Mom (like always) is getting on my case about the twins bed time. Before their new bed time they were going to sleep between 9-10 and up at 10, leaving me with no time to get things done around the house because I was sleeping until late.

Now theyve been going to bed at 7-7:30 (8 iftheres a special situation) and the are up by 6-7. Mom is constantly telling me how 'wrong' it is to put them to bed so early. I know I am doing the right thing, because they are in better moods during the day, the nap more easily, not to mention waking up early get ME in a better mood because I have extra time to do things around the house. Also, once the babes are asleep I can get an hour or so of alone time with SO, whichjust makes my day.

Just wondering, what time are your kids asleep, and how old are they? Do they nap during the day? For how long?

Also, any bedtime routines?

One more question, how can I get DS on the 'let go to bed early'routine. He refuses to go to bed before 8:30, no matter how early he has woken up during the day!

[SingingMom]

You know, it just doesn't matter what anyone else does. It is working for your family. Your Mom needs to quiet down.

[JulieBaby]

I know, ive told her to quit, IM the one that needs the quiet time. Last time she mentioned it I told her i'd gladly give her all 3 boys from 6pm to 10pm so I could get some quiet time in and she let the issue go :)

Just wondering what different bed times (if any) does everyone else have for their kiddoes and if it makes any difference in behavior?

[SingingMom]

Oh, yes. My kiddos do quite a bit better with early bedtimes. All of them. Right now, the older kids (7 and 8) go to bed, with the lights out, at 9. The younger ones (shamefaced grin) hit the sack a little later. But the younger ones nap for two to three hours during the day.

They all get up with the sun.

[still_me]

Well move over in the wrong boat...

We put DS2 down anywhere in between 7-7:30 and DS1 down between 7-8. They both are up around 6:30. On rare occasions they sleep in.

DS2 (19 months) takes a 1-2hr nap mid-morning. I am lucky if wild child, DS1 goes down (4yrs old). He'll only go down when he has been running around like crazy.


We don't put them down later because if we did we'd never get alone time. Also, if they go to bed later they are still up at 6:30. Sleep deprivation effects them greatly!

[BeanBabies]

Jack is 6 months and goes to bed around 7-8.

Bean and Gums whenever. During school, 9 sharp.

[MadisonsMommy]

Mom (like always) is getting on my case about the twins bed time. Before their new bed time they were going to sleep between 9-10 and up at 10, leaving me with no time to get things done around the house because I was sleeping until late.

Now theyve been going to bed at 7-7:30 (8 iftheres a special situation) and the are up by 6-7. Mom is constantly telling me how 'wrong' it is to put them to bed so early. I know I am doing the right thing, because they are in better moods during the day, the nap more easily, not to mention waking up early get ME in a better mood because I have extra time to do things around the house. Also, once the babes are asleep I can get an hour or so of alone time with SO, whichjust makes my day.

Just wondering, what time are your kids asleep, and how old are they? Do they nap during the day? For how long?

Also, any bedtime routines?

One more question, how can I get DS on the 'let go to bed early'routine. He refuses to go to bed before 8:30, no matter how early he has woken up during the day!


Maddie is 11 1/2 months and goes to bed between 6:45 and 7:30pm. She is up for the day between 6 and 7am. She takes two naps during the day. On around 9-10am and another from like 1pm-3pm. Maddie get a bath and a book while she nurses then it is off to bed.

[Jacksmommy]

Your bedtime routine is working for you. That's all that matters. Here we have a later bedtime - usually around 10 unless no nap and then it's 8.

[Sashahomeschoolmama]

Yeah, your mom should butt out (I know, preaching to the choir).

My kids are 9, 7, and 4. The 7 year old likes to be in bed by 10 or so (it doesn't get dark here until about 9:40 right now; he's generally in bed shortly after dark year-round). He doesn't nap. The 9 and 4 year olds go to bed a little later--we generally get the nighttime milking done at about 10:30. The 4 year old likes to help and then he goes to bed when we're finished. I lay with him while dh strains the milk and cleans the equipment.

He usually doesn't nap during the day if we're at home. If we go somewhere, though, he's a car sleeper.

I alternate bathing days, giving the boys a bubble bath together one night and dd a shower the next night. The boys and I usually read a chapter of whatever book we're reading (Little House in the Big Woods right now) before bed. Those are about our only routines.

[Crabbie]

We put dd to bed at 8:30 most nights. Any earlier than that and she'll lay there for hours and later than that and she starts climbing the walls with her second wind.

[kohlby]

DD goes to bed at 7:30 and gets up between 6:30-7:00. She is 2 and doesn't nap.

At the same age, DS went to bed at 10pm and got up at 8-8:30 and didn't nap.
At 5, DS goes to sleep at 9pm and is up 6:30-7:00.

You do what works.

My MIL has told me that she's never heard of a 2 year old not napping. While my mother tells me that I and my brothers gave up naps before 2. I found that if my kids napped, they actually got less sleep in 24 hours than if they didn't. That was the time when I realized the struggle to get them to nap was no longer worth it.

[cream_city]

For years, I had a 7 pm bedtime, so it certainly doesn't seem early to me.

My son is an EARLY riser, and seems to get up early regardless of bedtime. Daylight savings time is a very long, difficult adjustment period for us. Anyway, when he first gave up all naps a year ago, he would go to bed at 6:30 pm. He got up at around 6 am regardless of what time we put him to bed, so we moved his bedtime earlier so that he could get as much sleep as possible. My husband and I had flexible work schedules, so we felt like we got lots of time with him during the day.

Now, at 5, bedtime is at 7 pm, and he usually looks at books and plays with his stuffed animals in bed for maybe a half hour. He gets up at 6:15.

I like having the evening with my dh -- it is nice to have some time for just the two of us. I'd go nuts if Simon were up until 9 at night! (I go to bed by 10 pm)

[J-A-N-E]

I say whatever works for you as well. Both my girls (14 months and 2-1/2yr) have been going to bed between 9pm and 10pm. They would wake between 6am and 8am.

They both just started daycare and I need to have them at school anywhere between 630am and 730am for me to get to work for 8am. DH leaves at 530am.

So we started this week with the girls going to bed by 8pm. Well DD2 goes to bed at 8pm. My 2-1/2 yr old stays up a bit longer with us but it has to be lights out by 9pm. She sleeps in our room in a toddler bed and we still have to sing her to sleep most nights.