My kids are 5 and 20 months but they go to bed at the same time. They go in the bath at 5:30 and are in bed by 6/6:15 and asleep by 6:30. DD (20 mths) gets up at 5 am and DS between 6 and 6:30.
And when you say go to bed, you all mean they are awake, you are putting them in bed with lights out etc.? DH has always taken extra time to fall asleep and has memories of laying awake in his bed as a kid for long periods. We have discussed it is healthy to go to bed awake and that what he experienced is not the norm....long story short....he likes to put the boys to bed and let them watch a show until they fall asleep and then turns lights out. I say we put in bed and they can have 1 show and then lights out regardless if awake or not.
Screen time actually encourages poor quality sleep. Tv should be off at least two hours before bedtime.
My youngest passes out quickly but my oldest sometimes takes a little time. He has stuffed animals/toys in his bed he can play with by night light until he falls asleep. Kids are in bed by 8 no matter what.
Post by cabbagecabbage on Mar 9, 2015 9:01:35 GMT -5
My H thought *all* kids had a TV in their room but I quickly showed him that's a hill I'll die on. I feel DD gets more screen time than I'd like and she even sometimes watches until bedtime but never will she have a TV in her room.
Eta an answer to the question. DD is 2 and a half. She sleeps approximately 8-7 and usually has no nap. Sometimes an hour nap.
I would definitely stop letting them watch TV as they fall asleep. Like kimbus I'm not insanely strict about TV. But at 4:00 the tv goes off. An hour before bedtime you should start turning lights and sounds down to help then transition.
When I say go to bed I mean that DS gets in bed with a small dim light and 2 books. He typically reads for 15-20 minutes and then falls asleep. He's going through a fear of the dark phase so the light stays on.
DD still typically gets rocked to sleep but I'm working on breaking that habit
My DD (7, 1st grade) is in bed by 8:00 on school nights, 8:30 on Fri/Sat nights. She gets up at 6:45 on school days and is usually up by 7:30 on weekends. She does have a tv in her room, but she's not allowed to watch it at bedtime. She really only watches it on Saturday mornings (she's usually the first one up and doesn't like to go downstairs alone) and when she's sick. If she's in bed early, she can read until light's out.
My boys (18 months) are in bed between 8:00 and 8:30 and usually wake between 7:30 and 8:30. They also take a two-hour nap daily. They go down awake with a sound machine on.
We start bedtime at 7, both kids are asleep by 7:30. Sometimes DD takes a little longer, especially if DH is doing bedtime. DD gets read to, and then one of us stays and snuggles with her until she is drifting off (usually a couple of minutes). She's usually headed towards sleep, but still awake when we leave. DS is still nursed/snuggled to sleep.
DS (2) is in bed at 7:30-8. The girls (4.25 & 6.5)go to bed to read at 8:00, lights out at 8:30. It takes a little longer if DH does it.
I'm also on the np TV in the kids' bedroom side. It's hard enough to get them to do lights out for reading. I can't imagine if the tv was in there. Several of my friends have tvs in their young children's rooms and every single one of them has bedtime and sleep troubles. Maybe it's not the tv, but it probably isn't helping.
All 3 go upstairs around 6:30 to get ready & read books. I'd say they're all asleep by 7:30 at the latest. The baby sometimes goes up earlier if he's tired. They get up between 6 and 7.
I am aware about TV not being good before bed, we should switch it for books. We just got the boys bed lamps with dimmers last week for that purpose. All 3 kids are up between 630 to 7 and if all are dressed and fed before we need to leave for preschool ( 2x week) or before DS1's bus, then the older two get tablet time. They get tablets again at 3 when DS1 gets home from school, before we do homework. I would say from 4 till shower time at 7 they are just running around playing if we are home, otherwise we are out for an activity.
The kids all 3 still seem to have lots of energy and the younger 2 definitely like to get playing time in with DS1, which contributes to their being energetic at 7. It has seemed the TV helps to calm them down. I think the key is to turn it off after one show. I agree books are better, they just won't calm down and sit for books as well. Everyone is asleep by 830. I am not worried they won't fall asleep, I think they will. DH just has those childhood memories and doesn't want our kids laying there awake in the dark for long periods. I have told them that would not be common for them and even if it were, it is a time to daydream and not a bad thing.
It may not be the amount of sleep they are getting but the quality due to falling asleep to the TV. How long is your DS sleeping?
If you feel they need to burn off some more energy then remove the tablet at 3 and use that as playtime. Move the tablet to the other end of the playtime before the shower? If the tv is settling them the tablet should do the same but earlier in the day instead of at bedtime.
Ditto this, it's not the hours they are sleeping but quality. Poor quality sleep might not affect a kid when they're waking up but it can contribute over time to poor attention span and problem behaviors. Even an hour before bedtime can affect melatonin.
if reading isn't effective as a transition activity from being up playing to lying down what about yoga? Play doh? Coloring? Building with Legos?
For my 3.5 year olds, we do bath, two books and a devotion, then two songs, pray and bed. We start that at 7, so they are in bed by about 7:30, usually asleep at 8. They get up at 7.
Post by notreallyirish on Mar 9, 2015 12:20:24 GMT -5
I agree about no tv in the room. I let my kids watch downstairs right up until we go up at night but if they watch in the bedroom it usually keeps them up (we've tried this on bad nights when they've come in our room or on vacation and it doesn't work well). DS1 is more likely to have night terrors if he falls asleep watching tv, although I'm sure that's also related to falling asleep on the couch then being moved to his bed.
DS2 is 19 months and I take him up at 8 and read and lie in bed next to his crib until he's asleep which is 8:30ish. He wakes up around 7 and takes a 2 hour nap usually. DS1 is almost 5 and goes up to bed 8:30ish or sometimes closer to 9. DH or I stay with him until he falls asleep which is usually by 9 or 9:30. He wakes up about 7:30.
My kids are 1, 3, and 5 and they all go to bed at 7 and sleep all night. The baby usually goes to sleep about 30 min earlier than the other two but they are all in the same dinner bath bed routine. The baby also naps about 2 hours in the mid morning. My 3yo could still use a nap most days but he gave them up completely at about 20m.
And when you say go to bed, you all mean they are awake, you are putting them in bed with lights out etc.? DH has always taken extra time to fall asleep and has memories of laying awake in his bed as a kid for long periods. We have discussed it is healthy to go to bed awake and that what he experienced is not the norm....long story short....he likes to put the boys to bed and let them watch a show until they fall asleep and then turns lights out. I say we put in bed and they can have 1 show and then lights out regardless if awake or not.
I have not read all the responses yet but the TV is a huge issue. It's a stimulant and it makes for poor sleep through the night. I watched way too much TV growing up, I can't believe my mom let me. The last TV should be before dinner, bath and bed. That gives them time to wind down. My kids will NOT falls sleep in front of the TV, they want to see every last minute. They usually go to sleep awake after the lights are out of fall asleep during the last story.
DS is a month away from 4 and has an 8pm bedtime. I'm pretty strict with screen time and usually he gets it when I'm making dinner. Once it's dinner time it goes off for the rest of the night. 6pm dinner, then we do a board game, shower/bath, then books or play with dad if DH is home. Teeth, potty, go outside to say good night to the moon, lights out. He's usually asleep in less than 10 minutes.
Getting some fresh air right before bed is wonderful for DS and totally calms him down especially if DH has riled him up with play.
Post by expectantsteelerfan on Mar 9, 2015 13:04:18 GMT -5
Mine go to bed between 7 and 7:30, although at this I believe ds stays up a bit after we put him to bed. He has a radio in his room and he listens to that or looks at books. I think she's usually asleep by 8.
Post by justbecause on Mar 9, 2015 13:08:41 GMT -5
My boys are almost 2 and 4. Ds2 goes to bed at 6:30-7. Ds1 goes to bed at 7-7:30. They sleep until 6. The toddler naps for an hour in the early afternoon. I turn the television off at 5 for dinner, play, stories, bed. Ds2 goes in the crib and plays until he's tired. My preschooler gets an extra story, one game, and then gets in bed.
What about a projecting night light? DD has a night light that projects Spiderman onto the ceiling. It was around $8 at a local hardware store. It has helped so much.
ETA: Both of my kids go to bed between 8-8:30. Dd wakes up around 7:30/8ish and DS still wakes 2+ Times but usually sleeps until 8:30-9+. Maps are hit or miss though. Sometimes he takes 2 sometimes one long one. It just depends.
And when you say go to bed, you all mean they are awake, you are putting them in bed with lights out etc.? DH has always taken extra time to fall asleep and has memories of laying awake in his bed as a kid for long periods. We have discussed it is healthy to go to bed awake and that what he experienced is not the norm....long story short....he likes to put the boys to bed and let them watch a show until they fall asleep and then turns lights out. I say we put in bed and they can have 1 show and then lights out regardless if awake or not.
I have not read all the responses yet but the TV is a huge issue. It's a stimulant and it makes for poor sleep through the night. I watched way too much TV growing up, I can't believe my mom let me. The last TV should be before dinner, bath and bed. That gives them time to wind down. My kids will NOT falls sleep in front of the TV, they want to see every last minute. They usually go to sleep awake after the lights are out of fall asleep during the last story.
I watched way too much tv growing up and sadly I still always fall asleep to a tv show on my phone. I struggle with chronic fatigue and you think that would be the kick in the ass to change but nope. I did make it a mission to do better for my kids. I don't blame my parents because they didn't have access to the research we have now.
DS currently sleeps from about 8:00 to 6:30. He did have an earlier bedtime (7/7:30) but he was taking forever to fall asleep and waking up at night a lot. The later bedtime is better for him...although I do miss the extra downtime.
I don't mean to pile on, but rather make sure you understand the negative impact of the tv at bedtime. If your husband is such a rational guy show him the research. G has a bug that projects stars and you can set it to change colors. Maybe something like that would be a good transition from tv.
*my kids watch entirely too much tv and DO have a tv in their room that they occasionally watch DVDs on, and even I won't ever let them watch tv to fall asleep.
ETA to answer your actual question we start getting ready around 730- 745 and are done with stories and songs and lights are out by 8-830 but my H doesn't get home until 630, so that's when we eat dinner. Its pretty much dinner, a few minutes to play and then getting ready for bed. H does most of the bedtime stuff. They are up by 645-7 and both still nap 1-2 hours
My DD (7, 1st grade) is in bed by 8:00 on school nights, 8:30 on Fri/Sat nights. She gets up at 6:45 on school days and is usually up by 7:30 on weekends. She does have a tv in her room, but she's not allowed to watch it at bedtime. She really only watches it on Saturday mornings (she's usually the first one up and doesn't like to go downstairs alone) and when she's sick. If she's in bed early, she can read until light's out.
My boys (18 months) are in bed between 8:00 and 8:30 and usually wake between 7:30 and 8:30. They also take a two-hour nap daily. They go down awake with a sound machine on.
The bolded is EXACTLY my DD1, who is the same age. And actually, the part about your boys is pretty much my DD2, but she is 2. IN bed by 7:45ish, asleep by 8:30 and up between 7-8. Naps from 12:30-2:50 on school days (I hve to wake her to go pick up DD1 from school), and about the same amount on the weekends.
Post by fancynewbeesly on Mar 9, 2015 19:03:33 GMT -5
Reese is 3.5. We start bedtime routine about 6:15-6:30; lights out between 7:00-7:15. She falls asleep right away. She doesn't nap during the week.
On the weekend if she does nap, we usually start bedtime routine around 7 and bedtime at 7:30. Unless we are out later.
Lately she has been using the Ipad more than actually watching TV. But that is usually for about 30 minutes when we get home; and then it goes off for dinner (which is about 6); and then starting the bedtime routine.
She wakes up around 6-6:15, but can't come into our room until the owl (okay to wake clock thing) turns green at 7 o'clock. When she comes in our room she has to be completely dressed and ready for the day. (she choses her clothes and gets dressed). Before I go to sleep, I put her Ipad back in her room, so that in the morning when she wakes up she can play with it a little.
But she DEFINITELY won't have a TV in room until WAY later. DH still likes to fall asleep to the TV in our room, and I just can't seem to break him of that habit. I prefer a quiet room.