Late Bedtimes for 4 Year Old

My kids went to bed kinda late when they were little, whatever works for you. Just remember he should start kindergarten next year and may have to adjust his schedule. Mine did and it was okay.
(I had the only kids in the neighborhood that knew the Johnny Carsen Theme-- he came on at 10:30 here.)

I think if it's working for him, then it's fine and it doesn't really matter what others are doing. He should be doing what works for him and this seems to be working just fine. I don't know how somebody else should know what's best for your family. I think you may be worrying too much about what others think of your schedule. I say, who cares!! :-)

I have a 4 year old that has sleeping issues and doesn't go down until 9pm and he too will sleep til 7am. I see no issue with that if that's what works for your family and your son isn't too overtired.

My daughter is a night owl and always has been...and so am I. We have cut her bedtime back to a regular 10PM (and due to my work at home schedule, she often sleeps til 8 or 9). If we try to put her to bed earlier, she won't sleep and it's almost 10 by the time she settles herself anyway. Admittedly this also works better with our family, as often we don't get to sit down for dinner til 7 and then it's some family time, bath, books and bed.

Friends of ours have a similar home situation and a late-night child. I think that as long as you do consider your child's needs and activities and he or she gets enough rest, it's fine. I recognize that regular school will impact her schedule. When I worked FT, she was up at 6, but would often sleep in the car (both to and from) and there was nothing I could do about it.

Honestly, I'm fine with her sleeping later than some other kids. I know kids who go to sleep at 7 and are up at 5:30. Ouch. :)

Hi M., Honestly sweetie this is a personal choice, We started the bed time routine at 8:30 teeth brushing story and then prayer, bedroom light off at 9:00 and we turned the fish aquarium on said the i love yous. We had a time in our home in the evening when play time was over everything was put away and we settled down in the evening, but this was the rule in our house. From birth to about 18 months i rocked and sang my baby's to sleep, loved it, then after potty training we changed the bed time routine, It doesn't really matter M. what other kids are doing, every house hold is different, it's really all up to you and your husband as to what you believe is best for your child. J.

All kids and their need for sleep are different... My middle child still took 3 hour naps in addition to 11-12 hours of sleep all the way until she was almost 4... now only a year later she only gets 10 1/2 hours of sleep and she is totally fine. Also my 2 year old kind of adopted the same sleep schedule as my older ones because they all sleep like puppies piled into the same bed so she gets about 2 hours less nightly than the other ones did at her age but she still won't nap longer than 90 minutes. If he is not cranky in the day I would say its just fine :)

"Don't fix it if it's not broken." If it's working, I wouldn't be concerned.

My two oldest are 3 and 5 and go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00. My husband and I go to bed around 10 and really enjoy the 2 hours we have together. Everybody is different. I would try to aim for 8:30. Also, he may need some time to wind down...no TV, no toys, etc.

I agree with Melanie G.; if he seems well-rested and not tired during the day, then he's probably fine doing what you're doing. If he does seem overtired/cranky during the day, you could try establishing a regular bedtime at the same time every night, and once he's used to it he should be able to start winding down and falling asleep earlier. But again, if he acts fine during the day, then I wouldn't worry about changing anything.

sometimes you just have to go with the flow. my four year old's sleepiness varies. and so does his nap sessions. sometimes he will sleep for 3 hours and sometimes just 45 minutes. nut i try to have him in the bed around the same times that you mention and if he's not sleepy that's find but he know not to get out of that bed, and not to have any noisy toys ( ironman,the aflack duck, any toy that requires batteries and makes noise)lol. my son also gets up at 7:30 for school but he never gives me trouble in the morning, thank God! so if he;s not sleepy sometimes you can't do anything about it, but just put them to bed. good luck

if he's not getting up till 7:30 it's probably not "too" late. i assume you're not dragging him out of bed every morning, sounds like maybe you're a sahm? my 4 year old has to get up by 6 every morning due to me working, so he is in bed at 8 every night. so about the same. he normally will take a nap at preschool (an hour to an hour and a half) but on the weekends doesn't take one lots of times. we have "quiet time" and sometimes he sleeps, sometimes he doesn't. (has more to do with what we've done that day). each kid is different but it sounds about right to me. if you want him to go to bed earlier you'd probably have to start getting him up earlier.

Is he happy all day, not cranky, and "engaged" when he is playing or learning? Then don't worry about it! There is no "perfect" amount of time to sleep at night!

he is getting 11 hours of sleep - that is almost half a days worth... it sounds like plenty to me. The "time" doesn't matter near as much as the quality.

My daughter has a different sleep schedule at 2 then most other kids. she goes to bed at about 11:00- 12:00 pm with my husband and I, and she wakes up usually around 9:00- 10:00. Because I am a SAHM- we don't use alarms... so she wakes up when she is ready to wake up- her own natural timing.

Some days, she takes a nap. Some days, she doesn't. She knows what a nap is, and she'll ask for one if she is tired! When she is awake she is alert, engaged, happy, learning etc... THAT is how you judge if your child is getting enough sleep- not by the clock!

Who cares what the other preschool kids are doing? (I mean... they SHOULD all be doing whatever is best for them- and their families) What is "normal" is not always "right" or "best"- and shouldn't determine how you make these decisions. Instead judge based on your child alone, and what keeps him happiest and healthiest (which usually go hand in hand).

Good luck!
-M.

I clicked on your question thinking I was going to read about someone elses child being like my two year old daughter..who stays up until at least midnight, more often than not-its later than that!! ( I work second shift and we enjoy spending time together after a long day of her mama being away at work! Anyway.. lol to answer your question.. I dont think that time ###-###-####) is very late.. And as long as he gets the proper rest his body needs for his age..and he is not cranky or tired throughout the day I would say as a mom.. dont doubt what you think or feel as a mom because "other moms" do it differently.. Every child is different and every Mom is different....There is no manual for being a mom.. as there being no manual for being a kid!! Thats the best part about it!!

healthy sleep habits, happy child

go to amazon.com and order that book =D

it'll help you determine what's best for your child's sleep habits.

good luck

Routines are good for children....He should have dinner no later then 6 PM....have a nice bathe by 7:30 PM, brush teeth, have a story or a talk about his day, a drink of water and in bed no later then 8:30 PM.....No playing after dinner. A child that age needs the rest. Get him use to a schedule. Your rule NOT his preference.

Blessings.....