7 year old child - how much sleep does your child get every night?
I am frustrated because no matter what time he goes to bed (8:30 - 9:00 pm on school nights, often 10:00 pm on Saturdays), he is always up at 6:00, and his sister always hears him and gets up too. She has given up naps (she is 3, almost 4 years old), and she is so tired and cranky all day, but absolutely refuses to nap. She will fall asleep instantly in the stroller, but that is not always possible or convenient to work into my schedule (or the weather) every day.
I want to hear from other parents how much sleep their 7 year old gets. thanks!
Answer:
The amount of sleep recommended for most 7 year olds, on average, by pediatricians, is 10 1/2 hours. That means, if he goes to bed at 9:00 p.m., he should sleep until around 7:30. Going to bed at 8:30 would put him awake at 7:00 a.m.
However, this is an average, a recommendation at most, and some children, just like adults, need more or less sleep, depending on their individual metabolism. Your son is getting about an hour less sleep than the average, and that seems pretty normal.
However, the problem arises with your almost 4 year old, who needs an average of 11 1/2 hours of sleep. Try putting the younger child to bed an hour earlier than the older one, so that she can get that extra hour before he wakes her up in the morning.
Now, I am really not sure what the main issue is here. 6:00 a.m. is not very early for children to be awake, especially those of school age, who usually need to leave their home around 7:30. Get up with your children, and spend this extra time with them. It can be a valuable time of day, since they should be well rested and eager to interact. Make them breakfast, watch an educational program, read a few books, maybe? Another suggestion, if you're lacking time in the evenings, and have a surplus of it in the morning, is to wait until they wake up to give them their baths. You shower in the morning I am sure, so let them do the same. This will help them feel fresher in the morning, and more ready for the day, and will eat up some of the extra time you have as well.
Additionally, if you are not getting enough sleep yourself, try putting off some of your evening activities until the morning, when you'll have extra time because of their early awakening.
Good Luck!
A young child needs more than you do, but to much is about like getting not enough(you feel tired, etc.). Adults can get by on about 6 just fine although 8 is the norm. A young child should go with 8 but i wouldn't go too far over because of what i have already said.
My boys are 9 and 5 and they go to bed at 8pm and wake up at 6 am sometimes 5:30 am even on weekends when to go to bed a little late they always wake up early...I guess they're all like that...lol
Wow. I put my 7 year old to bed at 9. However, usually it's more like 10:00 or 10:30 before hes actually asleep. He could sleep until 11:15 am if I would just let him. On the weekends he will sleep that late. Mornings are h%** because I have to threaten his life to get him up & ready for school. He's always been a great sleeper. I would die if he got up that early every morning.
My son's sleep patterns haven't changed too much since he was 7. He'll be 9 in a couple days. His bedtime is 9 during the week. I get him up at 7 for school. He'll lay in there and play until 10-10:30, he thinks I can't hear him playing in there...lol. If him waking his sister is the problem, talk to him about how important it is that he not wake his sister up. Does he participate in any after school activities?? Maybe playing some kind of sport every day will tucker him out enough not to get up so early??
The average 7 year old should get 9 or 10 hours of sleep but, we as adults should get 8 and we dont. may be your son has something on his mind. a video game or he may be hungry I give my 7 year old a snack 1 hour before bed and tell him the longer he sleeps the longer i will let him play his X box... It keeps him quiet and he doesnt wake up his brother..
My niece gets up at 6 am, 7 days a week. She is 14 now, but she has always been an early riser. Now that she is older she has learned to stay quite in the morning and not wake everyone in the house.
My older son, who is also 14, has always been a sleeper. My younger son, who is 12, always woke up around 730- 8 am. I guess it depends on the child.
I would try talking with your son and see if he can be quiter in the morning. Maybe give him something to keep him occupied for an hour.
seriously, it sounds as if you are talking about my kids, my son is also seven and goes to bed at 8:30 every night except Friday when I will let him stay up until 9:30, gets up (on his own) every morning at 6:00 and will wake his sister in the process. She is three, and especially on school days (for her Mondays and Wednesdays) she really NEEDS to take a nap, but refuses. Usually by supper time she has crashed somewhere (last night it was on the den floor with her coloring books). And no matter how many times you ask them, seven year old boys just cannot be quite in the morning. But to answer your question he gets about nine to nine and a half hours of sleep a night. Must be something in their blood.
If he is going to bed at 10PM, waking up at 6AM means he is resting for 8 hours. That may be enough for him. Most children of school age need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per day, but they don't always get it all in one period, and some kids are just wired up to be early risers.
Rather than trying to keep in him bed when he can't sleep anymore, make a plan for him to get up quietly and either play quietly in his room or in another room of your home where his sister won't hear him.
Also, if he is hungry when he gets up, set a bowl of cereal out the night before with plastic wrap on it, and a training cup of milk on the bottom rack of the fridge; he can make his own breakfast this way.
Get a big clock for the play area with numbers and hands on it, and put red arrows on where the big hand and the little hand need to be before he can start waking the household or his sister. In this way, you are also teaching him the concept of time and how to read a standard clock.
Challenge him to be independent and a contributor to his sister's care: "she's still little, and needs more sleep than a big boy like you." You'd be surprised how helpful a 7 year old can be, given the right perspective on things. If the problem is his waking his little sister, then tell him not to do that, and more importantly, tell him why.
Finally, reward his efforts with special trips to the library to get a book he likes, trips to the park, etc. Or even having that precious extra hour of quiet in the morning with you all to himself. Do not reward him with toys or food. Reason being is that you are trying to employ his involvement in the family as a big brother, not bribe him to stay in bed.
Sounds like a lot of hassle, but with some patience and consistency on your part, it should work out well for all of you. It did with my kids.
And take heart, by the time he is 15 you'll have to drag him out of bed just to get him moving before noon! (LOL)
does he take a nap during the day or after school? that could effect it too.i know my daughter comes home after school and is very tired and wants to sleep sometimes. but she goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up at 6:45, and i still have a hard time getting her up with that much sleep. Another thing you could try if you haven't is cutting down on the sugar before bed, and try doing an activity, then give a shower or bath and then read a longer story. sometimes keeping them busy but not horsing around tires them out faster. if that doesn't work, maybe he is getting enough sleep, and then i would talk to him and just let him know that if he can't sleep in to get up very quietly as to not wake up his sister.
My kids always went to bed at 7:00 - my 7 year old twins still do - My 10 year old now is allowed to stay up until 8:00. The early bedtime was the best thing I ever did - now that they are in school they get up early with no problems!!
I have a suggestion about your son - why not buy him a clock to put in his room and tell him that when he gets up he has to do something quietly in his room until like 8:00 (or whatever time is good for you). You could buy him those look and find books - they keep kids busy for hours - or maybe a gameboy and tell him he can play but the volume has to be turned off.
Sounds like my 5 and 6 yo's. My 6 yo gets up early like that each day and wakes her sister. They should have between 11- 15 hours each night my doctor told me. He also said it varies from child to child as to how much they will need. The only thing I can do is stress to my 6 yo not to wake her sister. Because she's younger she needs more sleep. It works sometimes and sometimes not. Have you tried letting her choose where she wants to nap?? My 5 yo will nap on the couch quicker than in her own bed. Mom to 3 speaking here..lol.
My kids goto bed about 7:30-8:00.. get up for school around 6:45 even on the wkend they are up at that time.. Most of the time even if they can stay up later they dont. hehe I think thats good tho since that just means they are in a good schedual. I'd rather they wake up at 7am on a sat.. then stay up late.. sleep in til 11.. then when school comes back around i'm having to drag them outta the house by thier feet becuase the late night they stay up on the wkends and it messes there sched up.
My children who are 9/6/3 go to bed around 7 and get up around 6. I try not to let them stay up on weekends, just because they will not sleep in. My 3 year old does not take naps. Put them to bed earlier, as long as he does not get up earlier.
My 8 year old goes to bed at 8:30 and usually doesn't get up until about 6:30... children need at least 10 hours of sleep, according to pediatricians
My 7 yr old goes to bed between 8-8:30 on week nights and she gets up between 6:30 & 6:45.
On weekends if she stays up late, we might get her to sleep till 8.
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