[jm3]

My 11.5 year old DD has always been an early riser (between 6:30am and 7) most of the time. For this reason I enforce 8:30 lights off on school nights. It takes her up to an hour to fall asleep though. I'm wondering what other say about bedtime or if I'm too strict...

[Procrastinator50...]

Seems fair to me. We are terrible getting our kids to bed early, I think we need a stricter time in our house as the kids get up really early even if they've had a late night.

You're doing well and the hour of quiet in bed won't harm her. Does she complain about the bedtime? Is she allowed to read in bed or listen to iPod etc?

[jm3]

My daughter is usually in her room doing something after dinner until bedtime. I enforce lights out at either 8:15 or 8:30 which means no further reading/ipod etc.

[titch482]

why dont you allow her an extra 15 minutes to start off with, but say the time must be spent reading or listening to musioc via an ipod or similar... jsut to see how she goes?
if she is laying there awake til 9.30 anyway, i'm not sure than 15 minutes of time well spent will harm her

[BadCat]

My 11yo son has an 8.30 bedtime. He is also an early riser and complains that he lies awake for ages in the evening. I let him. It won't hurt him.

If you were going to allow 15mins for reading after 8.30 that would be fine but I wouldn't be allowing ipod at that time. Music, or games which would be inevitable, would only serve to add further stimulation and make it harder to get to sleep.

[swimmingalong]

At 11 I was still sending bd to bed at 7.30.. and she'd fall asleep straight away.

Now at 14.5 she's going to bed at 8.30 but that's only been for the last 6 months.

my just turned 11yrold is still going to bed at 7.30 too.

[Nicole-Bris]

DS goes to bed at 8pm Sun - Tues (as I have work and he has to be up at 6) and 8.30 Wed & Thursday nights and normally around 9 on Friday and Saturday nights.

[howdo]

Bed time is 7:30. Lights out 8:30. They argue until 9

[Luvmy4]

My 11 year old has a 8pm bedtime with lights out at 8.30-45

[jofisk]

My girls have later bedtimes. DD1 turned 13, 4 weeks ago and she goes to bed after 10 pm, but no lights on after 11pm. She usually up at about 7.30am each morning, and during school holidays sleeps until about 8.30 or so. I had to move DD1 bedtime to after 10 pm as she would be up and down until after this time, by making bedtime at 10, she is allowed to listen to music, read and look after her horses on her DSi. All these calm her down for bed.

DD1 turned 10, 5 weeks goes to bed at 9pm every night and she is still up between 6-6.30 am. DD2 has no trouble going to sleep, usually her head hits the pillow and she goes straight out.