What is a suggested bedtime for a girl who is nearlly 11

perplexed · Post by **perplexed** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:09 pm

Dear Vetgal
I think you should approach this question "scientifically" to see if you are getting enough sleep.

You should wake up naturally on a school day, i.e. without an alarm clock or a family member shouting at you or lobbing a wet sponge in the direction of your bed. If at your current going to sleep time this is already the case, then don't worry about it.

Otherwise, set your alarm clock for the time you need to get up to get to school in time. Then each night, turn your light off and try to go to sleep ten minutes earlier than the night before, and so on. Do this until you reach the point where you are waking up naturally without the alarm clock every day.

If you do lots of exercise any particular day you will need to go to bed earlier that night.

There is no point in anyone on this website telling you a bedtime as we don't know what time you need to get up, or what your natural sleep requirement is.

If you don't need much sleep, but your parents want you out of the way, go up to your room and read some good books in bed - don't watch telly or go on the internet. If you are sleepy you will probably drift off while you are reading, and you will be learning something at the same time ...... good thing for a future bet (sorry meant to type vet).

Good luck.

vetgal · Post by **vetgal** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:53 pm

That's a great idea perplexed
I think I'm gonna try that but the problem is I wake up naturally in the morning anyway although seeing as when I go to bed 11pm I know it's late I don't think that is the time to go to bed! lol Fantastic idea

medwaymum · Post by **medwaymum** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 8:03 pm

I think rather than worrying about what is the 'best' time to go to bed/sleep, you should be thinking about what are the 'best ways' to get to sleep. How to relax.
Reading, whether its books, comics, books of interest, my son draws in bed with a soft light on, he finds doodling very relaxing. Also the library lend audio cds - they are extremely relaxing to listen to laying cosily in bed! A warm drink, etc.
Once you are truly relaxed then you can go to sleep at a decent time.
Good luck.

perplexed · Post by **perplexed** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:09 pm

Do you feel tired Vetgal? When you are studying do you feel like if you were able to have more sleep you would study better?

If so, waking naturally in the morning may not be the right test!! Perhaps your clock is just "set" wrong by habit (your body clock, not your alarm clock!). Do you wake naturally all the year round or just in the summer months when it is light in the morning? Is it other things happening in the house that wake you up? If you were in a silent dark box would you sleep longer in the morning?

vetgal · Post by **vetgal** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:15 pm

I don't get tired till really late and if I go to bed early I don't get to sleep and in the morning I sometimes wish I had gone to bed earlier even though I know I wont get to sleep

perplexed · Post by **perplexed** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:42 am

Dear Vetgal
It sounds to me that if you sometimes wish that you had gone to bed earlier, that you do sometimes feel tired with your current amount of sleep. But your problem is getting to sleep any earlier than your current time.

I suggest that both you and your parents read a book called "Solve your child's sleep problems - the complete practical guide for parents" by Dr Richard Ferber published by Dorling Kindersley. Although a lot of it is about young children, the general scientific information about sleep is relevant to all ages, and later on in the book there is information and advice relevant to older children and adolescents.

But if you are functioning well, don't let it bother you too much. You may turn out to need tonnes more sleep during adolescense, who knows. And you may turn out to be one those lucky adults who can work long hours and play long hours and not feel tired.

Good luck.

overpeck · Post by **overpeck** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:23 am

hi everyone well i wish i had found this thread ages ago. i am an appeal mum who has found the forum sight very helpful but it hasnt helped my bedtime routine as it is addictive. i have two girls 10 and 14. 10 yr old goes to bed at 9 ish and 14 yr old 10 ish. However some nights i fall asleep before both of them and they have to send me to my bed......

laid back son worried mum · Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:33 am

It's not rea11y addictive... think of it as nationwide meditation, co11ective hysteria...what kind, sweet girls you've got.

laid back son worried mum · Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:49 am

I was going to add..cyber support and communal neurosis...but I fe11 asleep.

I think you did too....

T.i.p.s.y · Post by **T.i.p.s.y** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:57 am

My mum used to go to bed at 9:30pm when I was 14 and she was out like a light 5 minutes later, which meant I could sneak out at 10pm and not get back in until 1am!