What is a good bedtime for an 11 year old?

Question

he will get up at around 6 no problem with no alarm clock and he needs to leave for school at around 7:45... He wants his bedtime to be raised from 9:30 to 11 do you think this is okay?

Answer 1

Can he get up when he needs to get up consistently if his bedtime is 11 pm?  

My 11 year old daughter goes to bed between 9:30 and 10:00 pm and has to be up at 6:00am every morning.  As long as my kids are  up and ready for school on time I don't really set bedtimes.  All three know what time they have to be up and they know enough to be in bed so that they are able to get up.  I don't do battle with them getting ready in the mornings, I don't have time since I have to leave for work myself.  

Answer 2

I think thats too late. I say 9:30 is plenty late for an 11 year old.

Answer 3

I'd keep the leash short, or next year he thinks he has the right to stay up all night.

You have already given him 21:30 which I think is late... but once give you can't take it back.

In your case I would give him an extra 15-30 minutes (max), but with a catch: No TV.

Answer 4

I think 9:30 is a good time. My daughter is 9 years old and she knows her TV is off at 9 so she tries to get in bed by 8-8:30 to get some TV time. On weekends I let her stay up anywheres between 9 and 11 depending on how early she got up and how cranky she is....

Answer 5

No, I think 11 is too late.  I'm assuming you mean just on school nights?  I know every kid is different, but my daughter at that age went to bed around 9:30.  I'm sure there were nights she didn't fall asleep right away.  Maybe you can compromise and try 10:00 for a few weeks?  

Answer 6

An 11 year old needs more than 7 hours of sleep.  9:30 is fine if he can get up in the morning but why doesn't he just sleep later if he doesn't have to leave until 7:45?  My 10 year old needs to leave at 7:35, wakes up at 6:45AM and goes to bed at 9:30

Answer 7

I think 10 would be a good time. You would be giving him a little extra time, but not too much. He is still young and needs his rest for him to function properly through the day. He is using his mind a lot at school. so he needs to be alert.

Answer 8

I would send him to bed at 10 and tell him NO tv.  

Answer 9

Remember that 8 hours of sleep is a healthy, average amount.  Small children need more and most adults need less, so the in between can sometimes be tricky, I can understand.  I would do a "test drive" for a week and see how things work out at home and at school.  Perhaps talk to teachers at the end of the test week and simply ask "how was my son this week academically and behaviorally?  As long as things seem to go as scheduled sleep-wise, then an 11:00 bedtime is alright.  If he: a) falls asleep before 11 on the couch, or at dinner or something  b) wakes up grouchy and zombie-like  c) seems to be falling behind in school  then  maybe it's time you enforce an earlier bedtime.  I would suggest incremental decrease rather then back to square one so that your child feels he has strong influence over his own life, and its changes as he grows and develops.  For example, if 11 seems its too late and you're experiencing difficulty with it, then say  to him "let's try 10:30 for a week and see if this issue resolves itself"  

Before changing the bedtime to 11 though, I think telling him the three things you're watching out for (early dozing, grogginess, and school effort) will help him become comfortably adjusted to the new schedule, and understand what he's got to do to earn that bedtime.  This also will make your child feel trusted by being granted the right, and then earning the right to keep it by keeping up his end of the bargain.

Hope this helps! I'd be very interested to see if you implemented any of these suggestions :)

Answer 10

I think 10:00 is an acceptable bedtime, and tell him you are going to

"try it out" because if he doesn't handle it, it's back to 9:30 and if he does it well, you might consider 10:30 but don't just switch off to 11:30 because it's a big adjustment and it's hard to change your routine overnight like that.  

Answer 11

I never had a bedtime. My parents said I can stay up as late as I want, I just still have to go to school on time and can't sleep in class.

Answer 12

I think 11 might be a little too late. Typically preteens still need about 8 hours of sleep. Since your son wakes up easily maybe 10:30 wouldn't be so bad.

If you slowly increase his bedtime instead of jumping up to 10 or 10:30 directly it will help his body adjust easier. You could also try making it a reward for something. For example, say every time he gets a good grade on a test then you raise it 15 minutes until you've reached the desired bedtime. He will probably appreciate it more because he earned it.

Answer 13

no way, if hes getting up at 6 he needs to be asleep at nine

Answer 14

My brother just turned 12. Neither of us ever had a bedtime, my parents trusted us to turn off the tv or stop reading when we were tired and as long as we woke up on time, there was no problem. My brother stays up til 11 on Mondays because his show is on, but most other nights he goes to bed at 9 or 10, sometimes even 8. I think you should make him get in bed at 10 and say he can stay up reading until 11. Reading is relaxing and more then likely he'll fall asleep before 11.

Answer 15

I thing 10 o'clock would be the best time. That way he will get 8 hours of sleep as well as going to sleep a bit late.

Answer 16

i personally dont think 7hrs of sleep is enough...we need at least 8. maybe test this out by raising his bedtime to 11 on the weekend nighs? or just leave it at that all together. if he wants a raise maybe just a slight one, such as 10pm. an hour and a half raise might shake up his body's routine.

Answer 17

8:30

im 13 and have to go at 9:30

to early mum,just to early :D

Answer 18

i think if he does not have a problem getting up for school then i would put bed time at 9:45. If their is still no trouble getting up to catch the bus them put bed time at 10 but no later kids need their rest to do well in school.

Answer 19

I think kids should not ask for anything they should be quite and obedient.  

Answer 20

I don't know....I have an almost 11 y.o. and I  still make her be in bed at 8:00  She may read for a little bit(15-20min) but then she is asleep.  She gets up at 0615.  I think at 11 yo, 9:00 would be the latest I would allow them to stay up. Their bodies are growing, and this is the time their brains need to be recharged. They are learning tons in school and need the sleep. It's for their health,, you know.  

Answer 21

I think 9:30 is is great time, kids that age are growing so rapidly they dont realize how much sleep their body needs, your 11 year old's sleep need are actually increasing because he is entering puberty. Maybe increase it to 10pm but 11pm is really a strech.

Answer 22

No..

11 is too late but i would definitely raise it from 9:30..

Maybe 10 or 10:15

:D

Answer 23

an 11 o'clock bedtime would give him 7 hours of sleep,. everyone even adults need more than that.  an 11 yr. old should be getting at least 10 hours of sleep each night.  I think 9:30 is even a little late, I try to go to bed at 9:30 and I don't get up until about 6:30 or 7.  I would even suggest pushing bedtime back to 9 so he can get at least 9 hours.

Answer 24

I think you should say be in bed by 10:30 but asleep by 11.

Answer 25

I think 10:15 would be a good compromise.  But if he seems tired and not getting up when he is suppose to...switch it back to 9:30

Answer 26

He should go to bed around 10:00 on school nights.

Answer 27

10 should be the latest. children need more sleep than adults, adults should get atleast 6-8 hours of sleep. children in school need about 8-10.

Answer 28

whenever he wants to

try it out and he will spend a night or two staying up as late as he can but then he will realise he is tired and go to bed at a suitable time for him.

Answer 29

I'm going through  the same thing with my daughter and i compromised wit 10:15 . on school nights and 11:00 on weekends. I know 10:15 seems like an odd number but I make her turn tv, games computer off at 10:00 and then she has 15 min to wash up for bed and get in bed. good luck this age is ffrustrating

Answer 30

I would insist that he gets 8 hours of sleep. Try 10 and see how he does