How much sleep at 5-6 years?

**MrsFabuloso** · February 13th, 2013, 02:42 PM

My daughter has never been a big sleeper. But I am a little worried she's not getting enough sleep at the moment. She is 5, soon to be 6 in April.

I try to get them all to bed by no later than 7pm. I usually aim for 6.30 to be in the room, reading stories, we read 3 stories, then lights out.

We can be out of bed anytime from 4.30am, though that is usually DS2 who wakes at that time. If I can get him up and out of bed before he starts to get too loud, DD will sleep until 5.30/6ish. 6.30 is probably the latest she will stay in bed.

My problem now is that she has started big school, so is going 9-3 every day. Today is her 3rd day and she is knackered, which I know is normal for the newbies at school, but she was awake before 5am this morning, meaning she got about 10 hours sleep. I tried to lay with her and get her to go back to sleep, but she just tossed and turned until 5.20am when I got up with her. Is that enough for a child of her age. She is so grumpy and whingy today. I have a feeling she needs more sleep!

**Arimeh** · February 13th, 2013, 02:47 PM

She probably needs a little more, DS goes to bed at 7.30 - but can sometimes fall asleep at 8 or 8.15 (40 minutes trying to get him to sleep is the norm here) and wakes around 6.

So he gets around 10 hours max (he also wakes up during the night).

**Ginger** · February 13th, 2013, 03:02 PM

My 5 year old goes to sleep about 8 or 8.30 and gets up at 7am. It sounds like she needs more sleep in the morning. I don't know how you achieve that though!

**RhiChiChi** · February 13th, 2013, 03:17 PM

My 5 year old goes to sleep about 8 or 8.30 and gets up at 7am. It sounds like she needs more sleep in the morning. I don't know how you achieve that though!

Same as Ginger. DD is not a great sleeper though & tends to come in with us after midnight

**BhoysGirl** · February 13th, 2013, 03:44 PM

we get around 10 hours a night from DS1 who's 5.5, and also just started school, usually 8pm-ish til 6am. This is what he's done for months, so I kind of figure it's his pattern. The whinginess I'm putting down to a) his nature and b) time at school where he spends 6 or so hours trying to behave as best as he can. He's exhausted when he comes home, but putting him to bed any earlier isn't yet working. I secretly think a child that sleeps from 7-7 is a myth made up by delusional sleep deprived parents

although I am willing to concede that they maybe do exist, I just got a very short straw when it comes to children & sleep. It's early days yet with the whole school thing, another 12-13 years or so it will probably all be worked out

**Snacks** · February 13th, 2013, 04:06 PM

Nat really varies with her sleep. Sometimes she is awake until quite late (9ish or *gulp*, later). In bed, but still awake. However the following night she will likely be asleep by 8. She tends to wake about 6:45/7am. And some days she does a catch-up sleep where she will have maybe 11-12 hours in one night (if she doesn't wet the bed, that is :/).
I think Lil's probably just really tired from the new routine. Nat went through it too, and last week was the same again. She was really tired, regardless of how much sleep she was getting. 10 hours sounds reasonable to me (if it's solid & not broken), with a longer night here and there to catch up. Hope she is enjoying school

**Mildez** · February 13th, 2013, 04:09 PM

My DD is the same age as your's. She will be 6 in April and just started Kinder this year. She goes to bed at 8pm and is usually asleep by 8.30pm. She sleeps until her older sister wakes her when she is getting ready for school at around 730am. During the school holidays she can sleep until 9am. If she goes to sleep at her own accord and wakes up without been woken she sleeps around 12hours.

**Chocaholic** · February 13th, 2013, 04:22 PM

My 6 yo goes to bed around 8pm, asleep by 8.30pm. He will wake up at 6am, 6.30am at the latest.

When he started school, I found he was exhausted for the first few weeks, and once he got into the routine of school, he was fine.

**LimeSlice** · February 13th, 2013, 04:27 PM

DD1 is in bed by 7pm, I try and make sure we do story time and everything no later than 6:45, always light out before 7:30.
She is up at 7am if I wake her, but will sometimes get herself up at 6-6:30. She gets about 10.5 hours on average I would think.

**onthefly** · February 13th, 2013, 05:21 PM

There's no research to tell us how much kids need at any age, so you have to just be guided by her. Hopefully, if she needs more she'll start sleeping a bit longer in the morning and/or go to sleep sooner in the evening.

**Ca Plane Pour Moi** · February 13th, 2013, 05:40 PM

Liebling (6) is usually asleep for 8pm and up about 7am (about 11 hours a night). This has been the case from about age 4 and will continue until he needs less sleep.

Sometimes he is asleep for 7.30 (rare: bedtime starts around 7pm), sometimes he's up until 9pm (with lights out at about 7.30). Some days he's up at 6am, other days sleeps in until 8.30. But he's rested and happy and learning, so I figure he's getting enough sleep for him. When he started school, the first few months had lights out at about 8pm and he was up at 6am. He slept in at weekends, bless him, that was just a little bit too little for him on a regular basis.

FWIW, Liebling is up in the night still, but he can go to sleep late, wake twice and be up early, or he can ask to go to bed, sleep through and lie in the next day. Depends on how much sleep he needs at that time.

**MrsFabuloso** · February 13th, 2013, 06:12 PM

Thanks everyone. Maybe she is getting enough then. It might just be that school is wiping her out. Apparently she is an angel at school (thankfully!) and absolutely loves it, but when she comes home she's horrid! I have started giving her a bath on her own after she has her afternoon snack, to help her calm down and relax a bit before she interacts with her brothers, otherwise she's saying and doing horrible things to them and making them cry!

I can't make her sleep (God know's I have tried through the years!) and hopefully she will regulate herself to catch up and get enough.

**No.5** · February 13th, 2013, 06:15 PM

DS sleeps about 9 hours a night.

He still wakes up most nights and comes into our bed.

**Snacks** · February 13th, 2013, 07:07 PM

The whole 5 days per week of school thing is freaking relentless. She probably gives you & the boys a bit of trouble because she feels safe to do so. Hopefully things settle down soon. x

**OceanPrincess** · February 13th, 2013, 08:21 PM

... I secretly think a child that sleeps from 7-7 is a myth made up by delusional sleep deprived parents

although I am willing to concede that they maybe do exist, I just got a very short straw when it comes to children & sleep...

Slightly OT - they do exist. My niece, coming up to 5, sleeps 7-7 every night, rarely wakes. Non-kinder days (4 out of 7) she has a nap. Anything from one hour to three. And still goes down at 7, and sleeps til 7.

I kid you not.

ETA - my kids, though genetically made from similar material, do not do this. My big two have only just gone down about 9.30pm after DS1 had a twenty minute nap in the car and DD decided if he wasn't sleeping, she wasn't sleeping either. And they will still be up in the morning at 6.30.