My kids’ bedtime routine has stayed the same over the years: When 8pm rolls around, everyone knows it’s time to go upstairs, brush teeth, read, and go to bed. As they get older, it’s hard for me to know if I should heed their pleas to go to bed later.
What should What is bedtime for eighth graders? TikTok user @lexismoun has a novel solution: Ask her four kids what them Think their bedtime should be.
She asked the children, one by one, in descending order of age, what time they thought would be a good time to go to bed on a school night. Her eighth grader (soon to be 14) suggested 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
“My bedtime in sixth grade was eight o’clock,” he deadpanned.
“That’s what you get for being the oldest kid,” his mom said with a laugh, and let’s be honest, as an oldest kid and a mother of two: fact.
OP’s 4th grader thought 9 p.m. was reasonable, mom agreed, and the kid at home – a 6-year-old 1st grader – adorablely proved her inability to bargain effectively: When she proposed 10:30 p.m. When her request was denied, she retorted “12!” (Mom thought 8 o’clock or 8:30 was more reasonable.)
Honestly? These kids’ reviews are spot on!
According to guidelines set by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children (6 to 12 years old) in kindergarten through sixth grade need 9 to 12 hours of sleep per day.
Children in junior high school and high school (13 to 18 years old) need slightly less time: 8 to 10 hours is enough. The exact number depends on the situation and personal needs: some people need closer to 12, others can skate on less than 8 and feel fine.
The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that regular sleep deprivation is linked to poor concentration, behavioral and learning problems, and the risk of accidents and injuries. Unfortunately for our children’s natural circadian rhythms, the start of school imposes a set time for them have wake up. Experts, including those from the American Academy of Pediatrics, believe that school starts often too early and disrupts healthy sleep cycles, especially for teenagers.
In fact, in 2014, the AAP issued a policy requiring junior high schools and high schools to start classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m., but unfortunately, many schools did not heed this recommendation.
Still, there are things parents can do to help their kids get enough sleep. Establishing a regular routine, such as having the same wake-up time, meal times and bedtime “rituals” may help. It can also be helpful to get children physically active during the day (through play, sports, or other activities that provide movement), especially when monitoring their screen time usage. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping all screens, including cell phones and tablets) outside the bedroom. Definitely avoid overscheduling school-age children.
“They can’t play three sports, play in band, join a chess club and still get enough sleep,” said Dr. Lee J. Brooks, a member of the AASM panel and AAP Pediatric Pulmonology. Get good grades in school.”
But the American Academy of Pediatrics’ first recommendation may be the hardest for parents to follow: Get enough sleep family Priorities. In other words, remember that you are a role model and should set a good example. “Staying up late editing a paper with your child, or staying up late to work on your own doesn’t really send the right message,” the academy states in its guidelines. “Making sleep a priority for yourself shows your child that it’s Part of a healthy lifestyle is eating right and exercising regularly.”
AAP, why don’t you call us out? Shesh…
