A Blog For Mums
There are a few words guaranteed to strike fear into a parent’s heart. “World Book Day costume,” for example. Or “school trip letter you were meant to sign three weeks ago.” But the biggest one, without fail, is “bedtime.”
For some children, it’s smooth sailing—pyjamas on, story read, lights out. For most of us, though, bedtime feels like a nightly tug of war. Another drink, another toilet trip, another question about how fast giraffes can run. And yet, as chaotic as it can be, bedtimes really do matter. Not just for your sanity (though that’s important too) but for your child’s health, growth, and general happiness.
So let’s chat about what time kids should be going to bed at different ages, why the experts recommend it, and why you don’t need to panic if your evenings don’t always run like clockwork.
When you’ve got a newborn, “bedtime” is more of a loose concept than a set time. They sleep when they fancy, day or night, and you just do your best to roll with it. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reckons newborns need anything from 11 to 17 hours of sleep across 24 hours. That sounds a lot, but when it’s broken into three-hour chunks, it doesn’t exactly feel restful for parents.
By the time babies hit around four to six months, things usually start to settle into more of a pattern. Many parents find that an early evening bedtime—say between 6 and 7 p.m.—works best. That lines up with their natural sleep rhythms and, handily, gives you a couple of quiet hours before you collapse yourself.
Fast forward a year or so and you’ve got a toddler who could probably out-sprint Usain Bolt on a sugar high. At this stage, sleep experts (including the NHS) say they need between 11 and 14 hours a day, including naps. Most do best going down somewhere around 7 to 7:30 p.m.
That’s the theory. In practice? Toddlers are experts at stalling. “I need a drink.” “I need another cuddle.” “I need to tell you about that bird I saw this morning.” It can be infuriating, but sticking to a consistent routine—bath, story, bed—does eventually pay off. Keep it calm and predictable, and they’ll soon start recognising the cues that mean sleep is coming.
Once they’re three to five years old, kids still need around 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day. That usually means a bedtime somewhere between 7 and 8 p.m. And while they might not nap much anymore, their brains are working overtime, so decent rest is crucial.
This is also the age when imagination really takes off. Wonderful for playtime, less helpful at 2 a.m. when they’re convinced there’s a dragon under the bed. A solid bedtime routine helps here too—keep things calm, avoid screens in the hour before bed, and maybe add a night light if they’re feeling wobbly.
By the time they’re at school, kids are juggling lessons, homework, clubs, friends, and the general business of growing up. No wonder the NHS says they still need 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night. Depending on your morning schedule, that usually means bed between 8 and 9:30 p.m.
Sleep at this stage isn’t just about recharging batteries. It’s vital for memory, learning, and mood. Teachers will be the first to tell you that tired kids struggle to concentrate. And parents? We can usually tell too, because tiredness and tantrums go hand in hand.
And then they get older, and suddenly bedtime becomes… complicated. Teenagers technically need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. But their body clocks shift, meaning they naturally feel sleepy later. That’s why your 15-year-old insists they’re “wide awake” at 10 p.m. while you’re fighting to keep your eyes open.
The experts suggest aiming for somewhere between 9 and 10:30 p.m., but this is where flexibility comes in. Homework, sports, and social lives all play a part. The main thing is encouraging good habits: limiting screens late at night, keeping bedrooms dark and comfortable, and not letting weekend lie-ins drift into lunchtime.
Across all ages, sleep does so much more than stop kids from being grumpy. It helps them grow, strengthens their immune systems, boosts their ability to learn, and supports their emotional wellbeing. There’s plenty of evidence to back this up—from the NHS to the Sleep Foundation.
That said, it’s really important to remember that these are guidelines, not rules written in stone. Every child is different, and every family has its own routine. If your toddler goes down half an hour later than “ideal” because that’s what works for you, that’s fine. If your teenager sleeps in on a Saturday because they were up studying late, that’s fine too.
Parenting isn’t about perfection—it’s about balance. The goal is simply to give children enough rest to thrive, while also keeping your household vaguely sane.
So yes, the experts recommend early bedtimes for little ones and sensible ones for older kids. But no chart or guideline can take into account the chaos of real life. If bedtime sometimes goes smoothly, count it as a win. If it doesn’t, tomorrow is another chance.
And remember—one day, they’ll be grown up and you’ll actually miss the requests for “just one more story.” (Well… maybe.)
Sleep
