The 7pm Bedtime
Why is 7pm a great bedtime? (And when is it totally fine for a later bedtime?)
*** When I say 7pm bedtime I DON’T mean your child must be asleep by then. It will usually take some time for them to fall asleep so as long as you shoot for having them in their bed around 7pm it’s all good! ***
I’m sure you heard it when you were a kid, that around 7pm was bedtime. Then as you got older, that fateful day when your parents would agree to let you stay up later and later! Best day ever. Then you take them up on it and stay up late but you’re tired and ready for bed anyway haha!
So why is 7pm that sweet spot for bedtime?
Is it because it’s the perfect time for a child’s biological sleep rhythms?
Is it because it builds a proper routine as the child gets older and has to go to school and such?
Or is it because if the kids are in bed by 7pm, that gives parents lots of time in the evening to themselves?
The answer is .. all of above! Honestly
When a child’s internal sleep rhythms are developing, the outside world and routines train it per say.
Yes, your body will naturally sleep no matter what… however if you didn’t keep an eye on the outside world and how it’s influencing that child you could end up with a child who has a reverse schedule. Where they sleep during the day and are awake at night and that is VERY hard to break once it’s established. That’s why I focus on describing how setting up a good routine from the get-go is important.
So when is 7pm NOT an appropriate bedtime?
When you have a newborn. They sleep and eat through the day and will usually go down for bed anywhere between 9-11pm. So while I talk about 7pm bedtimes here, just keep in mind that I’m talking about kids that are a bit older.
As your child gets older, 6 weeks or even earlier, you want to slowly move their bedtime earlier and earlier so that by 4 months they’re going to bed around 7:30-8pm. This usually will happen naturally as their naps become more and more established and you have a handle on their appropriate wake windows.
Then from there till they’re older, you want to shoot for that 7-7:30pm bedtime.
7pm
(because it’s a good time to encourage proper sleep rhythm development AND sets a good routine)
Late bedtimes can cause early rising (earlier than 6am) and more night wakings because it promotes a cycle of overtiredness.
→ Around 7pm the sun goes down, so it’s biological. Our bodies start releasing sleepy cues and hormones around then so it makes sense to have babe down at that time. If a child goes to sleep around 7pm and wakes anywhere between 6-7am it gives them lots of time to get through all their sleep cycles. It also gives some wiggle room for wakings in the night.
→ It sets a good routine because if a child has to start going to school and they have to wake up around 7am anyway… they’re already in that habit, plus their body is ready for the day because they got a good amount of sleep.
→ If a 6 month old goes to sleep around 9pm and doesn’t fall asleep till 9:30pm, two things may happen.
They will sleep in.
They wake at 6am and still be dead tired so they get settled and sleep till 10am. (their night sleep will blend into their first nap of the day)
This might not seem like a “bad thing” per say - however if they didn’t get any awake time in the morning before their 1st nap, it will snowball into the rest of the day.
They won’t sleep in.
They will wake at 6am - because that is when the sun comes up and their internal clock is trying really hard to battle the tiredness - and they will start the day tired and already cranky because they didn’t get a full night’s sleep.
7pm
(because it gives parents some time at night to themselves)
→ That pretty much says it all!
→ Yes, if you have younger babes, you’ll have to feed or have a night waking to attend to in the span of when you put them to bed and when you head to bed. However it definitely gives the family some time without babe.
So if you find yourself suspecting your child might be going to bed too late… ask yourself if you’ve seen any of the overtired signs (unexplained night wakings/early rising/ behavioural aspects that arn’t them- like extra cranky or angry).
Then slowly begin to move your bedtime earlier! It’s as simple as that I promise.
Move bedtime slowly : 15 mins at a time and keep it at that new time for a few days before bumping it down again.
Then once you’ve reached your ideal bedtime, give them time to adjust. At least a good week for them to settle into their new routine, before you think it didn’t work and something’s wrong. Their routine will need time to re-settle, because even though an earlier bedtime is better for them in the long run… their body is USED TO that other schedule.
If you would like some extra guidance and support in the transition or maybe you’re not sure if your child needs to be going to bed at a different time.. Hit me up!
Anything I can do, so that you feel more confident in your child’s sleep health.
