We aim for the recommended hours per age, so our 5th grader is lights out at 8:30 (goal, not always achieved), and 8th grader lights out at 10 absent extra homework. Both get up between 7 and 7:30 (they walk to school with an 8:45 first bell). Unfortunately, we just got a new sport schedule, and there will be a few days per week when the oldest doesn't get home until almost 9 p.m., so it will be highly unlikely that he'll fall asleep by 10.

Summer depends on whether they have to get up in the morning or not.

Anonymous wrote:My DD had a TON of homework in 6th grade and was often not finishing until midnight.

What time did she start her HW? Just asking because it seems odd that a 6th grader would have 6-7+ hours of HW (assuming they got started around 5 or 6).

My suggestion: this last week before school begins, adjust their bedtime earlier to the point where they wake up naturally at more or less the right time to get ready for school. That's the right amount of sleep for them. As you get into the schoolyear, if you have to drag them out of bed in the morning, they probably need an earlier bedtime.

School year:

2 nights/week 9:30-9:45 (due to late sports practice)
3 nights/week 8:30 (no sports practice)

10pmish on the weekend year round

Have to be up at 6:30 for school.

Summer S-Th - in bed by 8:15ish and asleep by 8:45ish. Have to be up at 7 for camp.

10pm

My DD had a TON of homework in 6th grade and was often not finishing until midnight.

My 6th grader goes to bed at 9 and wakes up at 6:15

Anonymous wrote:Your 12 year old is ok going to bed at 8:30 in the summer? We don't even eat dinner until 7 or later.

Yes. Both kids have the same bedtime, except the 7 year old wakes up earlier. Once or twice a week there's a movie or something that pushed back bedtime, and during the school year, sometimes he's had to finish homework late.

To answer the other PP's question, DS has had this routine for many years, so in his case he hasn't needed to increase his sleep time.

My DS is going into 7th grade this year. He needed a lot more sleep this past year and it turns out he had a growth spurt (he is really short so 2 and a half inches in one year is a growth spurt for him). During the school year, he goes to bed at 9:00 and wakes up at 6:30. His summer bedtime is 10pm. He sleeps in a lot during the summer/weekends.

NP with follow on question -- I've read middle schoolers need more sleep than elementary kids. Has Anyone found this to be true or applied this to their kids?

Your 12 year old is ok going to bed at 8:30 in the summer? We don't even eat dinner until 7 or later.

It depends on the individual, OP. Children often replicate one of their parents' sleep needs.

My 12 year old and I need a lot of sleep. He goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 7 right now, but I know he takes a long time to fall asleep. Hours are about the same for vacation and school, because we don't do well with big changes in routine.
My 7 year old needs relatively little sleep and falls asleep rapidly. She spends less time in her bed than the 12 year old.

Pp again. Summer bedtime is around 10 but all bets are off during sleep away camp, sleepovers, trips to grandparents, etc.

School starts for my middle schooler at 7:50 am. He starts getting ready for bed at 8:30 pm with complete lights out and silence by 9.

My kids are about to start 6th and 8th grades. Curious what time kids this age typically go to bed (both during the summer and the school year). Mine are pushing to go to bed later and later and not sure what is reasonable.