# How much sleep does your 7 year old need?



## hergrace (Oct 9, 2003)

I'm trying to figure out a reasonable sleep schedule for my kids now that the little ones have adjusted to their school year schedule and am starting to think DS1 could use a later bedtime. I'm terrified to get it wrong since he is such a beast when he doesn't get enough sleep.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

Mine seems to need about 10 hours.


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

Dd is nearly six and a half. She needs ten hours... probably a little more is ideal for her. It's hard to say exactly. She doesn't fall asleep quickly and I don't know exactly how long it takes for her to nod off after I finish reading, and she also functions pretty well when she's tired.


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## sewchris2642 (Feb 28, 2009)

According to this chart http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much...-need_64915.bc between 9.5 to 11.5 hours. How much your son needs is going to require some experimentation on your part. Start with whatever number of hours you think he needs, set his bedtime so he gets that number of hours. Then observe your son over the next few days. Is he waking up rested? Or does he seem to have gotten not enough sleep? If you think he needs more or less sleep, then move his bedtime accordingly. Dylan, at age 7, had a bedtime of 8:30 for 2nd grade. For 3rd grade, we moved his bedtime to 9 pm as he wasn't falling asleep until then. The time he had to wake up didn't change (7am). Now, at age 12, his bedtime is 10 pm and he needs to be up by 7 am. It works for him. He is more difficult to get up in the morning in the winter but that has to do with the fact that he is like me and we both have a hard time getting up while it's still dark outside.


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## starlein26 (Apr 28, 2004)

My son needs 10-11 depending on level of activity...


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## StephandOwen (Jun 22, 2004)

My son gets about 8.5-9 hours a night on school nights. He NEEDS a little more (I'd say 10-11 is about what he would do if left alone). But he will lay in his bed reading for 2 hours before falling asleep and I wake him up as late as I possibly can in the morning to get him to school so.... it is what it is.


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## JBaxter (May 1, 2005)

Goes to bed at 8:30 and reads till 9 and is up at 7. 10 yrs in general. I sometimes have to wake him but many mornings he is already up.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Eleven is average here, sometimes 10 on weekends.


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

DD is almost 7 and I'd say she needs 10.5-11 hrs/night.


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## SunshineJ (Mar 26, 2008)

DS is 8 and needs 10-11 hours per night. DD is 6 and needs 9-10 hours per night.


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## Vermillion (Mar 12, 2005)

My DS is 8 and needs 11-12 hours a night... The boy likes his sleep! Just like mom


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## emaye_to_2 (Jan 16, 2008)

10.5 hours. He is asleep by 9pm and wakes up at 7:30am.


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## Abraisme (Mar 8, 2009)

10-11 hours.


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## DariusMom (May 29, 2005)

DS is 7 (will be 8 in December) and 10 is about average and about right. If he gets less than 10 a few days a week for whatever reason, he really really starts dragging, melting down, etc. (and he's generally a super easy fantastic kid, so a melt down is a Big Deal for him).

I wish he had an easier time falling asleep at night, but it can take him a while and, unfortunately, he rarely sleeps past 7 or so in the morning.


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## mistymama (Oct 12, 2004)

Ds will be 8 in November and he needs around 10 hours. He goes to bed around 8pm and gets up for school around 6am. On the weekends he'll sometimes sleep in, even if he goes to bed around 8 .. but I'd say 10 hours is the average amount he needs.


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## Mackenzie (Sep 26, 2004)

At bare minimum he needs 10. His bedtime is at 8 and he gets up for school at 630. That is the absolute latest I can wake him...


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## nola79 (Jun 21, 2009)

My son will be 8 next month, and he goes to bed b/w 8 and 9, gets up around 7.


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## KyleAnn (May 24, 2004)

My ds is exactly 7 1/2 as of today...he needs 10 hours. He gets into bed at about 8-8:15, reads until about 9 and falls right asleep. He gets up at 7am for school. This seems to be perfect for him, and he is very high-energy all day long. If he gets say, 9 hours or slightly less, you can definitely tell he is more tired come the next night. It's a fine line.


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## Cascadian (Jan 28, 2009)

10 hrs. Probably needs 10.5, especially on busy evenings.


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## CJ's mommy (May 27, 2005)

My dd will be 7 in Nov. SHe usually gets at least 10, but would probably do better with 11 or 11.5

Erin


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I'd say my 7 yo needs 10-12 hours of sleep a night, leaning towards the lower end. He is almost always the first one to wake up (if they are left to wake up on their own). He just doesn't tend to sleep in as much as the others. Still, he doesn't get up any earlier than 8 am b/c he stays up until around 10 or so.


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## griffin2004 (Sep 25, 2003)

My Dd will be 8 in Dec. She can manage on 9 hrs, usually gets 10 hrs, and will sleep 11 hrs when left to her own devices.


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

10 is a bare minimum for my guy, and he'll sleep 12 if you let him.
My 4.5 yr. old needs a lot less sleep so it's hard to make sure my 7.5 yr. old gets enough, since they share a room.


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## 4Marmalade (May 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mistymama* 
Ds will be 8 in November and he needs around 10 hours. He goes to bed around 8pm and gets up for school around 6am. On the weekends he'll sometimes sleep in, even if he goes to bed around 8 .. but I'd say 10 hours is the average amount he needs.

Same here with our soon to be 8 year old. In bed around 7:30pm and reads for about 30 minutes. No sleeping in on weekends though. I wish







.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

DD1 is a bit younger-- she's six-- but she still sleeps 12 hours at night. She can get by on less, like ten or eleven, but after a few days it starts to catch up with her. When she's overtired, she gets edgy and cranky and starts indulging in behaviors she's long since outgrown, otherwise, like excessive whining and little tantrums.


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## gaudynight (Sep 10, 2007)

My 8 year old needs 10-12. The more, the better!


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