Do children more tired once at school?

[Skang]

When little children start preschool/school are they likely to need more sleep and be able to get to sleep earlier?

[Zappo]

Well my DD is pretty exhausted after school. She's usually very tired, emotional, lethargic, whingy in the hours between school and bedtime. She goes to bed between 6.30 and 7pm and falls asleep within 5 minutes of me putting the light out.

[Skang]

Was she like that as a toddler or did she go to sleep later then?

(sorry about the stupid title, Are children more tired it should have been).

[hopenglory]

My youngest didn't sleep a full night until she started school

[meditrina]

I remember vividly how my eldest, despite having done 3-4 (working) full days at nursery for months was absolutely zonked when he started reception, even though it was a shorter day. So yes, I think they can become very tired when there is a big change to their daytime activities.

But they bounce back really quickly.

[PoppyWearer]

My DD started school in Sept and gets more and more tired as the week progresses. By Weds/Thurs she asks to go to bed rather than being told, and by Fridays doesn't even need a bedtime story to go to sleep. She then recharges at weekends.

Also sleeping through 80% of the nights since starting school. Before it was more like 40-50%. She only wakes due to bad dreams now.

She has also been much more tired since regular P.E. sessions kicked in.

[Zappo]

She's goes to sleep early but does wake at 6/6.30. We all get up early for work etc so suits us.

As a toddler she always went to bed reasonably early 7/7.30 I think (it's hard to remember) but when she was nearing the end of needing a nap she would often take 2 hrs to fall asleep (despite only having 40 mins nap). This was a very difficult period for us as we thought she was showing tired signs yet she wouldn't sleep. If we didn't let her nap in the day she would be very grumpy.

When she started preschool and dropped her nap (around 3) she went to bed much quicker in around 5-10 minutes (after stories etc).

Are you having sleep issues with your child?

[Anja1Cam]

I'm with Zappo to the letter. My kids have always been good at going to bed by 7-ish but were definitely much more tired after starting school. The older one even stopped waking up so very early. Unfortunately that's not worked for DD2 who's started reception this year.

[Skang]

I'm just kind of wondering what the future holds really. I can't get my toddler DD to sleep before 8pm no matter what time we start the routine, not unless she has only had a really short map during the day. I'm just wondering if it will always be like that. I hate the idea of her still sleeping at 8pm when she's at school!

[Zappo]

Depending on her age , you could try dropping the nap completely. Then she'll probably drop off early. In fact you'll then have to avoid coming back in the car at 4pm in case she drops off on the way home.

I think most reception school age children start needing more sleep so I think early nights might be ahead of you. Hang in there!

[PoppyWearer]

My 4yo still holds out to 8pm and later earlier in the week (in spite of my attempts to get her down earlier). What she then does is sleep a bit later, so 7am rather than 6.30. It makes mornings quite frantic, but I have tried everything to impose an earlier bedtime and she just won't/can't comply!

But by Weds/Thurs she will happily ask to crawl into bed by 7.30 and have even known her to get into bed and fall asleep at 6pm. Then wake up at 7.

[Tertius]

My son only ever needed ten hours sleep and would sleep 8 to 6 until quite recently. Now nursery is tiring him out (half days there) he sleeps 11 or sometimes 11.5 or even 12 hours!

You may find it changes sooner than school and for the better.

My son is nearly 4 and I think he just needs more sleep for his brain. He tired us out SO much when he was a baby and toddler!

[Skang]

She's only 15 months at the moment so to young to drop it yet.

Thanks all, you've given me hope!

[Zappo]

Ah at 15 months-018months we went through a sleep regression with DD2. She often didn't sleep until 8.30 or later on days she got really overtired or had a late nap. We spent hours going up and down the road in her buggy to get her to drop off. I was known to take her out at 3am some nights as she used to wake up and be ready to play for an hour.

Things settled down again as she neared two years old.