How long do your children sleep at night?

[lippintyna]

I thought I would post this thread as my DD (7yr old) goes to bed at 8.00pm and my DH has to wake her up at 7.30am the next morning.

We have been told by the school that she is having a sleep at school during class time. Apparently she complains that she is not feeling well and the teacher has said to go a rest her head in the reading corner. When the teacher checks on her, she is asleep. The teacher has advised us that she sleeps for about an hour, then is as right as rain. :confused:

Weird. I would have thought 11.5 hours sleep a night was a lot for a child of her age. Even if she mucks around and doesn't go to sleep until 8.30pm, that's still 11 hours sleep.

What do you all think?

[Wondermum]

Seems like a long enough sleep to me :yes:
Sometimes children's diet/ eating habbits have a bit to do with their energy levels. Does your DD eat well? Breaky etc..

[jasminesmum]

My 8yr old goes to bed at 8.30 and is usually awake by 6.30 in the morning.

Maybe she needs a multivitamin.

[RaryGirl]

My 8 year old goes to bed at 7:30pm (comes out again and again and again) then finally goes to sleep by 8:30pm. She wakes on school days around 7am. Any less sleep than this and she's unbearable.

[lippintyna]

Thank you for your responses. They are much appreciated. :yelclap:

DD usually eats well.

She always has brekky. Not as much as I would like (DH is home in the mornings and does the brekky thing with the kids-so most times, it comes out of a box or is toast etc). I would like the kids to have a more hearty brekky like spaghetti on toast or boiled eggs with toast etc. But that is going to be a losing argument.

We also pack a wholesome lunch with sandwiches, fruit etc and plenty of it. Usually she comes home with things left over, but I figure I 'd rather her have too much in her lunch box than her not have enough. Sure we put treats every now and then in her lunch, like a rollup or a mini milkyway but this is rare.

We started multi vitamins for the kids about 3 weeks ago (not due to sleeping issue) and this seems to be around the time that DD started to sleep at school. We seem to be getting a reverse effect.

I'm thinking that an appt at the GP is not a bad idea...maybe rule out other nastier things like diabetes, glandular fever etc.

[EskimoMumma]

Oh I hope it turns out that your DD is fine though. Really is confusing though.

To your question even though DS is younger he sleeps from 7.30-8 in my house and he always seems sluggish by the time around you said, maybe its Iron??

[MummyCharmzy]

My DS is only 3y8m but he sleeps 7 - 6:30 when DSS is here (4nights) and naps 3-5hrs each afternoon and when DSS isnt here to wake him he sleeps 7pm - anywhere from 9 -11am and then still naps for 3-5hrs in the afternoon

I know your daughter is a lot older but they're all so different she could just need some extra sleep. Perhaps make her bedtime 30 mins earlier and see how that goes and see if you can get her to have a nap as soon as she comes home from school too.. just a catnap, that might help her cope better at school.

I imagine when my DS starts school he will be basically coming home from school at 3:30pm and going to bed for the whole night, I don't see him outgrowing his extra long naps that quickly!

[pookiesossige]

I think that going to the GP is a good idea, she certainly seems quite lethargic for a girl her age.

My DS is two and sleeps from about 7.30pm to about 5.30-6am.
He naps during the day from (get this) 11.30am to 3.pm, I don't let him sleep longer then this during the day. He's just so flat out and himself out everymorning! I do wonder though if he'd sleep in a bit longer in the morning if I somehow made him sleep less during the day. But he loves his day sleep so much!

[lippintyna]

Well, an update for you all.

Took DD to the doctor today to discuss. He did a thorough examination and said that he does not feel that she has any major illnes like diabetes, glandular fever etc as she is just too healthy. He said with her weight good, her height good and she is generally active and well he thinks it is extremely unlikely that there is something physically wrong with her. He has given us a referral to get a blood test anyway and said do it an your next earliest convenience but he doesn't feel there will be any abnormal result.

He did also say that he feels it is behavioural. She has worked out she can do it a school and therefore is.

I do see where he is coming from with this as she has had trouble (especially last year in grade 1) with settling into school. She was continually in trouble last year because she said it was boring and didn't want to abide by the rules. She was constantly in the wrong play area etc. Last year she was faking being ill so that DH would stay home with her. When we cottoned on to that and stopped that she started going to school complaining of being sick and told the teachers that mum and dad said if I don't feel well to ring them and they'll come and get me. Several times this happened for either DH or myself picking her up to find her as healthy and lively as ever. So now we feel that this is just another trick in her repertior. This year she loves her teacher and is, most times, keen to get there.

But I must admit I am glad to have the GP confirm that she doesn't have anything wrong. I will get the blood test done just to finalise everything and confirm for sure that she doesn't have anything wrong.