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Parenting

10th Jan 2020

Bedtime chart shows the exact time you should put your child to bed, according to age

This chart will be very useful.

Anna O'Rourke

Of everything we can do for our kids, making sure they get the sleep they need is high on the list of priorities.

Sleep is key for your child’s heart health and attention span and helps to promote learning, growth and a healthy weight – not to mention a well-rested kid is always more contented.

Bedtime can also mean a break for parents after a long day – but when exactly should that be?

Opinions differ on when exactly to put a child down for the night, or even whether there should be a set bedtime at all.

If you think your little one (and the rest of the family) would benefit from the routine of going to bed at the same time each evening, this handy chart might help you to figure out what time is best for them.

Shared online by a primary school in Wisconsin, the chart rightly notes that younger children need more sleep than older ones.

It also recognises that the right bedtime depends on when the child woke up that morning – so if he or she had a super-early start to the day, you should be aiming for an earlier wind-down time that evening.

Actually sticking rigidly to these specifics might be wishful thinking but this chart does provide at least some guidance and will help you to decide what’s right for your family.

The char isn’t a new one but having spotted it resurface online again recently, we figure it might come in useful for any parent wondering when exactly their child should be winding down for bedtime.