The ideal bedtime is different for every family, but a chart suggesting when you should put your kids to bed—and justifying those times—is making waves among parents on the internet.
From getting kids to fall asleep to squeezing in family time before getting tucked in, picking the right bedtime can be a struggle. An elementary school in Kenosha, Wisconsin made waves when it shared a bedtime chart in 2015 telling parents when their kids should go to bed. The chart has started circulating on social media once more, where the conversation is picking up steam with over 400,000 shares on Facebook.
photo: Sam K via Unsplash
Parents are apparently very divided when it comes to the times the chart suggests. Some say the chart is totally unrealistic to the schedules of most families with parents working full-time and kids fitting in homework and extracurricular activities before what is deemed to be a too early bedtime. “Here’s an idea don’t give my child four hours of homework and then maybe they’d be able to go to bed on time,” one parents posted.
Others—including teachers—support the chart, commenting that it’s just common sense and lines up with the nightly amount of sleep recommended for kids at various ages.
One comment said, “As a teacher, let me just say, there’s just not a lot of common sense out there. Charts work for some people. When I say to your student they can’t put their head down and take a nap in class and they respond that they’re so very tired that they can’t stay awake. Something like this could be beneficial for that parent to see. Some of my friends keep their elementary children up WAY too late. I understand. People work—someone (mom or dad) don’t get home until 7:00 p.m… I get it you want to spend time with them. But it does your kid no favors.”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics the ideal amount of sleep for kids are as follows:
- Infants 4 months to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps).
- Children 1 to 2 years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours (including naps).
- Children 3 to 5 years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours (including naps).
- Children 6 to 12 years of age should sleep 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours.
- Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours.
—Shahrzad Warkentin
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