When to put children to bed? Chart tells parents exact time for bedtime stories

Because rested children = rested parents

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Knowing when to put your children to bed is one of the many challenges of parenthood.

Tuck them in too early and they’ll be up at the crack of dawn, ready to wreak havoc and wake you up (and probably the neighbours too). Not to mention they might not be tired enough to fall asleep.

Let the little ones stay up too late though and they’ll be tired, irritable and grumpy the next day. Not fun.

You want to spend as much time with your kids as possible, but as any parent will attest, those few hours of quiet time in the evening once they’ve gone to bed are sacred.

It’s a tricky balance.

Thankfully then, one school has released a handy chart to help parents know when their little ones should be hitting the hay for optimum health.

The chart is very easy-to-follow and offers a clear guide - you simply cross-reference the age of your child with the time they need to wake up, and hey presto, you have the appropriate bedtime.

Created by Wilson Elementary School in Wisconsin, it’s been a huge success with parents, having been shared over 430,000 times on Facebook.

Although the chart was originally posted a couple of years ago, it continues to be shared today.

What’s more, many Facebook users tag their partners, friends and family members every day.

“Right on the money!” commented one man.

“I think this is great,” added a woman.

Some parents said their children were night owls and the timings wouldn’t work for them, but the chart does fit in with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ sleep recommendations for children.

They say that children aged three to five need 10 to 13 hours’ sleep, but six- to 12-year-olds should get nine to 12.