Bedtime routine for 3 to 5-year-olds waking at 6:30am
With a wake-up at 6:30am, 3 to 5-year-olds should be asleep by about 8pm, so the 7-step routine starts at 7:15pm.
The routine, step by step (start 7:15pm)
- 7:15pmStep 1: Tidy toys away together5 min
- 7:20pmStep 2: Bath or wash15 min
- 7:35pmStep 3: Pajamas on5 min
- 7:40pmStep 4: Brush teeth with a grown-up finishing4 min
- 7:44pmStep 5: Toilet3 min
- 7:47pmStep 6: Two stories in bed10 min
- 7:57pmStep 7: Cuddle, night light, lights out3 min
About 45 minutes, 7:15pm to 8pm, lights out.
The sleep numbers
- Wake-up
- 6:30am
- Asleep by
- 8pm
- Healthy window to fall asleep
- 6:30pm to 9:30pm
- Wind-down starts
- 7:15pm
- Sleep needed
- 10-13 hours a day, including naps
From the bedtime calculator, aiming for the middle of the recommended range and allowing time to fall asleep.
Other wake-up times
- Wake at 6am: asleep by 7:30pm
- Wake at 7:30am: asleep by 9pm
- Wake at 8am: asleep by 9:30pm
- Wake at 8:30am: asleep by 10pm
TaskFamily runs this bedtime routine on your child's own screen, step by step, with devices-on-the-charger as a step and a calm finish.
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Step times are typical for the ages shown and clock times count from the time you pick; sleep ranges are the AASM consensus, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Nothing here is medical advice. The guide text is drafted with AI from these numbers and checked automatically before it is published.