A young girl watches television at night. She then sleeps in her textbook during the day.

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Should Bedtime Be Later?

December 7, 2020

Millions of kids are learning from home as schools work to prevent the spread of Covid-19. With new routines in place, many kids now have later bedtimes. Some doctors say it’s OK to go to bed a bit later—as long as you sleep later in the morning. They recommend that third-graders get 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night.

Others argue that kids should keep the same bedtimes as when they were attending school. Experts say that elementary school students who stay up later than 9 p.m. might not be getting enough rest. That can make kids less focused and moody.

Here’s what two of our readers think.

Kids should be able to go to sleep later if they’re doing distance learning. After all, they don’t have to wake up as early as they used to. There’s no need to spend a lot of time getting dressed or driving to school. That saves a lot of time.

Going to bed later also gives us more time to do the things we love to do. These past few months have been stressful. An extra hour each night to watch movies with my family or play video games helps me relax.

Going to bed late makes it harder to get up in the morning. Even if you’re going to class in your living room, you still need to wake up pretty early. I try to keep a steady sleep schedule so I am rested and ready for the day. When I go to sleep later, I wake up feeling grouchy and tired, and I can’t concentrate.

Plus, some health experts say that losing too much sleep can make it harder for your body to fight off illnesses.