Survey reveals British parents spend nine days a year putting children to bed

Bedtime can be stressful for some parents, as children would much rather stay up late than go to bed on time! In fact, a survey has revealed that parents spend nine days a year trying to get their little ones to sleep.

According to a new survey by Compare The Market, bedtime is a struggle for both children and adults.

The survey quizzed 1,000 parents of children aged between three and 10 years old on typical bedtime routines and habits.

It revealed that on average, it took respondents 34 minutes to get their children ready for bed. This works out at roughly four hours a week.

They also looked at the common excuses children give for not wanting to go to sleep, and we bet some of these sound familiar!

Being hungry, needing the toilet, being scared of the dark were among the top answers, and over 50 per cent of children simply say they are ‘not tired’.

70 per cent of children in the survey couldn't sleep without a toy or comforter, and over one third needed four toys or more in bed with them before they could sleep.

Read more: The best children’s audiobooks for bedtime

Parents aim for an average bedtime of 7:50pm, but research revealed that the average child goes to bed on time just three times.

Child sleep specialist Lauren Peacock told Compare The Market,  "Bedtime procrastination is one of the most common sleep challenges parents encounter with young children, and is likely to be particularly prevalent as children return to school this month.

"Amongst the most effective tools for avoiding bedtime battles are a calm and predictable pre-sleep routine and establishing a solid bank of multi-sensory sleep cues, such as a favourite bedtime buddy or comforter, to signal to a little one that it is time to snuggle down for sleep."

If you're a parent of a baby, you might benefit from our ultimate baby sleep guide. We know it can be stressful, but we're here to help!