How many hours of sleep at this age
9 to 12 hours a night
These figures follow the Canadian Paediatric Society's guidance for school-aged children. Every child is different: some need 11 hours, others do just fine on nine and a half.
Typical struggles, and what to do
Big questions once the light is off
You have just closed the door and a small voice asks: "Are you going to die too?" At 7, children understand that things end, and bed is where it surfaces. Answer short, true and reassuring: "Yes, one day, but a very long time from now. I'm here." No big explanation at 8:00 pm. Offer to talk about it again tomorrow at breakfast, and actually do it. If the worries come back every night and cut into sleep, talk to your family doctor.
Activity nights
Karate ends at 7:00 pm, the drive home takes twenty minutes, and Jules is still wired in the car. On those nights, forget the full routine: light supper before the activity, quick shower when you get home, teeth, then straight to reading. Bedtime can slide by 30 minutes, but no more. Stick to one or two activities a week at this age; a 7-year-old who goes to bed at 9:00 pm three nights out of five shows it in their mood by Thursday.
Just one more chapter
Now that they follow longer stories, the end of the chapter always comes at the wrong moment. "Just one more chapter!" Set the rule before opening the book: one chapter, and if the chapter is long, you stop at a page marked with the bookmark. Let them place the bookmark themselves. Waiting for the next chapter is not a problem; it is the pull that will bring them back to bed tomorrow without a fight.
A 20-minute routine that holds up
A 20-minute template for a 7-year-old who gets up around 7:00 am. On activity nights, keep the last three steps and drop the rest.
- 6:45 pm
The calm hour begins
TV and tablet off until tomorrow. During this hour, the noise level of the whole house drops too: softer lights in the living room, quiet music or none. At 7, a child cannot wind down alone in a house still running at full speed.
- 7:25 pm
Shower or bath, pyjamas
Many 7-year-olds switch from bath to shower this year. Five minutes, warm water, and the pyjamas are already laid out on the bed. If they dawdle, a kitchen timer replaces the reminders: the timer does the nagging, not you.
- 7:32 pm
Teeth, bathroom, water
They brush alone now, but you check with a quick look. A glass of water on the night table settles the 7:50 pm request. One last bathroom trip, even if they say they do not need to go.
- 7:37 pm
Two minutes to empty the head
Sitting on the edge of the bed: "What made you laugh today? What was boring or hard?" Two minutes, no solutions, just listening. This is where the big topics come out, before the light goes off instead of after.
- 7:40 pm
One chapter, then lights out
They read the first paragraph out loud, you read the rest of the chapter. The bookmark marks the end, and they place it themselves. A hug, the good-night sentence, lights out at 7:45 pm. The night light stays on if it helps.
One chapter a night at 7
At 7, your child can read a short passage alone, but a whole story still tires them out. It is the perfect age for first chapter books: an adventure that carries on from one night to the next, with chapters of five to eight pages. Let them read the first paragraph or the first page, then take over. They keep the thread, feel they are part of it, and the pleasure of the story stays intact.
At the start of the chapter, ask: "Where were we yesterday?" Summing up the story in two sentences is a great comprehension exercise, without it feeling like school. Keep a picture book they adored at 4 around too. They will reread it alone, fast and proud. Shared reading should not stop because they "can read now": this is when it turns into a conversation.
Questions parents ask
What time should a 7-year-old go to bed?
For a 7:00 am wake-up, aim for between 7:30 and 8:00 pm. A 7-year-old who falls asleep at 7:45 pm gets 11 hours, which is right in the zone. On activity nights, accept 8:15 pm, but not every night. The real test is the morning: if you have to wake them three times and they grumble, bedtime is too late.
My 7-year-old is scared of dying at night, what do I do?
It is a normal stage: around 7, children understand that death is final and that it can happen to people they love. Answer honestly and simply, without details. Name what is solid: "I'm healthy, I take care of myself, and I'm here." Keep the TV news off before bed. If the fear keeps them from sleeping several nights a week, bring it up with your family doctor.
The activity ends too late for bedtime, should we quit?
Not necessarily. Look at the rest of the week first: if Tuesday soccer ends at 7:30 pm but the other four nights are quiet, your child recovers. Have supper ready before the activity and keep the shower to two minutes when you get home. If two or three nights a week run at that pace, that is where sleep goes missing; pick a single activity until spring.
Contes de Lune
And where does the card fit in?
The Contes de Lune postcard arrives by mail every week, in your child's name, with a new chapter of their adventure. At 7, it is just the right format: short, readable in a few minutes, and always with a cliffhanger that makes them look forward to the next night. Many kids read the opening out loud and let the parent finish, then the card joins the others on the fridge.
The last step of the routine, by mail
At Contes de Lune, your child receives an illustrated card in their name every week, with a new chapter of a story where they're the hero, with their imaginary friend. Their first story is free, to read on screen.
Create their first story for freeNo credit card · then, if you love the adventure: the cards by mail for $14.99/month, delivery included in Canada.