As parents, it goes without saying that we all love the bones of our kids. They are the light of our lives and the most important people in our world. They're smiles and hugs can brighten up the hardest of days. But let's call it straight: When bedtime arrives, it's a welcome hour!

Getting kids to sleep can sometimes be tough work! They excuses they can make are vast and ranging.

The new study, which came from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, found that the ideal time for early school-age kids to go to sleep is 8:30pm. That's ASLEEP by 8.30pm. The researchers say that children with bedtimes on the earlier side had "better health-related quality of life" compared to children who stayed up later. And their parents had improved mental health. This finding stayed true no matter how long the children slept - going to bed early was the vital ingredient.

And if that's not enough to convince you, a different experiment conducted by the National Sleep Foundation studied kids who had gone to bed later than normal for one week. During that week, their teachers rated the kids as having "more academic problems and more attention problems," and the teachers were not aware that the kids had had less sleep.

Having an earlier bedtime for kids means that parents have more time in the evening to focus on self-care, get their chores done, and spend some alone time as a couple AND, get a good night’s kip! 

What we like the most about the first study is that it takes parents into consideration. Home happiness is a two-way street. Happy parents, happy kids! #MentalHealth