bedtime

American  

[bed-tahym] / ˈbɛdˌtaɪm /

noun

bedtimes plural

1. the time at which a person usually goes to bed.

   It's past my bedtime.

2. the time at which a person goes to bed on a particular night.

   I have to get up early tomorrow so bedtime tonight will be 9 o'clock.

---

bedtime British  

/ ˈbɛdˌtaɪm /

noun

1. 1. the time when one usually goes to bed

   2. ( as modifier )

      a bedtime story

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bedtimes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bedtime

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at bed, time

Explanation

Bedtime is the time of the evening or night when you go to sleep. If you want a good excuse to leave a boring party, you can look at your watch and say, "Wow! It's way past my bedtime!" The time you generally go to bed is your bedtime, although you may not have a regular bedtime, just turning in whenever you feel sleepy. Most young children have a set bedtime, which is basically the hour their parents have decided they should go to sleep. If they're lucky, they'll get a bedtime story before the lights are turned off. Bedtime dates from the 13th century, from the Old English bedd and tima, "limited space of time."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bedtime bedtimes

In hot weather, better sleep starts long before bedtime.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

They told ChatGPT their grandmother used to read them the recipe at bedtime to help them fall asleep.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

During one six week study period, participants delayed their usual bedtime by 90 minutes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

They were so hungry at bedtime that they would cry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

For weeks, anytime Barry told Cleo a bedtime story, he made Akivo the star.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis

Meanwhile, New York's Mayor Zohran Mamdani has signed a tongue-in-cheek executive order "temporarily repealing bedtimes" to encourage children to watch the late-night games.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

Short sleep and later bedtimes strengthened the relationship between screen time and cardiometabolic risk.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2025

Today, I still purchase physical comics to support my local comic shop, but I read most issues digitally, with my babies cradled close after bedtimes.

From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2024

Make sure usual bedtimes and bath times do not go out of the window just because it is warm.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2024

“You’re going to be in Lykes with me. Our cottage has later bedtimes and more privileges.”

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter