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.

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bedtime British  

/ ˈbɛdˌtaɪm /

noun

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      a bedtime story

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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

They don’t fall in and out of love, pick up groceries on the way home, read bedtime stories to their children or separate their recyclables.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Both of our husbands traveled for work a lot, so Scott and I spent hours together, especially before bedtime and during the “witching hour” with our little ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

In hot weather, better sleep starts long before bedtime.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

So, reader, if you are wanting an early bedtime - knock that espresso order on the head now.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Cassiopeia, whose usual bedtime was fast approaching, yawned and stretched herself out across her seat and the empty one next to it that waited for Simon.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Before the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia, the San Francisco 49ers rigorously studied something they don’t usually worry about: bedtimes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

"Visit the school, walk or drive past it, bring bedtimes back a bit earlier so it's not just a big start in the first week," he says.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

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

Because their bedtimes remained largely unchanged, the later wake up time translated directly into more sleep.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026

Not in the past, when things like bedtimes and homework and safe places to play had been important.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz