Bedtimes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The designated times each night for individuals, especially children, to go to sleep, marking the transition from wakefulness to rest
2. The specific hours when one is expected to end activities and prepare for sleep, often implemented for routine and health
3. Scheduled periods during which people are advised to retire for the night, facilitating adequate rest and sleep hygiene

Etymology: "Bedtimes" is simply the plural of "bedtime," a noun formed by joining "bed" and "time." The compound is old: Middle English had "bedtyme" and "bed-tyme," and Old English already had "bedtīd," so the idea of a fixed hour for going to bed has been expressed in the language for centuries. The sense of the compound is literal, and its neighbours in other languages show the same picture. Dutch has "bedtijd," West Frisian has "bêdtiid," and in Saterland Frisian the word is "Bädegungenstied," which breaks down as "bed-goings-time." German Low German "Beddgahnstied" and "Bettgahnstiet" carry the same sense of the hour when people go to bed.