I’m really struggling with my 9 year old. Lately, he’s been resisting bedtime like never before. He used to be so cooperative and respectful of the routine but now he’s pushing back every night. It’s escalated to him yelling at us because he wants to stay up and play online games with his friends. This has never been an issue before and I’m worried it’s becoming a pattern. I just don’t know what to do. How do I handle this new behavior without things getting worse?
My son went through something similar when he was around 10. It felt like bedtime became a battleground overnight. What helped us was sitting down with him during the day when things were calm to talk through why he was so upset about bedtime. Turned out, he just wanted to feel more in control of his time. We compromised by allowing an extra 10 minutes for reading before lights out. I think this is a phase, or at least it was for us, and if it is, it will pass. 
Omg, bedtime battles are my life right now too. Las t night, my daughter started yelling she was not tired right when I was ready to collapse. Now we joke about it like, “who’s winning bedtime tonight?” It takes some pressure off and makes things a little more bearable.
I totally get where you’re coming from. We went from a peaceful bedtime to what felt like a mini rebellion every night. It’s draining especially when you just want a moment to yourself at the end of the day. I don’t have any perfect solutions but I just wanted to say you’re not alone. Sometimes just knowing other parents are dealing with the same stuff helps a little, right?