About the sleeping part... When I was in elementary and high school I don't think I ever fell asleep before midnight and my bedtime was 9 and then later, 10. I wasn't allowed to read, the room had to be dark, but I simply could not sleep. I am not wired for an early bedtime and my brain needs that time to wind down. Relaxation things didn't work for me and I got enough exercise. Mornings have always been hard for me, but I can't force myself to sleep early so I do my best.
It could be your kids are wired differently than you are. Also some kids like ours physically need less sleep, although I'm not sure if that is the same case mentally, and they ought to be a bit better in the morning than you described. If you enforced the lights off, no reading after 9 (which I think you should) you might find them still wide awake hours later. If this happens here is what my solution has been for years. Tell them to create a story in their heads. If they can't read let them work that imagination! What should happen (hopefully) is that they will get so involved in the story that they drift off without realizing it.
Best of luck!
