[audrey09]

I have a 6 and 8 yr old that share a room.
I'm finding the bedtime routine recently to be a big drain on my patience.

Mainly the 6 yr old will carry on requesting a drink, food, gets up and plays, carries on and annoys his brother and its driving me insane.
I'm going to put them in to bed at 8.30 as any earlier doesn't work. I'm finding that mostly they won't actually fall asleep untill after 9.30.
The other day it was 10.10!!!!
I know you can't force them to sleep and trying to get the 6 yr old to do some quiet reading in bed is beyond a joke at this stage! He's just not tired.

Just wish there was a sleeping strategy that I could use like there is with controlled crying!

I just need time to myself at night to do my own things, housework, school lunches etc and relaxing even!!

Do your kids go to sleep almost the moment their head hits the pillow?

This post has been edited by audrey09: 12/02/2013, 07:40 PM

[JRA]

Yes, and has for most of his life. We had a stage early on where we did a lot of tummy rubbing (as a baby), then a stage at 2ish where we had some issues, but other than that always.

We have had a set routine all his life, and oddly it really hasn't changed that much in 10 years.

[Alpha_Chook]

ARGH!!! I am hoping that by 6 Eamon will be old enough to put himself to bed and fall asleep in a reasonable time frame.....please tell me that will happen??? SOMEONE???

[~Supernova~]

My 8yr old reads until she goes to sleep, 9/10 she falls asleep within 10mins or so. On the rare occasions that she wants a drink, she gets it herself then goes back to bed. She knows she'd be in trouble if she got up and started playing!

My almost 1yr old? HA! We lay down with him to get him to sleep, and more often than not he is up again an hour later *sigh*

[ChunkyChook]

DD is almost 7, she goes to bed at 7.30 with her lamp on and reads. Some nights she is out in 15 minutes, others I will spy and she will be awake an hour later.

I am strict with the shower, jamas, teeth, drink, toilet routine so there is no yelling/getting out.

[Mamacass2]

No my six and a half year old very rarely goes to bed and falls asleep straight away. He makes up all these excuses to come out.
Tonight it was:

In bed: 7

Story, reader and chat until about 7.20

Then I leave and put his sister to bed.

Visit(from him) one: "You left your pen in my room"

Visit 2: "I can't sleep because I am hot", fix his doona so only sheet is on him.

Visit 3: "I am having nightmares" he can't be because I can hear him singing!

Visit 4: "I still can't sleep because it is best if I fall asleep as soon as I get into bed but I didn't so I won't be able to sleep tonight"

Me "Sigh"

This has been going on for years so annoying! It is every night. Different excuses. I have tried later bedtime, earlier bedtime, no TV/WII before bed, etc etc. So I hear you OP.

[zande]

DD1 has NEVER fallen asleep on her own without a battle, she has Aspergers traits and has been on melatonin for a couple of years, so she's good now.

DD2, just turned 6, used to be awesome at going to bed and going to sleep, but she's being a pain atm. She goes in at around 7ish with a story etc, but as soon as lights go out she acts up, comes out, "I'm not tired etc", it's getting close to 9pm before she finally falls asleep, it's doing our heads in, in that it's 9pm before we finally get to "go off duty" so to speak and have a sit down and relax. Don't quite know what to do about it!

[Kay1]

Mine are 4 and 7. For the last few years they have mostly gone to bed extremely well at around 7-8pm thanks to their selection of stories on cd.

We have a (rather long) bedtime routine and then at about 7.30-8pm its lights out and we are out of there. They put on a cd which they take turns to choose and that's it.

However in the last couple of weeks DS1 has been coming out of their room saying he's not tired. He is allowed to read in their room (DS2 falls asleep regardless as he's shattered by then) or on the beanbag in the play area upstairs if he's not tired. He is not allowed to come downstairs unless its really necessary because it is 'grown up time'. He is fine with that but will sometimes look for excuses to come down. He is clearly not tired so his natural bedtime is obviously moving later which I suppose is inevitable. Its often 8.30p-9pm now by the time he falls asleep.

Both my kids have water bottles next to their beds so no requests for drinks of water.

[-*meh*-]

yes both my kids do...

DS2 is always asleep within about 5-10 min of getting in to bed but he is always been a good sleeper and will pass out anywhere

DS1 rarely is awake past 30min and if he is there is something bothering him (usually sensory - ASD)

however that is in separate rooms... sharing a room means they tend to play up more and thats why we keep the rooms separate!

[CupcakeMumma]

Yes. My 6 yo might read but is asleep generally by 7.30. My 9 yo goes at 8 and listens to a meditation cd and is generally asleep by 8.30.