Bedtime

[samssugarmomma]

OMG! If I had to pick the one thing that I dislike the most about parenting.....it would hands down be bedtime or anything else related to sleeping. The whining, the crying. :thud: :thud: :thud: It is 9:38 and DD will.not.go.to.sleep. Her bedtime was two hours ago. It's not that she isn't tired. She can just will herself to stay awake.


I have no idea where she gets her stubborness from. :guilty:

[Phoebe]

Re: Bedtime

I hear ya!!! Got DD#1 sitting here with me now saying she can't go to sleep.

Here is a running commentary of her responses:

Every night my heart stops beating... I can't go to sleep.
Nothing will make me go to sleep...
I'mmm telling you. I'm a tired girl, but I can't go to sleep.
I still can't go to bed, I think I'm not in the mood for that.
No one loves me because you're too busy on the computer.
You decide, if you don't lay with me then I will still be down here all night. Number 2, if you lay with me, I will go right to bed...... What did you decide??? I'm telling you... I'm still in the mood.

I can't, its hard. (rolling on the floor) I'm never, ever going to bed. You won't make me.

Usually it is my 4 yr old giving us grief about bedtime. It is my least favorite time of the day and my least favorite parenting responsibility by far.

[samssugarmomma]

Re: Bedtime

I'm sorry Phoebe - but some of those responses -

DD's is: I'm not sleeping and you can't make me. Well, alrighty then!



A big to you.

[alison]

Re: Bedtime

Do you do bath time at night? To this day, a hot shower or bath makes me so drowsy. I was like this as a kid as well - I think your muscles relax and you turn to jello. Just an idea from a kidless one...

[HouseofWool]

Re: Bedtime

Wow, I feel so fortunate. My son has always gone down so easily.

We do have a pretty rigid bedtime routine that includes a bath and that really helps. Now that he is older we are more flexible, but when he was really little, we stuck to it like glue.

Kris

[Phoebe]

Re: Bedtime

We have a routine and regular bedtime. If the 4 yr old naps she has a hard time falling asleep at night. The girls try to push the limits and want one more book, more cuddle time, etc.

[alison]

Re: Bedtime

Do they get a lot of exercise during the day? In the winter, it's harder to stay active, I know.

Re: Bedtime

Do they get a lot of exercise during the day? In the winter, it's harder to stay active, I know.

It's not a matter of being tired. It's a matter of trying to control whatever tiny bit of their life they can control.

[alison]

Re: Bedtime

Do they get a lot of exercise during the day? In the winter, it's harder to stay active, I know.

It's not a matter of being tired. It's a matter of trying to control whatever tiny bit of their life they can control.

Ok.

Re: Bedtime

Does Natalie nap? Maybe she is ready to give that up (sorry!!!!!).

Bryn truly has a hard time falling asleep. Even if she is tired, it is hard for her to quiet her mind. She is older so maybe this won't help, but letting her read in bed for a while usually distracts her and gets her mind off the day. We've been doing that for a while -- since she was 5 or so. Taking a bath or shower helps too as does the usual advice of sticking to a routine. None of that helps though when it is 9:00 and she is still awake and stuck in a loop!

[spotty_dog]

Re: Bedtime

Do they get a lot of exercise during the day? In the winter, it's harder to stay active, I know.

It's not a matter of being tired. It's a matter of trying to control whatever tiny bit of their life they can control.

For some kids, I'm pretty sure that tiredness has at least a little smidge of influence over whether they're ready for bed at bedtime.

[Phoebe]

Re: Bedtime

For my 4 yr old it is about control. My 6 yr old sometimes just wants attention. She is usually pretty good. I may have skip that last minute of QT part of her routine.

My kids can stay up all night if they choose, but it has to be in their rooms.

[samssugarmomma]

Re: Bedtime

I third (or fourth) the control part! We try to let her make choices during the day so that she feels like she has some control.... but sometimes.... :huh: We do have a fairly rigid routine - I'm known as the Bed Time Police.




Nellie - that is a good idea. I think she is having some trouble quieting her mind. She has several books that she knows by heart that she "reads" to herself. Next time we'll try letting her "read" for a little bit. When Bryn was 5 - did you go in after a certain amount of time and do a lights out? Or did you just let her fall asleep with the light on and then turn it off later?

[samssugarmomma]

Re: Bedtime

Does Natalie nap? Maybe she is ready to give that up (sorry!!!!!).

Say it isn't so!!! I was hoping to make it to 4 - or at least 3.5 - with the naps!!!


Question - if she doesn't nap - she will fall asleep in the car if we are running errands late in the day (which is what happened yesterday) or she will ask (ask!!) to go to bed around 6:00 (normal bedtime is 7:30). Since she either falls asleep later or goes to bed early on the non-napping days, I was assuming that she is not ready to give it up yet. Do you think that is true?

Re: Bedtime

We were done with naps by 3. My kids go to bed at 7 or 7:30.

re: the reading. I think just looking at books or doing something quiet for a little while might help. For some kids it might just be a stall but if it helps her wind down, it is worth a shot. Usually Bryn just puts the book down and goes to sleep. For a 3yo, I think I would give a 5 and then 3 minute warning to lights out. But maybe you won't have to do that and she will just fall asleep.