My daughter has the hardest time going to sleep at bedtime. It's usually an hour to an hour and a half before she actually settles down and falls asleep. We do the regular bedtime routine every night, nothing's different. She's also clearly tired from the time i even pick her up from daycare. I don't know what to do to get her to settle down earlier and just get the rest she needs.
I have an 11 year old son who had the same problem when he was younger, I used to put him in a bath with Lavender, he never even knew it, I put a small amount in the tub and he would become more relaxed, the warmer the bath, the faster he fell asleep. Hopefully that will help.
Hi Y.,
Of course, all children are different, but I have trouble with my 3 year old when we don't start her bedtime routine early enough. She gets over tired, but another friend told me that when children go through growth spurts have a tough time getting right to sleep.
I always call my pediatrician and ask a million questions.
Good luck!
I have a two yr old and a four yr old and what I have found to work is that when I play with them like 4hrs before bedtime for instance take them to the park to play with other kids. After about an hour they are worn out. Once dinnertime comes and they have a nice warm bath they are ready to sleep because they are tired at that point. you can also try warm milk with a pinch of vanilla extract that also worked for me with my kids. Good luck.
HI Y.,
I was having the same problem with my son when he was that age (now he is 4). I found that he was not getting the nap he needed in the private home care I had him in. When it was time for bed he was so over tired he could not fall to sleep. He would toss and turn, cry, kick his legs and get in and out of bed. He was exhausted and miserable. We all where :). I started giving him a warm lavender bath followed by a sippy cup full of warm milk. He was out like a light. I had read where the milk acts like a big turkey dinner on Thanks Giving and I know what kind of effect that has on my husband so I figured I would give it try for my little man. Hope it works out for you.
T.
It always happens at that age. Have you tried keeping her calm a couple hours before bedtime? Maybe reading to her, a warm bath, massage her little arms, legs and back, and tummy. Keep her in her own bed, but stay with her until she falls to sleep. Hope you have not brought her into your bed (to get some needed rest for yourself too) because she could probsbly want to stay there, and you'd wind up with a bigger problem! Stay with her in HER room and before too long she'll likely outgrow it. I know it's very upsetting, but it shouldn't hurt to try. Lots of luck to you all! B. Ann
I have a hard time with my twins who are almost 3 years old. If it's not one of them, it's the other! It seems to run in cycles, my boy was terrible about going to bed for a month, and as soon as he got better, my girl started acting up. Sometimes they both go to bed easy, but then show up in my bedroom at 12:30 or 1:30 or 2:30.....it's never easy! I have a bedtime routine that we always follow but that doesnt always make a difference. I guess all I'm saying is, you're not alone! I dont really have any advice that will help you! Actually, maybe I do, I've recommended this book over and over to people. Read Good Night, Sleep Tight, I dont remember the authors name. There's a lot of great information in the book, stuff about getting kids into a routine, but it also helps you understand reasons behind their sleep behaviors, and the things they need. Good luck!
Dear Y.,
I have always played soft music for my daughter when she goes to sleep, Kenny Logins Pooh's Corner, it works like magic! I give her a book, a baby doll and the music and she soothes herself to sleep to the soft music.
R. M
My son began having this same issue right before his 2nd birthday. He was obviously exhausted, but would give us a hard time during bed time. He would scream for an hour (at least). I decided to allow him to let me know when it was time for bed. We did this by sitting down together to watch tv until he fell asleep. I took note of the time he was down by, which happened to be 8pm. So now we have our bed time routine at 8 instead of earlier like before. This was a HUGE relief for us because I thought he would never get back to his sleeping schedule! Good luck =)
My girls pediatrician told me to give them some melatonin. You can get it in the vitamin section at wal-mart, target, wal-greens, etc. Obviously ask your ped first but it is just something your body naturally produces anyway. They make varying doses as well. Call and ask your peds nurse. Works great here in our house!
