Just wondering how many other moms.....?

Question

have preschoolers still running around the house at 8:30? My daughter won't fall asleep! Help!!

Answer 1

My preschool aged child doesnt start school until the 26th of August, but even then I already put her to bed at 7:30pm. Kids this young need the extra rest and as much as they can get. Especially when they are going to school because they tire more easily.  

Answer 2

My 3 an 4yr old used to do this up until about 2 weeks ago, i found that laying down on the bed with my daughter an singing to her for 10 mins usually calmed her down enough to fall asleep and my son i let him have his megasketcher to draw 1 picture in bed before lights out an sleep!

Answer 3

Bath your child before bed using some essence which will make them relax a bit more. You can get this from the supermarket.  

Answer 4

my daughter doesn't go to bed until 9:30 but I have a settle down time routine that I do that maybe you can try after her bath I read to her or color with her no running around playing with toys or outside she settles down so she gets sleepy . like right now she is sitting on my lap watching me on the computer the tv is off and the house is quiet and at 9:15 she will brush her teeth and lay down to have a story and she is asleep by 9:50 and she wakes up at 8 I think that's a good night of sleep.

Answer 5

this happens in waves with my 13 month old

for a good solid week she'll be down at like 7:30-8

& then suddenly out of the blue she just wont go to sleep until like 10pm even though shes SO tired

this goes on for about a week & then it's back to normal

strange......

Answer 6

Try reading to her, keep the activity and noise in the house to a minimum after you put her to bed.(just for a while until she forms a new habit)  Hey, she is afraid she is missing out on something.  Also, 8:30 may be too early for her.  Try 9:00 or don't let her take too long of a nap and get her up earlier in the morning.  Some kid people like  big people are night owls.  I had one of those and I am too.  It is harder for some of us to wind down than others.  Be patient, not angry, but firm and readjust our time schedule and hers just a little.

Answer 7

Why only Moms?  Dad's take care of their kids too ya know.  Sexist women out there...geez.  Anyway, she probably doesn't get enough excercise in school.  Have her "do more" after school so she is tired earlier.  8:30 huh?  That seems early to me.  My 4 year old doesn't go to bed until 10 sometimes, and he plays almost all day.

Answer 8

My boy goes to bed between 7.30 and 8.00pm.  By 8.30pm (MAX) I want to have left his room.  After that, the light is off.

Of course, it does not work every day but I will insist and one day we'll get it right.  

Answer 9

My preschoolers have been in bed for about half hour.  

Answer 10

Put her or she in the bed and tell them that they are not to leave the bed. Our daughter is in the bed at 7:30pm, she doesn't have to go to sleep, but she knows not to get out of the bed.  If you are having a hard time keep her/he in the bed, maybe you could try taking their favorite toy

away.

Answer 11

my daughter is 19 month and no matter what we do she does not go to bed before 9 30. she wakes up sometime between 7-9 30. this has been going on sense she was born.

Answer 12

feed her, toddlers sleep on full stomachs, ( hey don't we all ? =] )  also, put her in her bed, turn the lights off, and silence the house, read to her if she wants, turn off tv's, radios, and keep lights to a minimum, this may help her fall asleep.

i kno i only have babysitting experience, but it has worked.  

Answer 13

read to her and then let her lay down by herself with a sippycup

Answer 14

I turn the lights  off at 8:30pm..no funny business after that. Good luck!!Consistansy is the key..  

Answer 15

How many toddlers and preschoolers are giving you answers to your questions?  I just happen to value the advice of other moms just like you do.

Answer 16

i don't know her bedtime routine, but it's important to stick to your guns. Try to calm her down in preparation for bedtime, and make it clear that you will read to her while she goes to sleep. If you let her up to run around, you will defeat your purpose. Just give her time to wind down, and then stick to your plan to get her in bed. When she gets up, put her back without a word; and kiss her goodnight, and leave the room.  You need some down time too. Don't let her take it from you. Good luck making a hard adjustment. You can do it!

Answer 17

I do.  It's hard in the summer because they think you are lying when you say it's late:)  My advice is to make them run around outside to wear them out!  Swimming helps also.  

Don't you love when you think they are asleep and they come out for "one more drink"? lol

Answer 18

It's 7:30 here and yes.He gets "in" bed at 8:30 and then 30 minutes of can I have a drink, I just wanted to tell you I love you, what was that noise and I walk him back to bed like 3 times between 8:30-9. He just started preschool so I'm trying to get the hang of it too. I plan on getting an earlier start every night until he finally is asleep at 8:30:) He wants to be a night owl like his mama.

Answer 19

Oooohhhh yah. Some nights, she can't settle in until after 9:30. We try our best to keep a good, solid bedtime routine (bedtime @ 8), but there are nights that she just can't seem to relax.  We find that if she hasn't had enough physical activity during the day that she's harder to settle in at night, but that if she has too much activity right before bedtime, she's so wound up she can't settle down easily.

Have you got a regular bedtime routine? It doesn't always work (in my experience), but it's the best shot you've got... bath or shower, trip to the toilet, etc.; then a few stories in a not-super-bright room...

We're also finding that a fan (white noise, really) helps a bit, because it  masks some of the sounds of the rest of us moving around the house... if it doesn't sound like there's more interesting stuff happening elsewhere, that helps her stay in bed and relax. Maybe that could work for your daughter...

We have lavender growing in the garden, so we've also tried putting a sprig of that in her pillow case... seems to work well most times.

Good luck. I'm sure there's a magic formula out there somewhere (not!), and if you find it, be sure to let us know!

Answer 20

Both of my boys have a bedtime of 9 pm so one is spending some time with his Pappy (grandpa) because he starts school next week and won't get to spend as much time with him and my 3 1/2 year old is running off some energy before he has to lay down.