what can you do with kids that have endless energy at night and it takes them 2-3 hrs every night to go to sle

Question

My kids are 4 and 5. They get up at 7 am and do not nap all day. When it's time to go to sleep, they fight it for at least 2 hrs. This can not be normal

Answer 1

Keep them so busy during the day they will fall dead asleep at night.

Answer 2

My husband was convinced this was normal too until I proved him wrong.

Start by building a household routine- no sugary drinks after 6pm (dinner) buy the sugar free kind and switch at dinner to these.

No sweets after dinner- ice cream cookies etc off limits.

Quiet time starts at 7 pm turn down TV's keep reminding the kids it's quiet time when they get loud playing.

Start turning lights off around 8pm. Less light starts the body clocks thinking of bed. Make it quiet TV time. Have the kids pick a movie or book you can reda chapters from every night over time and let this last about an hour to hour an a half at first then reduce over two weeks to 45-mins to an hour.

Build a consistent pattern each night- 8pm PJ's
8:30 brush teeth- wash face hands etc.
9pm bedtime read quietly and tuck in.

Expect to put them back to bed 50 times the first two weeks. You'll hear all sorts of reasons why they can't sleep, they are hungry, monsters etc. Stick to the plan and keep putting them back to bed eventually around week 3 the resistance wears out to routine and normalcy returns.

I have to go through this every summer and whenever he let's them get off schedule because I'm out of town or they have off from school more the a few days but it does work if your stick to it.

I wont lie it's not easy to getthis going if your house isn't used to a routine but eventually everyone benefits from it and kids are less cranky along with mom and dad who end up with quiet time for themselves after the kids fall asleep each night to relax and unwind before hitting the sack as well.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I feel for you, have been there........... still doing that. Bedtime for my kids here is 9pm, starting at about 8:00 we do our night time routine.........we take baths, one at a time so they don't get wound up playing with each other, we get dressed and hair combed( for my daughter)and then they lay down, in their own rooms and I sit in the hallway between their doors and I read to them until either they are asleep or bedtime comes. They are not allowed out of their beds once reading starts and we make sure they have pottied and gotten drinks before story time. The drink thing is only now that they no longer wet the bed. Good Luck, it won't be easy at first but keep it going and they will get with the program. If your kids share a room, sit on the floor between their beds to read this will also help keep them separated and not playing. Good Luck!

Answer 4

LOL sounds like my 2 1/2 year old twins. They nap only a few minutes if at all and are up till 11 o'clock and sometimes later. They constantly run around and god bless them i cant get enough of them. My wife and I try all sorts of things, but the bottom line is that nothing works better than Benadryl (just kidding)

Answer 5

What time are you trying to put them to sleep?

I would say they need at least 10 hours but if you're trying at 8:30 and they still have energy, then I'd say to try alot of outdoor activities, no sugar or chocolate milk after 4 in the afternoon AND a nice warm bath with lavender oil in the evening.

Answer 6

Well, if they nap before a few hours before they go to sleep then there's a definite chance they will not go to sleep. But just try to make them feel comfortable and soothe them to sleep because the deepest and happiest moment in a child is when they're comfortable and happy and everything just feels great and they just fall right to sleep. I'm srry if this doesn't work but that's what works on some of my niece and nephews alot.

Answer 7

I use the TV idea,unconventional or no! it works
I turn the volume so low kids can barely hear it,so they be silent to listen,no lights but the tv and fast enough they are out!
I also give them a cup of water by the bed,my kids doc says the sugar thing is false,that no matter what they do or do not eat has nothing to do with it!
my oldest loves warm milk with cinnamon before bed also!!!good luck

Answer 8

Unfortunately, yes it is normal. It's important to establish a routine so they will know it's time to wind down and go to bed. If they have a television in the room. I know it's kind of unconventional, but when our 4 year old had a hard time sleeping, we put in a DVD - preferably one she had seen hundreds of times - and that would usually hold her attention until she went to sleep.

Answer 9

If they eat a lot of candy (sugar) or soft drinks (caffeine), cut back on giving it to them, Especially late at night. Also no late night snacks. All these things give kids a lot of energy. You can also try putting them in different rooms at bedtime (nobody to talk too and nothing to do).

Answer 10

hyper?? do they snack on sugar snacks all the time??drink koolaid??keep them off sugar related foodstuffs for a couple days and see if that works???or take them to the playground and run them into the ground!!always worked for my 3 boys!!!fall asleep before yu go a mile in the car!!