Bedtime for 3 yr olds (almost 3)

Well my girls are driving me crazy. They are so tired and crabby every morning. Getting ready for daycare is all hysterics anymore. I know thay need more sleep, but I can't get them to sleep any earlier than I do right now. Right now our schedule is like this:
5:15 ....get home
6:00.....eat dinner
6:30.....bath (IF we do a bath, if not, we go straight to playtime)
7:00.....playtime
8:00.....snuggletime
8:30 ish...bed


I have tried to get them to bed earlier, but they just aren't ready. And even last night I put them to bed at 8:30 and Reagan was up till almost 10 singing in her bed. :huh: I have thought about switching playtime and bathtime and trying that Johnsons Soothing bath wash, but it just seems futile. And now that it's lighter and lighter in the evenings, It seems like we're doomed to continue this mess until next winter!!! HELP!!!!

 

Not sure coz we have trouble too. But would say do playtime/bathtime/snuggletime/bedtime, if they're all calm from their bath and then might get wound up/excited again playing. Just an idea.


amanda

 

I am not sure exactly how to help because honestly you can't get them to sleep if they are not ready, put yourself in their situation and try to go to sleep when someone tells you to. Very unlikely it will work, I think we are lucky the times when they stay in bed happily until they fall asleep I know if I was in their shoes I would go insane laying in bed waiting for sleep to come, KWIM?

I think you are on to something with the playtime/bathtime switch or if they are happy in the tub why not combine playtime with bathtime?

Maybe try some room darkening shades if you haven't already?

 

The girls go to bed at 8 and our evening is similar to yours. Playtime ends at suppertime for us. After bath, we do our snuggling until 7:30, then we brush our teeth, read two stories, DH gives hugs and kisses and then I do prayers and lullabyes with THE LIGHTS OUT. I shut the door at 8 and they are down for the night. I find the days that we are out visiting or they do end up having some playtime after 7pm, they do get wound up and we have a harder time getting them down for 8.

What we do about the light is close all the curtains in the living room during cuddle time and we have a black-out blind in their room for night-time. Handy DH has even fashioned a thin board that fits into the window so there is no light seeping through.

What time do they get up in the morning?

 

They get up at 6 AM. I think I'll try switching the routine around a bit.

Dianne, I know what you mean about just laying there and not being able to sleep. I can't beleive they're not ready to pass out at 8:30. They don't usually nap very well in the afternoon, and they get up so early.....I'm certailnly ready to sleep at 8:30. LOL

 

what's their whole day like?
Including naptime?

Mine are almost 3 {see ticker} and this is what our day looks like:

6:30am wake up, but play in bed until 7-7:30am
8:30ish breakfast
noon lunch
1:30-3ish naptime
bed at 7pm but play until 7:30 and fall asleep.

Mine are in separate rooms if that makes a difference.

 

Do you think it's possible that they don't need naps anymore? Or perhaps they are napping too late in the day. Maybe you can work with their daycare to adjust their nap schedule.

 

Since they get up so early, I would also try putting them down earlier. I'm sure it's hard since you don't get home with them until 5:15 and you want to have some playtime but you probably don't want grumpy playtime anyway. :nea: I've always aimed to getting them to bed 12 hours before they wake up. In your case, I'd aim for 7:30ish since that would give you enough time to get things done. At that age, we went pretty quickly from dinnertime to bedtime because we were eating at 6:30. Personally, I think your girls aren't getting enough sleep since they wake up early and go to bed late and the only thing I would do with naps is make sure that they happen. Good luck!

 

QUOTE(Amanda @ May 23 2007, 06:47 PM) [snapback]266548[/snapback]
what's their whole day like?
Including naptime?

Mine are almost 3 {see ticker} and this is what our day looks like:

6:30am wake up, but play in bed until 7-7:30am
8:30ish breakfast
noon lunch
1:30-3ish naptime
bed at 7pm but play until 7:30 and fall asleep.

Mine are in separate rooms if that makes a difference.


This is what the schedule was until last night:

6:00 am get up
6:30 drop off at daycare and eat breakfast right away
7:00 - playtime (first inside,then later they go outside during nice weather)
11:30 - lunch
12:15 - nap time (this can last anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hrs)
2:00 ish - snacktime
2:30 - playtime
5 ish - Pick up from daycare
5:15 ....get home
6:00.....eat dinner
6:30.....bath (IF we do a bath, if not, we go straight to playtime)
7:00.....playtime
8:00.....snuggletime
8:30 ish...bed

Last night after dinner, we took a walk in the stroller, and then took a bath when we got home. Right after the bath we put PJ's on, and went straight to snuggle time. But by the time we got to snuggle time, it was already almost 8 again. We snuggled till 8:30 and then they went to bed. Last night they both went to sleep rather quickly. No singing till 10...LOL.
They got up a bit easier this morning, but they still were not happy. On weekends the schedule is relativly the same, except they can sleep as long as they want on Saturday and Sunday. But that means they usually get up on their own around 6:45 instead of 6.

I have thought about cutting the time between coming home and dinner down, but honestly, I spend that time actually MAKING dinner. If I did that I would be making them nothing but super quick dinners all the time. And I only have about 3 "quick dinners" in my book of tricks (hot dogs, chicken nuggets, or lunchables). Maybe that should be my next post?? LOL

I don't think they're ready to give up their naps yet. I'm basing that on the fact that on the days when they take a short nap, or worse, no nap at all, they are crabby as heck that evening. Thay usually won't go down any earlier, but the time we spend together sure isn't fun either. KWIM?

I'll try the switched schedule again tonight and see if it gets a little better. We probably won't be able to take a walk tonight, so that will cut 30 minutes out. I'll see hoew that goes.

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

 

Since they get up so early, I would also try putting them down earlier. My kids have always been later sleepers though.

I hope things get better. I always do have to adjust for the season too. It is really hard to have them go to sleep for the night when it's so nice out.

 

Mine are younger but I have noticed that if I put them to bed too late, they have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and they tend to wake early and be fussy. They wake at 6-6:30 so they go to bed at 7.

We also don't play after dinner. They go straight from highchair to bathtub. Of course, they love their bath and they have naked crazy running & somersault time for a few minutes after their bath and then we have the more serious, quieter bedtime routine.