My 6 y/o is like a little rocket at night. He gets so hyper right when it’s time to wind down and go to bed. He wants to play, gets super chatty, makes up random reasons to stay up like my foot feels weird or what if dinosaurs come back ?? I’ve already cut off sugar after 5, and I turn off the TV well before bedtime But it still takes forever for him to fall a sleep
Some nights it’s 10:30 or later and I’m just wiped out. I’m tired too and it’s honestly getting to me. I want to help him settle down without turning bedtime into a battle. Has anyone gone through something similar? What helped?? Any tricks that don’t involve melatonin? I just want peace and some sleep
Wow, that could have been me. My youngest son is the same way. Full of energy, like bedtime is optional haha. I’ve tried everything too and some nights I literally cry when they finally come out. You are definitely not alone
Hey Evelyn, we go through this with my oldest son (he’s 6 now and suddenly can’t get enough sleep, haha). At 4, his brain is still so stimulated by everything around him, it’s like he doesn’t know how to turn it off. What finally helped us was creating a very consistent routine that started earlier than we thought was necessary. Like lights out at 6:30, bathing him at 7, reading a quiet story afterwards, and no talking or negotiating after 7:45. At first it seemed extreme, but after a couple of weeks, his body began to expect it
Oh my gosh, yeah, the foot feels weird, haha. Mine says things like I forgot to blink and I’m like, What?. I don’t understand how he’s tired, but it keeps going round and round in his head. I tried music and even children’s meditations, but he’s a bit unpredictable. What kinds of things have helped you, even a little bit? I’m curious if there’s anything I haven’t tried yet?
I’ve been through the same thing with my oldest they are now 7 and honestly, bedtime was the hardest time of the day for years. What helped us was not just eliminating sugar or screens but completely changing the nighttime environment For example instead of just no TV we added quiet rituals We would stretch together or color quietly before the routine began That gave them a chance to relax without being aware of it