Amount of Sleep?

[Pdoodle]

I have 2 28 month old girls and I am struggling to know how much sleep to allow them during the day. They are both good sleepers at night (unless something obviously wrong like overfull nappy, too hot etc) but getting them down at night is horrible!
Currently we start the bedtime routine at 7pm (unless getting a bath in which case it's 6.30pm), but it is usually not until 8.30pm that they settle. They are just difficult. I don't know if it's because they are too tired or not tired. They get an hours sleep (approx 1pm) on the day that they are at nursery but are no worse/better to get down that night than the days that they have either none or 30mins sleep. They wake up 7/7.30am.
Any help welcome, as if I don't get some 'me-time' in the evenings I'm going to be a mess. It's not so much the time it takes to get them to bed, as I know with 2 it takes longer than normal, it's the effort it takes. They just keep pushing.
Help!!!!!

Pdoodle

[Kelly1978]

what is happening when you put them down?

[Pdoodle]

It varies (typically!).

One of them has been out of nappies during the day since the start of May and the other one is currently being potty trained - so 'need pee' is a common statement and one that is hard to ignore because they are both capable of taking their nappy off. Or if my dh is putting them down then dd2 gets upset because it's not me - wants 'mummy duddle'. Or they are just hyper and won't stay in bed (oh to bring back their cots, except they would just climb out).

[Kelly1978]

ok, first suggestion would be put vests on them, or sleepsuits backwards so they can't get the nappies off.

Then you could practice the return to bed approach. Put them down, cuddle etc. then leave them. If they come out or get up, return them straight to bed, with no conversation or fuss, jsut remidning them it's bedtime. You have to keep repeating it over and over til they get the message. I think it took a coupel of weeks when my older two decided to start getting up to get htem goin on their own again. It is hard work, but you have to not back down, or it rewards the bad behaviour and they carry on.
It is hard with two as they egg each other on.
My dts (younger two) do, but they are in cots so I ignore them and leave them to it!

A star/sticker chart mgiht help too - a sticker in the morning if they stay in bed, though personally I tend to not have time for such things, and take the hardlien approach!

Personally, I would say you put them to bed for a few days to start with, to give them one less thing to argue about! Just til you get them used to going to bed then sleep.

Have they always been fun in the evenings? I really need my evenings to relax so you have lots of sympathy here!

[Pdoodle]

I think that you may have something here. I think that we will just have to continually return them. It is just sometimes hard when they are both out and running along the landing whilst you take the other one back to their bed!

What do you do in the time between each time they get out of bed - do you go downstairs (probably not enough time to do that) or just into another room. Bedroom door open or shut?

I know that something has to be done, as they are now in the habit of having one of us about when they fall asleep too and this isn't good. About 6 months ago everything was great - they would go to their beds, have a story and then (if they weren't already) fall asleep.

What about the amount of sleep during the day?

I need some time in evenings. Sometimes we eat before putting them to bed, but not always. I work 4 out of 5 days and need a couple of hours in the evening to either wind down/relax or get stuff done about the house (e.g. bills, washing).

[Kelly1978]

like you said, the tiem they sleep durign the day makes no difference. I think the key is getting them into a routine so they know that bed means sleep or at least quiet. They might not always drop right off straight away but if you are firm they will learn to lay quietly til they drop off rather than runnign you ragged.

When mine were really bad, the first night or two, sometimes I'd hardly get down the hallway! You might find yourself just sitting on the stairs for a bit to begin with. If you are consistant though, they do get bored of it pretty quickly - the trick is to be as boring as possibly. Just walk them or lift them to bed. If they giggle or whatever ignore it.

[Kelly1978]

oh and the bedroom door - do what you think is best. if you think they will settle better with it open leave it. I find mine sleep better with it shut as they are better in the quiet and dark.

[Kelly1978]

the msot important thing really is consistancy. if it only started 6 months ago, you should soon be able to get it going back again. the bedtime story would be great, then they have that time to wind down too.

[PrettyCandles]

How about starting the bedtime routine a bit earlier? Perhaps they are overtired, hence all the running around. Definitely go for the boring, repetitive responses - if they don't get a rise out of you they'll give up trying eventually. As for the 'I need a weewee' excuse, we the requester to the loo once after putting them to bed, and then if they ask again we just say 'No, you've been already, you don't need to go again yet.' in as boring and calm a voice as possible. Though if it was, say, 45m after the latest wee I would take the child to the loo again.