How to get them to sleep

[butterflyfox]

It’s past ten. They are normally asleep by 8. I’m lying cuddling one to help her go off I’ve crept out twice and she has sat bolt upright. So tired. Terrified I’ll go to sleep here and wake up in the morning to empty stockings. On a side note. My greatest regret is that I did not buy them both two identical stockings. So I could have prefilled one and done a quick switch rather than the heart stopping terror of being caught In the act messing about with crispy tissue wrapped items later.

How old?

I’ve just given one of ours piriton - her skin is flaring up so medical needs, by product is sleep.

Other one has wound themself up so tight I can’t imagine sleep occurring.

9 and 10. The 9 year old still a true believer. The 10 yo in a complicated place of having suspicions and desperate for them not to be confirmed

No idea. My DS7 goes to bed late anyway (not by my choice!) so I'm "waiting up for the washing machine to finish" so I have a pretext for still being up ... luckily it's a very long wash cycle ...

Oh god this brings back last year's memories of DS still being awake at 1am. I was on my knees, he woke at 5am too! He was 8! Hope they go to sleep soon

When I was little and couldn’t sleep my mum used to wrap me up and take me for a look in the garden for Santa for a few minutes. Sounds counterintuitive but the cool night helps with calming down and getting into a warm bed makes you sleepy

If you've got someone else in the house with you get them to go outside with a bell (if you have one!) or a jar with coins in. They rattle the jar under bedroom window. You make a big show of hearing sleigh bells and explain Santa is circling round waiting for them to go to sleep and he can't wait too long or he'll be late for all the other children.

Not to be recommended but my ex husband's mother in the 70s used to dose him up on Benilyn on Christmas Eve

These are brilliant thankyou

Dunno, currently considering a light smothering of DD...

@TroysMammy

Not to be recommended but my ex husband's mother in the 70s used to dose him up on Benilyn on Christmas Eve

Oh, are we not supposed to do that anymore?

Glad it's not just me, DS 10 is getting more and more anxious about not falling asleep. I'm shattered but on my bed waiting for him to drop off so I can do stockings. House full of family staying which diesnt help ease the pressure.

When they're 20 and 22, you have to wake them up. Around noon.

😂😂😊

As a 7/8/9 yr old back in the 60a, I can remember lying awake, listening to Mum and Dad going to bed and trying to wait for long enough for them to be asleep to go downstairs and see what was there.

Can't remember how long we left it.

I was one of seven, youngest was still in with Mum and Dad - 9 of us in a 3 bed back in the 60s.

It was about 3 am when I got up to investigate. Younger sib and net sib up asleep but the net bro was awake.

The 2 of us 'crept' downstairs and opened our pressies. Mum and Dad, who either weren't asleep or woke up, gave us half an hour (dir enough time to open all our own things) and then came don and sent us back to bed.

We then slept until the other - less brattish - woke up, and were very disappointed when all the others had their excitement and we already had ours.

(((PS I never let mine have anything before 7 am on the day.