To ask how the hell you get your kids to sleep in a hotel?

[Ninoo25]

How the hell does anyone get their kids to go to sleep when they’re in a family room in a hotel? I’ve got a toddler and 8 year old and they’re jumping around, making loads of noise and refusing to sleep. Need ideas ASAP please!

You threaten them. Shout. Don't take any messing!

Tell them it's bed time, turn off the lights, shush them each time they make a sound and MN in the dark.
We probably stay in a hotel at least every other month so there isn't much of a novelty factor for my DC which may help

We normally turn lights out and lay down with them. Obvs means we fall asleep aswell

Bribe the 8 year old (with breakfast if they behave...! Ignore the toddler - it’ll fall asleep eventually.
Read. Or watch tv. Don’t engage...

Assume you’ve done bath and story like at home?
Then lights off and shush them when they make noise! Be firm.

And tomorrow, tire them sufficiently that they flat pack as soon as their heads hit the pillows!

What are they normally like at bedtime?

Praise for following instructions; consequences for not.
Be ster and speak like you mean it.

No reason why the 8yo should be behaving like this. Their behaviour will wind the toddler up further, who will have less control over their behaviour to an extent, but still capable of doing as their told.

It may well be disturbing other guests in the next room, or the room below, so it needs to stop.

We lay in lay in the dark sometimes on our phones. DC eventually stop chatting and bouncing and fall asleep. Sometimes we fall asleep first

Are you kids like this at home at bedtime?
Do you have a bedtime routine (eg bath, story, bed)?
Have they done enough during the day that they feel tired?
Are you able to be very firm with them, and that they understand that enough is enough and it's time for bed?

Can you take 8yo out for a long walk? Do you have an extra adult?
If not, lay down the law and hide in the bathroom.

We turn the lights off & go to sleep too... It’s usually one of the best night sleeps we get ! But we do it quite a lot en route to various places so there is no novelty factor for them. Hope you get a good night.

We had the same with a 2 year old and a 6 year old recently, ended with me driving the 2 year old around at 11pm until he fell asleep and carrying him back to the room which gave DH a chance to get the 6 year old to sleep in peace..! We had a holiday earlier in the year in an apartment, getting the DCs to fall asleep in separate rooms was no problem at all!

We have to all go to bed at the same time if we’re in a hotel, usually at a compromise time somewhere between their bedtime and ours. Can’t even sneak onto my phone or I get “whatcha doing?” from the DCs. Staying in a hotel is no longer a treat

We stayed in a couple of Travelodges this summer.... I just turned the lights off and read my kindle until they fell asleep. Think it helped that we had been busy during the day so they were knackered. Once it was quiet and dark they stopped bouncing around being hyper and fell asleep.

Once they were asleep I ate biscuits in bed and watched tv 😂

Short answer: with difficulty!
As pp have said, you turn off lights, lie on your bed, play on your phone, and ignore them.

Maybe allow him half an hour on ipad/tablet if he has one,silently in the dark. Take 2 yo in bed with u and cuddle to sleep.

If it's no go..threats. Just make sure you follow through.

Try this music;
m.youtube.com/watch?v=ukFCMdE6CbE
We have it on our phones and it really does work for or 3 who are 8,6 & 1!

Divide and conquer.

Take older one for a walk whilst other parent puts younger one to bed. Ours are close in age, so they get no iPad time if they don’t settle. They sleep back to back so not facing each other.

Are you serious? Turn off the bloody lights and lie down with them

Goodness knows.
Our dd is 3 and the last few times we’ve been in a hotel she’s bounced off the walls until 2am every night. It was exhausting and nothing at all could calm her.
Going away again in November and frankly I’m dreading the bedtimes already!