To ask for your tips on how to get my kids to sleep????

[Ninoo25]

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with really bad sleepers?
My kids seem to have gotten progressively worse over Christmas after my 3 year old going from a cot bed into a proper bed. She’s up and down the stairs all night, in her sisters room and generally causing mayhem. She keeps her sister up - who is also not a good sleeper anyway, but she at least normally reads in her room before finally falling asleep at about 10pm. She doesn’t even seem tired the next day. We don’t have any stair gates any more as she can open them so that’s not an option.
We’ve tried:
Putting her back to bed every time
Sitting with her
Taking her out and making sure she gets loads of exercise
No screen time 1hr before bed
Bath before bed
No sugar
Punishing her for staying up all night (e.g. not going to soft play the next day) - this is my DH’s idea, but I think she’s a bit young for that yet
Any tips please as I’m exhausted. I’ve started Keto this week as well so am knackered as getting used to the lack of carbs 😩😩
Help!

Forgot to say we all get up at 7am

Not sure how helpful this is but would she respond to a reward chart with a treat for so many 'good nights'?

Decide what you want the bedtime routine to be and find a way to make it into a series of pictures so that it's really visible. For example... snack - milk - bath - teeth - story - bed - cuddles - lights out - sleep. Decide what time bedtime is going to be and work backwards from that. We found that about 40 mins from start to finish was long enough and prevented bedtime becoming even more drawn out.

Talk to her about what's going to happen and explain it all - if she follows the chart she'll get a sticker in the morning.

If she gets up after lights out take her back to bed without entering into a conversation. Just keep repeating 'bedtime now, time to sleep' or similar. Make it really boring, quick kiss and leave the room.

You may have to keep repeating yourself but hopefully the message will sink in that there is nothing interesting happening and no reward for keeping getting up.

Fingers crossed you can then award stickers in the morning ad she begins to stay in bed.

Good luck. It's hard work.

Thanks that’s a good idea I’ll give it a try 😊

My dd used Todo this.We would turn the TV off if we heard her coming and look engrossed in books,no talking.
We would ignore her for a bit and then just the time for bed,no other talk or playing or carrying back upstairs.
We were OK as she stopped after a while as it was boring.Good luck.

Agree with the above, and stick to it! You have to keep it going for a good few weeks before she realises that it’s not going to change. I am faaaaar from a perfect parent but one thing my girls know is once they’re in bed that’s it. Good luck, we all know how exhausting it is.

I know I will get slammed for this but I put a lock on the outside of DD door when she transitioned into her “big bed.” She was up and down constantly for hours on end - it was relentless. The first night with the lock was hard - lots of pulling at the door and screaming etc. She eventually fell asleep on the floor behind the door. I was so upset the whole night for being cruel but I was at my wits end. The second night was easier and by the third night she went to her bed no issues.
I no longer need to lock her door and havnt in years. Disclaimer - once she was asleep I would unlock the door obviously as it would be a fire hazard otherwise, she wasn’t in jail it was just a tool to force her to stay without me being sat holding the door handle for hours on end.

It is an extreame option and I know lots won’t agree and think I am a terrible mother. But I have 2 children who go to bed at 7 on the nose every night and are asleep within 2 mins. They never get out bed once in and I know my nights are my own at 7.05pm. No laying in bed with them or anything.

Now if anyone has any tips on getting them to tidy up their toys I’m all ears