6 year old going to sleep

[greentea72]

My 6 year old dd is very lively and hyper with a really active imagination. Trying to get her to calm down at bedtime is a constant battle. We do all the usual things bath, story's "quiet time" but she just cannot wind down. Currently, she is going to bed at 8 and only going to sleep at about 9.30-10 It is getting very stressful especially as her little sister is up at 6. Dd wakes about 7. Any ideas of any alternative techniques we could try e.g. Yoga

I have no advice for you - my son was the same and still is (age 12). The teachers used to have us in to tell us that he was tired and I felt really bad. They gave us all sorts of techniques but nothing worked.
I found the earlier I put him to bed the later he went to sleep.
In the end I put him to bed at half 8 and left him in his room. He wasn't allowed to speak to me but could read a book. It takes him about an hour - and hour and a half to get to sleep.
I am hoping someone can give you some better advice - good luck

tonight I was about to post about the very same thing! ds (6 yr) doesn't do it every night but is more frequently complaining of a 'busy brain' at bed time and can't go to sleep. I've worked out its the days he hasn't done as much 'academic' stuff - this weekend for example has been seeing family and out and about, I've even ditched homework as its end of term but actually I think he needs it, I think tonight he was physically shattered but mentally his head was buzzing. I'm not talking about hot housing him but I should have got him to read a couple of books out loud or write some christmas cards...
Not sure if that helps you at all, the reading idea is a good one, I think we're going to try that if we have a battle tomorrow night, threats don't work with ds he just gets more wound up.

Hi, I also have a super-active DD (now 7) who has always struggled to get asleep. One thing I found that helped for a while was to rub her feet before bedtime - the rule was that that she had to stay absolutely silent; the moment she talked I stopped. Once she got used to it, it seemed to help less, ifykwim? Then another thing I tried was just sitting in her room in the dark (just checking emails on my phone etc) - again, if she was quiet I would stay for 15 minutes by which time she was pretty ready to fall asleep. But once she got used to that routine it stopped working! So I guess it's time to go back to feet rubbing!

I would try 'quiet time ' for a lot longer. So say you want her in bed by 8pm as you mentioned, I would get back from school and let them have a play in park/ garden / running until 4pm, then if you allow tv let them watch for half hour then. So tv 4-4.30pm then off. Tv can be v stimulating for young children especially if they are already a 'wired' type.

After that maybe let ten help you prep dinner/ quiet drawing/ play dough at the table, and read school books.

After dinner just quiet/ non stimulating activities until bath ( say 7pm bath)

After bath dim the bedroom lights and maybe introduce a story tape/ quiet reading / looking at pictures to themselves, then at 7.45 you maybe read two bedtime stories/ a few chapters from a book, maybe a little song and say goodnight.

The idea is they are having 3 hours fairly quiet time from 5pm and 1 1/2 hours v quiet time ( since dinner approx If finish at 6.30) that she will have time for her brain/ energy to slowly calm down and win down for the night. It might seem a bit extreme but some need more than others. After a few weeks if this works and she is settling better then you can always adapt and change to what suits everyone best.