Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Help! Tips pls on all sleeping in the same hotel room !

18 replies

99redballoons · 09/03/2007 08:52

How on earth do you do it? We're in a two double-bed hotel room for four nights, plus a cot. Ds is 3.9 and dd is 16mo. How on earth do you get the kids to fall asleep at a decent hour and how do you keep the first riser from waking everyone else!?? Wishful thinking on both parts I'm sure!

Do you put them down at the same time? Is the best plan to just lie with them? I know our dd will just play in the cot until she's ready to drop off and I know that will keep ds awake and talking. I'm hoping they'll both be so shattered by the end of the day it will be better than I'm expecting..

I'm so looking forward to the holiday but I'm dreading the lack of sleep we'll be getting.

OP posts:
Original poster
99redballoons · 09/03/2007 13:42

bump, we're off on Monday so would appreciate any advice/stories

OP posts:
ChippyMinton · 09/03/2007 13:46

Do usual bedtime routine, then retire to the bathroom with good books, bottle of wine and the toothmugs

princessmel · 09/03/2007 13:59

I've never done it for the reasons you mentioned!!
But if I was going to, I would keep them up a little bit later than normal, then do usual bedtime routine. Tell the eldest one that dd is going to be sharing with him so that he is prepared for any different noises or wakes. Then just either leave the room and stand in hallway till they fall asleep or the loo!! On the balcony if there is one.

My friend just sits on the bed quietly but that wouldn't work for my two. I'd have to be out of view.

Once they were asleep, if there was no balcony to sit on (don't know if you'll be abroad or not) then I'd just watch tv quietly or read or sleep.

katelyle · 09/03/2007 14:03

We've done this lots. If you don't want to put them to bed at the same time, then if there are two parents, one of them puts little one to bed while the bigger one has a drink in the bar with the other parent. This is something that our bigger one remembers as the highlight of many holidays! Then that parent is released and can go and have a swim or something while other pparent gets bigger one to sleep. Then books, wine, room service - bliss!

chipkid · 09/03/2007 14:07

i did it two weeks ago with ds5 and dd2. It was not easy-not much sleep had by any of us.
Advice is to make sure you get lots of sleep before you go and don't expect anything other than disrupted sleep-then you may be pleasantly surprised!

BettySpaghetti · 09/03/2007 14:08

When we've been in this situation we soon discovered that DS (2) was the instigator at stopping the pair of them going off to sleep.

As a result we tend to put him to bed first as he can usually be relied on to go off quite quickly without distractions whilst the other parent goes off for a walk with DD (now 7).

Shes old enough to realise that when she gets back she needs to go to bed quietly so as not to disturb DS.

Oh, and if you find the solution to stopping the first one who wakes up from waking the other then bottle it and sell it !

CarGirl · 09/03/2007 14:12

who is the early riser, who sleeps the least? Keep the early riser up late!

princessmel · 09/03/2007 14:36

I think you'll just have to hope for a good bedtime and not worry to much about the mornings. Just be grateful they go to sleep!!

I think doing one at a time is a good tip.

katelyle · 09/03/2007 14:39

Oh and the other tip - tell them they can watch telly in bed when they wake up so long as they do it quietly and don't wake you up. This only works on poor telly deprived waifs like mine -if they have TVs in their rooms at home it's not much of a treat!

hermykne · 09/03/2007 15:10

99rb's
is there a childrens creche / playground where youre going? and what time is the dinner for them? i'd have them run off their feet from 3pm on. no naps and just wreck them out! its work for you. but at least yu can have a drink after the sleep! is there a baby listening or sitting service, worth paying a sitter imo.

Original poster
99redballoons · 10/03/2007 08:51

Thanks all for such great tips. We're off to Disney Paris so I think they should have a baby listening service. That's what we're counting on.

Such a good idea about the bathroom!!! We have to be out of sight too and I hadn't even thought of that. Also, putting one to bed at a time is really good. Ds would love having a drink in the bar, maybe with books, whilst dd is put to bed and I'm sure he'll zonk once it's his turn.

Ds is the early riser, but he can entertain himself (tv, books) once awake and we can carry on snoozing. It's dd that's awake once awake and will need lots of attention (being only 16mo). She's usually the longer sleeper in the morning, but I have a feeling once ds is up we all will be.

Well we hoped to clock up some hours this week, but dd has been up with teeth during the week and last night was a night from hell, ds being up 3 times with a stuffy nose and dd 3 (different!!) times for no obvious reason. Doh, we're shattered. Oh well... it's s*ds law isn't it!

You've given some really good advice and I feel much better about bedtime stuff even though we most likely won't get any sleep

OP posts:
crunchie · 10/03/2007 14:02

I wouldn't count on baby listening tbh. We did this with our 2 (5 and 7) we were at Disney this time last year. This kids would fall asleep aound 9 - 9.30 and we would simply chill/read books play cards sitting on te other bed.

helbel3 · 10/03/2007 20:40

i went to eurodisney last year with ds1 ds2 dd, theny they were 5, 3, 1 all in one room. No problems, they were that tired once they got into bed they were fast asleep. One night all three kids snoring including dh and it was only 8pm, got it on camcorder, so if you cant beat them join them. Have fun it is great!!!

NappiesGalore · 11/03/2007 12:58

i have yet to actually stay in a hotel which really does have baby listening (even ones who say they do )

take a little book-light for reading after the kids are in bed at or before 8pm. i spent a lot of time uncomfortable and unhappy, reading sat on the loo in the bathroom.mind you, i was 37weeks with my first, his head was engaged and i had to spend all day in the room panicking about the birth and doing feck all coz theres nothing else to do, but go on rides and buy shite while dp ran about after then 3yo hyperactive sds all day.

boy i hated that place

NappiesGalore · 11/03/2007 12:58

you can get the booklights in waterstones btw

FrannyandZooey · 11/03/2007 13:06

We do this a fair bit and we tend to let ds stay up later than usual, partly because it is fun on holiday, partly because it helps him to be tired when we get back to the hotel. I lie with ds on the big bed then transfer him once he has fallen asleep. I find we are usually more tired ourselves as holidays tend to be more full on than every day IMO! So we read for a bit with a low light on and then get an early night.

NappiesGalore · 11/03/2007 13:17

yes, F&Z is undoubtedly right. i was only going out of my mind all night coz i was unable to be active in the day...
i thought about hiring a wheelchair so i could get out and about with them but i was too embarrased! thought they'd think i was taking liberties... der...

radcliffe · 11/03/2007 17:52

We went to Eurodisney last year with dd 5 and ds 2. They were excited first night but after that no probs as it was so tiring as there is a lot of walking.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread