Bedtime routine for 9 year old

[mrssillysausage]

Can anyone share their bedtime routines for 9 year olds? My dd is going through a bit of a stage at the minute where she says she can't get to sleep, then she winds herself up, ends in tears and sometimes three hours after going to bed. This is in term time and during the holidays. She says she's heard a funny noise, can't get comfy, can she have another hug etc.
She's also taken to getting up in the middle of the night and coming to our room because she doesn't think she's been to sleep!
I'm at the end of my tether as we just end up at loggerheads. It's like having a bloody newborn again!
Thanks in advance x

Nine year olds need 9-11 hours of sleep. Aim for lights out 10.5 hours before she needs to wake up (10 hours of sleep and half an hour of lying awake before she falls asleep). My DD is woken up at 7 each morning, so lights out would be 8.30.
In our house, we try to get the dc in their beds half an hour before lights out and they either read, listen to audiobooks, draw/colour or just chat to either me or my DH about anything that’s worrying them. We also have baths/showers in the evening rather than in the morning because I think it helps with the winding down.

I'm a great believer in a bath before bed, as it does relax them. Mine always had supper before bed, so they weren't hungry. Then bed with a book - no devices. They could read for as long as they liked up until about 10 pm.

If she has trouble settling, try using a lavender pillow spray - it works very well for me !

Thanks everyone!