nearly 5 yo not going to sleep

[CD86]

Hi All

I need some advice, ideas....anything! My 4 yo, 5 in October, really struggles to settle and go to sleep in the evening.

Evening routine normally consists of:

530 - dinner
6/615 - we head upstairs to either do bath or play
630/645 - pj's, read books, teeth
in bed for 715/730

we're normally up around 7am, although some mornings I am having to wake him around 730. He doesn't seem to settle until just after 9pm most nights. We have tried more books, quiet play time in his room, books in bed but nothing seems to help him. He then ends up being up and down like a yoyo.

I thought during the summer holidays it was just down to not having a routine etc. He has just started in primary 1 so i thought he'd be shattered...no such luck!

We have been thinking of getting something for him to listen to audio stories to help him settle, but I am worried he then starts to rely on that too much....am I over worrying and thinking may be?!

He can sometimes be quite grumpy during the day, and I put it down to tiredness, but he could just be a grumpy child i suppose ;-)

I know starting primary school is a lot for them, and I am hoping it's just because there is a lot going round in his mind at the moment.

He has been ok at school, a few wobbles and uspets, more than expected, but teachers say he is fine once he is in the class. He is quite sensitive and saves a lot of his frustration and upset for me when he gets home!

Any words of advice, wisdom...anything?!

its good that you have a set routine. could you have playtime before dinner, so that when you go upstairs he has a bath ( i find using this lotion afterwards helps), then teeth, he gets into bed with a book that you read whilst you brush his hair (i found this also calms down my dc) and then you play this whilst he sleeps? if he complains about not being able to sleep, tell him to close his eyes and listen to the sounds x

He does have play time before dinner as well, but I might try and see if he wants to do that up in his room and see if that helps the calm down a bit.

He does like being stroked, always wants me to stay stroking his back etc but I really don't want to get into the habit of staying and doing that too much. Doing it whilst ready books might be a good shout though, I'll give it ago! We're going to get something in his room for music so I'll try that too, and look at calming lotion.
I've also got some lavender oil bits, might see if that helps.

When we had really bad thunder storms we put bedtime stories on the TV for him just to drown out the thunder but again I don't want screen time to get him to sleep, and he stayed awake longer watching it! Lol

Thanks for the suggestions!