almost 3yo twins playing up at bedtime

[Meeely2]

Hi all

I have nearly 3yo twins - great sleepers (gloat!) BUT recently have started to really play up at bedtime. We go up after ITNG, we bath, we brush teeth, we get dressed and we go to bed. Half an hour later we can still hear the sound of hefalumps running about the bedroom. WE go up to check, 2 naked boys, bedding on floor, nappies in a heap by the bin, sometimes poo in the potty, sometimes not.....redress children, back downstairs, still much hilarity for another half hour.

Any suggestions? why the sudden change? they used to go straight to sleep....could it be they don't need the nap in the day (still have about an hour at lunchtime)....i find if they don't nap, they are shattered in the afternoon and very grumpy......

any advice greatly appreciated even if it's just 'it's a phase it will pass'

I would definitely cut out the hour long naps - it sounds to me like they're just not tired at bedtime. What time to they get up in the morning?

they get up anytime between half 6 and 7 (dh and I get up at 6.40 to get ready for work).

Yesterday they had an hour long nap and fell asleep in the car on the way home (about 15 mins), but still played up at bedtime....they were clearly shattered, just resisting.

they go to nursery full time, so they do have pretty full on days.

also how do i get them to have a poo BEFORE bed and not 10 mins after.....

when you've got to go you've got to go lol

what time do they go to bed?

tell them what yopu expect of them maybe let them have 10 mins play then go tell them it s bed time

do you read a story with them? maybe if you sit and read story for 10 mins they may tell you they need potty then yopu can settle back to bed and finish story

if having hour long naps then bedtime should be an hour later than usual so maybe cut out there nap and get to bed normal time

i just hate grumpy tired boys at about 5pm, because they not slept in the day, and i can't stop them dropping off in the car on the way home from nursery - so they wake up worse when we get home cos they just had a cat nap.....

I will try reading to them to see if they need a poo while i'm still there - their cream coloured carpet is really suffering the effects!

you said yeaterday they had 1hr 20m mins sleep so to me they were not tired when they went to bed not resisting

i see a sleep therapist for my ds who saysd to cut out nap and aim for 7.30 pm bedtime he doesn't nap in day anyway he is 2.5

he has story at 7 and is normally asleep by 7.15pm although he doesn't stay in his own bed all night hence sleep therapist

but she says if they nap in day you have to make bedtime later as if napping for an hr or more they have completely re-energised them selves

thanks bubblagirl - it just seemed sudden. They have always napped at nursery and never had an issue before. I know they are growing up, but we try no nap at home at weekends and end up with real grumps in the afternoon and can't go anywhere in case they fall asleep in the car......

lol poor carpets sleep therapist recommends story before bed as it helps there minds un wind and its special time with parents as if left on there own they dont know how to un wind properly

she says no more than 10 mins story time but if having to go potty in between then 20 mins would be good then you can tuck them in and say goodnight you'll probably find as they are concentrating on story they may start to doze off

Bin the nap. My girls stopped theirs at 18 mo and two respectively. Unfortunately you do get a hellish stage where they are grump in the afternoon, maybe cat nap as you say, but this stage does pass. What you may find a good way of doing this gradually is to nap every other day, or every two day's for a week or so. Also you may find no nap means early bed - my dds and ds have tea at 5 and are in the bath at 6, in bed by 6.30 and my 3 yr old has lights out by 7 - when ITNG is finishing.

i find my ds is ok if napping in car and we aim then for 8 oclock bed time same routine then story then bed

if grumpy it can be hard but try to distract them with colouring or play doh then you could do dinner and story, bath and settle to bed slightly earlier for 7pm by the time dinner has been done and bath has been done story your looking at it being jsut gone 7

my ds changed all of a sudden with his settling too its all trial and error knowing when to make bedtime earlier or later taking naps into account as you'll find the older they get they really dont need the sleep they are used to having nap and this will make bedtime alot later as they will have too much energy

snap start thats when my ds has wind down time from 6 until night garden finishes then through to bed and 10 min story lights out at 7 asleep by 7.15 on good days

mine have tea at 3pm and a biscuit and milk at 6. Could this be the issue?

maybe i will get nursery to give up their nap, then they can deal with the grumpiness and not me!

yes the later they have dinner the more content and tired they will feel try to aim dinner for 5pm if tired i will do ds at 4.30 pm

by the time you wwant to settle them they have probably worked all dinner off you can do dinner at 4.30-5 and still give biscuit with milk as this is supposed to be good for settling

lol good idea just ask nursery if possible to just keep them playing as this would take mind off nap could mean they will be grumpy when they come home but by the time you have done dinner had bath and bed that time would of gone quick and they will get used to new routine could take few days to week but they will get used to it

my ds would always get grumpy at certain time of day and was really hell to get through but he stopped napping way before he was 2 still has days where he may fall asleep but will put to bed hr later and will never if i can help it have him nap after 2 pm as if he naps before then can usually get him to bed for 7

if he appears to awake then i'll get him up and put him back at 8 which normally works but 9 times out of 10 he will not nap

My ds has milk - he's 18 mo - but the dds (5 and 3) have water. Definitely a good tea around 5 helps them to sleep. We had to buy the dvd of ITNG as the dcs are all upstairs when it is on!

nursery have a set routine for meals though, brekkie at half 8, lunch at 11.30 and tea at 3. I fetch at 5, so home by half past, which i think is too late to eat, plus i would need to cook it, so would be 6 before it was ready.....any ideas?

6 sound fine or if they have small dinner at nursery then do them egg and soldiers when you come home or beans on toast something that will fill them up more for bed as dinner and lunch are along way off before bed so will have slighly empty tummys to be feeling tired and content

Tea at 3 might suit them but it is going to suit very few 3 yr olds. I think you need to push the nursery on this. I suppose if they get a cooked lunch you could do sandwiches or cheese on toast.

anytime between 5-6 is ok for them to eat as still 1-1.30 hrs from bed for it to go down and they will still feel full and content for bed

they have a cooked lunch and sandwiches for tea, so yeah maybe i should be feeding them when i get home --- oh eck i hope i haven't been starving them!

DD1 is 3.2 years and I cut out her nap at about 2 1/2 for the same reasons you describe, she does have a dip about 5pm but you just have to catch her before she sleeps and distract her then it passes. We have dinner altogether at 6pm then it's bath, Daddy playtime, milk and toast, bed at 8pm. She is up at 7.30am usually. If we are in the car and she has a nap she won't go to bed until gone 9pm. She also woll hang on to a poo until she's gone to bed and will shout down for her pull up to be changed which drives me mad, I put her on the toilet just before her pull up goes on but sometimes she will still have a poo in her pull up.

One is bad enough can't imagine it with two poor you but it's only a phase!

can you do seperate rooms for a while? i didn't have this problem becuase i haev B/G twins and they were in diff rooms.

you could alternate who gets to fall asleep in your bed

custardo, other people have suggested this in RL too, but i'm not sure......i like the fact they can get up in the morning and play together (thus not coming in to wake mummy and daddy!), I also like having a spare room for relatives to visit, and for me to sulk off too when dh and i have a row!

I dunno, i kinda like them sharing a room and tbh i think it would be worse in sep rooms as i am almost positive they would just escape to go play with each other anyway....

i think i now more worried that i not been feeding them enough - it has always niggled at me that they eat so early at nursery, but it didn't seem to bother them, so put it to the back of my mind - plus i simply do not cook (dh does all our meals), so i would have to learn (!!) if i was to feed them in the evening.....

it's a routine thats worked for us up til now, so i guess i am just resisting change - maybe i will talk to other mummies at the same nursery and see what they do.....

mine went to sleep in a seperate room.

however!!!!

i often checken on them later to find them in same bed

and!!!!
this happened until they were 12!!

and!! i think at this point my dd told her brother to GET LOST

was always ds2 getting in with her.

so i think you should get them off to sleep in seperate rooms - for your own sanity.

they will still get eachother up in the morning

you would only need to do some toast or something for them if they have a cooked lunch at school so no need for much skill lol or even small bowl of pasta and pesto very quick and very easy lol

as for the sleep maybe they just need to have the story to unwind to as there minds are still active probably start your wind down from 6 no energetic paly maybe colouring and then bath then bed and story

if you feel the ned to do 2 stories maybe they can choose one each i find mr men good as there not to long then they have got more time to unwind and relax say lay down and i'll start story you might find they doze while reading

if they try to get up say you must lay down for me to read story thats it well done then continue