My 5 year old wont go to sleep....should I try Phenegan

[pepsi]

My 5 yr old ds will not go to sleep at night. We put him to bed between 7-7.30 after a bath, milk, story. He stays in his bedroom and is quite as anything and if you go in to see him just so cute and lovely and very very chatty! As time has gone on his actuall sleep time is getting later, last night 9.20, waking at about 7.40 am. Once he is asleep he goes right through and always has. Bedtime is a calm affair but I cant work out why he is not sleeping. I would have thought reception would have been tiring him out. I thoguht he might be over tired and tried putting him to bed earlier but this hasnt work. We are going on holiday next week to a hotel where the adults eat alone and the kids are meant to be tucked up in bed. Dinner is at 8.15 and DH and I think its rather unlikely we will be enjoying this perk of the holiday. I bought some phenergan today but cant bring myself to use it now as I feel Im drugging a healthy lovely little boy. Anyone else used the stuff. I hoping for a response that makes me feel ok about giving him it.

if he is no problem and isn't suffering from lack of sleep then i'd just let him be,

as you say... why drug a healthy little boy?

my 5 year old dd wakes at 6 in the morning and goes to bed at around 7.30,so sleeps about the same as your ds could you try getting him up earlier?

I guess waking him earlier is an idea, although its only been the last 2-3 days where he has been waking this late. Up until then it was between 6.00-6.30 am....I find that too early for me to be honest. Our DD wakes at 7.00 so this would be the ideal time. Could his mind be over-active for some reason do you think? What do you think about using this stuff for completely selfish purposes on holiday. Im trying to convince myself it would be okay but not doing very well.

is his bedroom too light? sorry can't think of anything else dd usualy drops straight off.

my 4 year old won't either .. he's up till 9.30 or 10 but will sleep till awoken in the morning (sometimes till 9.30 at the weekend) .. I figure its just his body clock

phenergan is for motion sickness .. personally I wouldn't drug him no I think that's quite mean

Is he too active before his bath / bed routine ?
Could it be that his room is too light with the light nights ?
It may be that on holiday, with a different environment - he wears himself out quicker ?

His room is certainly light so that could be it. Just put him to bed now and said he can look at a book for 10 mins. Not given the Phenergan.

I'd try blackout curtains or maybe hang a blanket over the window too & see if it does the trick. You could also then do that at the hotel if it works !!
Good luck

its a phase.

phenergan often doesnt work anyway

I am sorry Pepsi (I know this isn't what you want to hear) but I really can't think this is anyway a good solution. As you say he is healthy - 10h of sleep for a 5yo is quite normal. I do think it's a phase.
What about rewarding him to stay quietly in bed?

Tbh I wouldn't use the Phenergan either and I'm not anti the odd dose in desperate times but yours don't sound that desperate really, just a bit of a pain! Have you tried absolutely wearing him out, running him around as much as pos? Plus is it dark? Plus not allowing any sugar anywhere near bed time.