Mumsnet users share with Moonlite how they get their child relaxed before bedtime

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

As parents, it’s almost a right of passage to have at least a few nights where your child just won’t settle down for bed. They’re either still a little hyper from the day’s events, they don’t feel like sleeping or they’re just restless. That’s why Moonlite would love to know how you get your child to relax and calm down before bedtime.

Here’s what Moonlite have to say: “Moonlite makes bedtime stories come to life, with full HD story images and in-app sound effects to make the reading experience immersive and magical for children. Feed and fuel children's imaginations and bring back the love of reading through a creative, immersive storytelling and bonding experience.”

Watch this video all about how the Moonlite Storytime Projector can help you at bedtime:

Is it a classic bedtime story coupled with cosying up in bed that does the trick? Perhaps you find having quiet music playing in the background helps them calm down and feel sleepy? Do you try to get them into the same bedtime routine every night so they know when it’s time to wind down? Have you managed to find the blackest of black-out blinds? Or maybe a nice relaxing bath and getting into their cosy PJs tends to help?

However you get your child to relax before bedtime, post on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Bath, book, bed.

I lie next to DS1 for 10 mins or so after a story, and we talk about our days, reflecting on what was good and what didn't go so well and what we'll do the next day. Then I sing very badly to him and tuck him in. It seems to relax him.

For a start, make sure anything even remotely digital/interactive/immersive is in another room.
When mine are hyper I just slow down, speak quietly, help them get into pjs rather than make them do it. Sit still with a glass of milk and/or biscuit and read stories from books. Read something calming rather than exciting. Get them to help me read it and talk about it afterward to help them forget what was making them all hyped up. Into bed and lights off. It's basically our routine anyway but if they're fighting it we just slow it down and have a nice incentive like a biscuit and milk to sit down with.

get the routine going.their natural cues for bedtime will follow but they are so young even what time to go to be is new.especially when as a baby they just sleep as and when.
bath.pjs snuggles on sofa has happened.
reading in bed.
hot milk or chocolate.
all in our bed for some tv.
just lying together in bed for a bit chatting randomly.
try to get them wound down.relaxed in whatever form that might come.each one is different so it not getting panicked or harassed if for one something works and for the next it never would!
for ds he would never settle.always wanting to come down.or makig every excuse under the sun not to go up.especialy when sibling were still down.and tried to go to bed more and more the same time as his mum!and I didn't even notice it was happinginefor a while.
where as dd1 loved going up to bed with her little light on and reading or watching some tv.
ds2 had such nerves bout the next day and suffered with worrying about so much it all came crashing in at night so again had to take things differently.
saying "go get tucked up and we'll be there in a minute" was helpful because they new we would come but it also gave a time limit.
always tried to go give them at elast a kiss/snuggle in bed.
don't agree with blackout blinds.they need to get used to summer months light and then darker days straight off.it starts a whole set of problems if they need black to sleep!

Bath,milk,story,lights low and no excitement or noise in the background.

a bath and bedtime stotu helps along with cuddles in bed

story*

I try to slowly wind him down as he gets a little hyper in the evening. So after a bath or shower he has some Supper and depending on his mood watches a cartoon or cuddle time.

Then it’s upstair for toilet, teeth and stories. We normally have three stories and a little chat then it’s a kiss and cuddle goodnight and our nightly back-and-forth about night lights and how much the door should be open.

She has a bath and then we sit together in her bed to cuddle and read stories. Finally we lie down and chat in the dark and think about the nice things that we’re looking forward too. Its my favourite part of the day.

Like many others have said, it's a lovely bath before bed, getting all warm and snuggly then a story at bedtime. After a long day at school, they can barely keep their eyes open

The 4 B's - bath bottle book bed (with cuddles of course!)

I have used the same six-sentence story, spoken in a quiet, slow, sing-song rhythm while stroking their head, to settle each of my dc. I do it in the dark, and it's the last thing I do before I leave the room without saying anything more. I started around 5-6m, when the dc started having a regular bedtime, and continued until they outgrew it, usually around the time they started school. Except for one dc, who still asks for it at 12yo All my dc would often fall asleep mid-story when they were toddlers, and my 12yo still yawns at the same point in the story at which they used to fall asleep

When DC were small we had a routine of bath, pjs, milk, stories and bed that was set in stone. I also had a classical 'sleepy time' CD that we would play every night as they snuggled down.

It's harder now that they're older but electronics go off an hour before bedtime. They go for a shower and pjs on and then have a drink and a snack, sometimes we'll watch some tv. They always have reading time before lights out.

My baby is only 4.5mo and currently finds baths too stimulating so I do that earlier in the day. But before bed we have nappy change, sleeping bag on, curtains closed, feed, I sing a lullaby I’ve sung to him since he was born. He goes to sleep quite easily at bedtime now (staying asleep for long periods is another matter but he is still tiny)

DS2 has 30 minutes on his tablet, DD has 50.

My lg is only 1 but she has had relaxing music on every night since she was really small. It really works to create a relaxing environment for her.

Routine, so they know what's coming next
Bath with lavender scented bubbles
Story and cuddles

Simple routine works for DD 8.
Bath, tucked up, story.
We use a lavender spray too at the moment which is a monster repellent as we moved house and she became convinced the general settling down noises of the new house were monsters.

I should add that DS2 has suspected ADHD, but even when he's hyper, as soon as his head hits the pillow, he's out like a light!

Oh, DS2 also has OT exercises which we've also had to factor in. I wrap him tight in his duvet and do 5 deep pressure squeezes right before sleep.

My DH comes in just before D.C. goes to bed and starts okay fighting and running around with him. He then reads him a story with actions and theatrics. I think DCs have got used to it as they go to sleep quite well.

Hoovering! The sound works every time when they’re unsettled. Or playing the shash sound on a speaker.

My kids have always had a story before bedtime and cuddles. White noise helped my son when he was very little but even a calm bedtime doesn’t seem to wind him down. He reads a lot now but still has to be told to put the book down and go to sleep. He tried to hide it and pretend he’s not reading and queried how I knew he’d hidden a book. I told him I used to do exactly the same when I was a kid
My daughter just get story and cuddles and she’s normally so knackered she’s asleep within minutes.

We do the same routine every night- bath, teeth, story, cuddles then bed.

Bath, story then cuddles. I'll occasionally play some relaxing music if I'd like them to wind down after a busy day or late night.