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

[EllieMumsnet]

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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

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I read a book to them three or four times a week before bedtime. We also squeeze some more reading in at random times during the week as well. I’ve been known to pick up a paper on the train and start reading quietly to them. I’ve been reading to them fairly often and I think that it’s definitely helped them. We talk about the book we read too. No technology allowed after eight pm. My phone goes off but I turned off the volume deliberately to allow me to concentrate on the book. Basically we eat dinner, speedy shower, hot cup of milk for them, quick reading session then lights off and kisses on the forehead too as they are falling asleep slowly. I then walk out of the room after checking baby monitors are turned on.

We do a daily ritual going to bed and it's, for the most part, the same all the time to promote a feeling of security and familiarity. It incorporates a bath and then reading in bed.

We have lots of stories and cuddles in bed before it's time to sleep. My DD also has a cuddle in my lap and breastfeeds.

If the weather is not too horrendous, we will go for a walk around 6 pm ish, chatting and looking at our surroundings, getting wrapped up, and being in the fresh air, is so good for us all. We return for a drink of warm milk, a bedtime story and being tucked into bed.

Some 1:1 time with me helps enormously. Trying to get 2 DC into bed at the same time is hopeless as they both want attention and it quickly goes from calm time to "HE IS HAVING MORE STORIES THAN ME", so divide and conquer works best!

At bedtime, before lights out, either I read to them or they read on their own. Winding down with a good book is a lovely way to relax. Adhering to certain little routines and rituals - the order in which things are done, how we say goodnight, etc - also helps.

It's always a bath and a story upstairs with low lighting and no screens on!

We have a routine, which I think is an essential to stick to, so its, bath, and CBEEBIES, their shows help us zone out, relax, unwind, and send my children off to bed with nice thoughts and dreams to have all night long.

Routine works best for myself and my children! I always tend to slow things down as night time is approaching. No one is allowed to be loud/watch tele and we have some strict rules but it does all of us good. We always follow the good old,bath,bottle and bed. For my 4 year old,the bottle is replaced by a story. We also recall how our days have been and make sure the stories always end up with one useful lesson so everyone sleeps with a positive message. Routine helps them so much that even the baby knows what to expect and it makes all of our lives easier :)

Bible story/reading, prayers and then time reading to themselves. I read to them at dinner rather than bedtime. A shower usually helps and in the winter they love a hot water bottle.

My LO loves a warm bubble bath before bed - the bedtime bath products are great as they often contain lavender, which is great for relaxation :)
After bath, we head upstairs together - my LO chooses several books & we'll get into his bed to read them together.
After the last book, he's usually happy for me to leave & he'll look through a book on his own until he falls asleep. If he's saying he's not tired though, we'll put an Audiobook on & that does the trick :)
I think soft lighting, low stimulation & a consistent routine are all surefire ways of encouraging a healthy sleep pattern.

One chapter of Enid Blyton plus a glass of milk. Lovely!

1- Tidy up time (prompted by Alexa), we all help to tidy up his toys, etc.
2- Bath if he's having one and then toilet and pyjamas.
3- A cuddle on the sofa with warm milk and a story.
4- Brush teeth and off to bed where he chooses one of his two nightlights that each have a 30 minute timer.

We try to have a routine without having any particular thing that he relies on to get to sleep.

6yo DS. Quiet time for 30mins before bed, cuddles and a story at bedtime then soothing music to fall asleep to. Easy (most of the time )

Bath, milk, stories, cuddle, chat and sleep.

We all brush our teeth. Read a story. Have a hug, kiss and a tickle (in that order). Have sips of drink and get a message from santa about our behaviour for the day (through an app) then I set up the groclock and turn on our dehumidifier for the night as it has a nice hum in the background.

We have a cuddle on the sofa together, read a story and she goes up to bed and listens to some relaxing music (Disney piano version on youtube is lush!)

A set routine. Computers /tablets taken off them 30 minutes before bath time at least (to let them mentally wind down).

Bath, storytime in bed with low lights, warm milk then teeth clean. Cuddle and sleep.

Set times for bed, same things at the same time. Lots of low key time for a couple of hours before the time you want them to fall asleep.

Reading stories quietly

Stories, then cuddle up with sleepy music on (often sends me to sleep to!) Have been thinking of getting the little one some sort of projector light..

Pjs, cosy cuddle with a story book or 3 () and a song when settled under the covers. Dd still likes a song at bedtime, even though she’s 4 now. Black out blinds and a night light clock are also very useful.

We have always had bath (now showers because they are older and can do this themselves), pjs, they read to us, then we read to them, cuddle, kiss and sleep! I don't like the idea of introducing apps to read at bedtime or help get to sleep. Screen time is enough of a problem IMHO!!

It's all about the routine for us. With my eldest who is 9, we put the bath on and then usually have tickle fights and silliness, then bath, cuddles, she watched youtube for a bit and then reads before lights out. With my youngest who is 5, we do the bath and tickles, then a story and sleep, not without her unicorn nightlight though!

A nice warm bath, a cuddle and a good book... work every time :)

Singing songs and playing with hair.