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 have to be honest and say I don't think even with 2 children I don't think I have mastered this art! I try a bath/milk and dimmed lights but my children never settle peacefully! I would love to win this in hope that it helps as i am so exhausted 😪

My youngest has a bath or shower at night. I sometimes use essential oils, particularly chamomile and lavender on the bed which helps. An audio book is also helpful and it’s mostly been the same audio book for several years.

We have a small battery powered star and moon projector shaped like a turtle that is touch sensitive. The glow on the ceiling is very soothing. And I often sing a bedtime song.

A story, milk and a cuddle

Same routine every night - bath, snuggles and books, dark room and bed.

I ask about her three favourite parts of the day.
She tells me in simple terms like -
' I liked that my ice cream had sprinkles, I liked brushing nanas doggy, I liked the digger outside marks and Spencer'.

I started asking her when she was about 2 and we are still doing it every night 4 years later 😊it's just sort of soothing and makes sure we end the day feeling positive and cosy.

We have what my daughter calls her magic spray. It's a lavender pillow spray and she loves squirting some on her pillow before bed to help her relax.

We also have lots of cuddles and a talk through of our day.

A nice play in the bath, two stories and then we talk about 'his busy day'. Nice and simple.

Mum of 3 here so have to have a routine otherwise it all gets a bit barnyard. Ours is shower, story, cuddles and then a nightlight that projects the stars onto the ceiling.

I cuddle and sing (well, hum) them to sleep while I enjoy reading a book (to myself).

Everything ready for school next day, a quiet chat while they're in the bath. Once In bed, sharing a book, either a favourite or a new one with a calm theme. A cuddle, teddy, and a reminder how loved they are.

Read more stories than you can shake a stick at.

DS is 4 months so routine is key, we give him his bottle about 6/7 ish have an hour or so of reading, singing or playing before getting him bathed, pj's on and in to bed low light and his wee night light, most nights he's asleep within minutes and has to be woke for his last feed around 11pm ish then he's fed, changed and settled back into bed.

Bath, pjs, bottle (she's 7 weeks old). Cuddles in the living room with just a small lamp on and then usually she's sleepy enough to go in her gro bag and straight to the cot

Bath, story, bed, lights out, simple. Both sept through from 5 weeks old, and still love their sleep as adults!

We have black out blinds in the kids bedrooms. They struggle in the summer without these!
I try and not let them get too wound up before bed as it takes them longer to calm down, and my dd2 who is 4 has a toy that makes a heartbeat sound, she finds this relaxing :)

Always always reading together in my bed. From the age of about 10 weeks when it was "Goodnight Moon"
Then into the cot with the carousel thing going. Often for hours!

Light dinner, no sugar , bath and read for 15 min.

As they get older they often need help to let go of the day and relax. Ask them to imagine they have a balloon in their tummy that they can breathe in through their nose and blow up, then woosh the air out of their mouth as the imaginary balloon deflates with hand on tum so they can feel it happening (sounds a bit yoga-ish but assists a difficult 7yo to settle). Hope this helps somebody else too.

Cup of warm milk, then sit in the rocking chair and sing a few songs together. Then the night light goes on and she goes in her cot and we talk for 5 minutes about what we're doing the next day.

We still read to 10yo at bedtime Starting off normal voice and expression then getting less expressive and quieter and almost monotone.
Bedtime stories shouldn't make things come to life when you're trying to get a child to drift off to sleep!

We dim the lights and read a bedtime story or chapter.

We usually play a board game, then Daddy reads to our two girls, usually Harry Potter, although we do find when we read something exciting to our eldest daughter she ends up sleepwalking and talking a lot more than normal lol, so we try to keep it calm and relaxing with some of my old Enid Blytons!
My husband loves reading those to our girls as they love how old fashioned the stories are. The Naughtiest girl and Goodnight Mr Twiddle being favourites!
Warm milk also helps, and keeping their room nice and cool!

I let my child have a nice warm bath, fresh PJs, a cup of warm honey milk, a microwaveable heaty teddy bear and let her read for 10-15 minutes in bed. I find that the sleep spray from Lush helps a lot too :)

We have no set routine but usually read school books together or me or my husband read a story it we watch a quiet film