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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We watch in the night garden, flowed by reading a book, normally say hello to the animals his favourite, followed by milkies then bed ! He's a good sleeper! Normally exhausted by 7

I say
"Alexa, play seaside sounds"
Its like magic on my 10 year old.

Routine is key. Food, bath and into bed for a story.

We start wind down time from our evening meal. Bath, stories, dim lights, and then use ocean sounds CD at time to sleep -much nicer than white noise but drowns out the rest of the household noise. We also use dimmable lights with extra dim settings in case any of the D.C. need input at night -avoids waking them too fully.

Bath time, followed by reading, then lights out and a cuddle

We have a bedtime routine which we stick to. Everyone knows where they're supposed to be at what time and it makes it so much easier. We even have a brdtime routine for the dog so once weve settled him and put him to bed then its time for chidren to go to bed.

We will go to the park, and sometimes visit out local pet store and look at the pets, (rabbits, guinea pigs and tropical fish). We come home and have a bath, a milky drink, or bowl of cereal and have a bedtime story from our 'Christmas book'. The pet store gave me an idea for a nightlight so we have a jelly fish aquarium which is so relaxing to watch - so that goes on, and the gentle movements and lights make a relaxing environment for sleeping.

Me and my childs father have a three-year-old son together. We've been on and off for 4 years but have known each other over a decade. He has two children from a previous relationship a son with me and his current girlfriend of 3 months is pregnant. So he met a woman while he was in a compromising position she helped him out financially and did things for him. We we're not together at the time but we're discussing getting back together for the sake of our child. We would text every day and talk every day even if he was seeing someone and still sexually active. So he ended up going to jail for DUI and me and the woman actually bumped heads because she was looking for him via fb. Well to sum things up she didn't know about me she didn't know about our son he only told her about his first two childrend mom. She then told me she's pregnant. I got so angry after finding these things out I told her things about him that she didn't know. I disclosed his criminal record I disclosed how many kids he really had I told her of his drinking problem. Once he was released and found out that she knew all this information he blocked me and I haven't heard from him since. I found out that the girl still talks to him but is having problems with him and has already called the relationship off once. Here is the thing even though he has done horrible things to me over the years like I said we have been on and off which the off was due to his infidelities. I do feel bad about disclosing that information to her. Was I wrong should I contact him and apologize? I've never went this long without talking to him but he has done worse things to me and I have forgiven him I fill like for him to get so angry over me disclosing information to a female that he's only been knowing for a few months and just cut me off knowing we have a child together it's a bit crazy. Also I found out he asked her to relocate with him. Should I reach out and apologize should I leave things as they are and just forget about it? Like I said he's done some horrible things to me very horrible and I have forgiven him and for him to just turn his back on me and his son in my opinion so small makes me question if he ever really cared for me and his son. like I said she didn't even know about us she didn't even know that we had a kid together and she didn't even know I existed. Just need opinions/advice on if he will come around and or if I should apologize or just leave it alone. Also I am the one who originally said that we should just be friends so for me to turn around and get so angry and jealous and tell her all this information I feel silly because I really didnt want to be with him romantically anyway because there was no trust anymore. But I did get angry to find that he didn't tell her about us as if we weren't important. What should I do? Also why wouldn't he not tell her about us if they got serious she would of found out..

Omg accidentally posted this here just ignore I was trying to post n relationships and can't figure how to delete

My 16-week old is ready for sleep after a bedtime bubbles bath, a bottle and lots of cuddles. He's still feeding twice during the night, I look forward to him sleeping through eventually!

DD (almost 2) has a bath around 5pm, after her tea and this is the last 'exciting' thing we do in the evening.

During bath time, the downstairs TV is turned off if it's been on and it doesn't go back on.

Once she's dried and dressed in her pj's I warm her up some milk and make a cozy area out of a single duvet I keep in a box downstairs and two pillows.

Then the story book comes out. DD isn't always ready for bed and will sometimes wander about playing etc for a while, but regardless I sit and read which ever book it is until she comes asking for her dummy and snuggles up with her milk. Then she gets cozy whilst I carry on reading. All attempts to engage in play are ignored because it's story time. Until she finally gives up resisting and falls asleep 😂.

Sometimes story times is a twenty minuit process, other times it's been known to run into hours... It appears my daughter is just as stubborn as I am! 😂

From 5 we lower the lights, and turn down any radio or tv which is playing so out DS gets used to this is 'down time'. Then at 6 its bath (with a nighttime bubble bath), then it's cuddles and bed with a gentle nightlight. It does not work every night, but most nights. I feel blessed.

When they were little, it was fairly easy, after some quiet time in front of the TV with milk for half an hour, we'd go upstairs and do storytime and then they'd snuggle down into bed and hopefully go to sleep.

Now they're teens, this is far more fraught. DS got so stressed during his exams that he couldn't sleep, so we used some mindfulness apps and they helped. DD also gets really out of synch when she lies in at the weekend, so that needs watching too. There have also been issues with doing homework way too late at night as well, but I keep a better eye on that now and ensure that it's all put away by 10.30pm latest. Funnily enough phone use hasn't been too much of an issue, but I think for a lot of teens that is another inhibitor to good sleep.

Anyway, sure that's not what Moonlite are looking for, but I think teenage sleep is a bigger issue than toddler sleep!

Our bedtime routine starts with a play and run around upstairs in the bedroom.

Then we get into a hot bath (sometimes with bubbles...other times just with the toys...and sometimes I get in to with my little boy - he is almost 2.)

After bath time we get changed into pjs and get into bed. I let my son choose what books we are going to read. A maximum of 3 books. and then we read through them together until he looks tired or finished reading the books.

The it is lights out and I sit next to the bed and wait for him to fall asleep.

It's all about a routine and cuddles in this house! They know what's coming next, and they know they're going to get a huge, big fat cuddle with one of us!

We also have those lights that do a sunset so the lights gradually dim down mimicking a sunset. Seems to help!

Keep them away from dad as he winds them up even more!

We have an active half hour downstairs - dancing, play fighting etc
When we go up they know it’s calming down time, so they get ready, then we read and sing bedtime songs. Then they are in their rooms with dim light and music on.

We love the hypnotic books about the rabbit and the elephant. I've been reading these to my dd since she was little (she's nearly 10!) And they still work like magic, by page 4 she's usually asleep! She usually reads a bit from whatever novel she has on the go first and then we always finish with the hypnotic books - honestly guaranteed to make children, rabbits, elephants and (quite often!)mums fall asleep!👍

Always a bath and story. Usually one they are familiar with, and one they associate (sublimally) with going to bed!

My children really need a good routine. It helps them feel relaxed and at ease and comfortable at bedtime. We have the same time every night for getting ready to bed. They have a warm bath and a story. They both have very good black out curtains and a fairly dim nightlight.

me and my daughter sing a song together - at the moment it's Bangles eternal flame - rather 80's I know - but she seems to love it and finds it relaxing. It's become a proper bedtime ritual which she loves doing.

Routine is a must.
Bath
As I am a Reflexologist, I give them a foot massage with lavender oil
I read to them or put on an Audio book (David Walliams and Roald D'al are their favs)
In the past I have also used a sleep meditation for them and it has worked a treat (there are so many audio only ones on Youtube)

OK, so she's a little older than many of the DC on this thread but I meditate with my 10yr old each night for about 15 minutes before bedtime. She's naturally very active and bounces from pillar to post most of the day, but 15 minutes mindfulness (we have a couple of apps we use for guided meditations such as body scans) calms her right down for bed and also gives her techniques for calming herself during the day if needed.

Routine, and keeping (as much as is possible) to the same bed time every night, regardless of what day it is, has been the biggest help for getting my daughter to sleep well. We turn off all screens an hour before bed, and have a 'no-screens upstairs' rule in place. We (that is me, my daughter and my partner if he's available) go upstairs, go through a routine that is either teeth and pajamas or that plus bath, then we play a board game or do some drawing or writing, then it's into bed for a story or two and lights off. This routine has been in place forever and has never failed to get 11 hours of peaceful sleep for my daughter, with the very rare exception of illness or jet-lag throwing things out a bit.

We always have the same nightime ritual designed to wind DD down and get her to sleep. Starts with a bath, then a blow-dry (white noise!), onesie on, low light on, three bedtime stories, a lullaby, and then light's out. It's always worked for us since she was a baby!

We’ve always had a routine, chill out time, bath, story, hugs & cuddles