Let’s talk about bedtime routines with Sky Broadband

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity has now closed

The bedtime routine is one that we are constantly trying to perfect, whether it’s our own, our baby's, our partner’s or our teenagers’, it can feel like a bit of a battle of trying to wind down, relax and drift off into a deep sleep for the full 8 hours that’s recommended to us. Which is why Sky Broadband would like to know all about your family’s bedtime routine and how you all try to wind down.

Here’s what Sky Broadband have to say: “As part of our new Sky Broadband Boost pack, we have launched a brand new app called Sky Broadband Buddy, which gives parents the ultimate level of control over their family’s internet usage. Buddy takes parental controls to the next level with its market leading features such as being able to pause your internet and filter sites on devices on WiFi and mobile data You can even keep tabs on screen time by setting regular time limits and bedtimes.”

Do you have a family rule of no screen time an hour or so before bed? What are your teenager’s sleep routines? How do you battle with the late nights and early school mornings? How about yourself? What helps you get to sleep and what time do you go to sleep? Is it story time before bed that really help your children wind down? Or what about your partner, do you try to sync into each other's sleep routines?

Whatever your tips, tricks and experiences are of your family’s sleep routines, share them on the thread below and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

My daughter is now 11, but we still have a no-gadgets-after-7pm rule.
I go upstairs to her room an hour before bed, and we tell eachother about our day, and what we liked/disliked about it.

I have 3 children (11months, 5yrs and 10yrs). They all go to bed at the same time. Easier for me and saves arguments with the older 2 if they go at the same time. They are in bed for 8pm. Before bed, they all have a bath, then the older 2 Will read their school books on the sofa, and I will read a book to my youngest. Then they go to bed and I will either read them all a book, or make a story up. I will then watch tv for a couple of hours. And then I read a book in bed.a routine really helps

We always keep to roughly the same time, and wind down with a nice warm bath followed by a bedtime story or two

My 3 and 4 year old change into PJs downstairs, have a final quiet play, then head up to their rooms for a story each. my daughter then snuggles straight down every night, my son needs us to hold his hand until he dozes off. Not managed to crack this one yet, as not doing it causes screaming which unsettles my daughter's normal excellent bedtime.

Evening meal, bath , then story in bed.

We have a lovely bubble bath, then pop him in his pjs and straight to bed with his Pirate Pete Potty training book at the moment :) xxx

Bath, story, sleep

My kids have a bath. while I read them a story they eat their supper then they go to bed

DS is nearly 6. I have not cracked the bedtime routine yet. We go upstairs, brush teeth, read stories, then lights off. Its usually another hour before he is asleep as he fights sleep and tries to keep himself awake. But then he struggles to wake in the morning.

We have a fairly strict routine, bath at 7pm and into pyjamas. Bedtime story then the lights are dimmed, not allowed down stairs after that.

Bedtime is always 8pm for now and begins with a bath then a good snuggle and a book . No big lights and no tv!

When they were little, we'd have them all in pyjamas in our bed and would watch one of their DVDs together for 20 minutes to half an hour and then read a bedtime story before tucking them into their beds.

Now they are all grown up (youngest is 15) they have adapted their own patterns. We haven't insisted on set bedtimes for the last few years, but have taught them to set their own, based on how much sleep they need. Eldest two usually go to bed between 10.30 and 11pm and have no trouble getting up for school (eldest will be at uni in September so this is a good thing!) Youngest has always struggled with dropping off at night and is terrible at getting up. He'll usually go to bed before 10.30 but can't get to sleep and in the ideal world wouldn't be up until 11 the next day. When he's at uni he'll definitely need an alarm!

When my son was younger we had quite a strict routine. Eight years on it is much more lax and more dependant on what we have been doing during the day and what time we eat tea. Normally it is get in from work/after school club, eat, homework, free time, bath, tablet teeth and bed. Hopefully everyone is in bed by 10 and up by 7.30/8.00 the next morning. Might not be perfect but it works.

It's difficult to get everyone to agree on what to do before bedtime. I am an owl and hubby is a lark. I think the children have shared our habits. The eldest is an owl, the youngest, a lark.

Recently I have tried to fit in with hubby's preference and have insisted that the whole family switch off computers and phones an hour before bedtime, although, by then, the youngest is usually asleep!

The youngest has never needed a bedtime story, however the eldest would happily read a full length novel before going to sleep.

The most difficult time in our household is summertime. The light evenings make it very difficult for me and our eldest to drop off while the youngest and hubby wake up as soon as it begins getting light and they then wake the rest of the household!

Our son is two and his bedtime routine is pretty standard I think. Bath (on bath nights), some milk, into PJs, brush teeth, into bed then we read a story. I've always said I should try not to use my phone/ipad in bed but I always do. I will try and make a resolution to have a read before bed instead. I have a very vivid imagination and I find it very hard to switch my brain off and go to sleep most nights.

I used to feel very smug about how brilliant my Children were at going to bed with a strict routine of the 3 B's!!! Bath, Book & Bed!!! Until they grew into teenagers!!! I have 5 Children and the older three were always in bed by 7pm every night and my friends used to say "How do you do it" and I used to just shrug and said "oh you know!! Stick to the routine and there shouldn't be any problems!! God am I paying for it now!! Teens & Tweens do not want to go to sleep!! I am no longer smug!! My 8 year old goes to sleep by 8.30 and my 5 year old is asleep by 7pm - I know that will change one day!! Make the most of your sleeping babies - give me a sippy cup any day!!

Little one is so obedient. Hush them for a bath and then at the same time brush their teeth.

Come out and dry up into PJ's and pick a bedtime story. Within 10 minutes lights out till next morning.

Our bedtime routine is bath, pj's, supper and stories. Then teeth brushed and into bed. Kisses and cuddles before being tucked up for the night.

I think we need to work on our bedtime routine. At the moment it's abit crap and rushed... and I hardly ever get time to fit a story in so at the moment it's usually we all go up, teeth, toilet, pjs and get in bed for the ten and six year old while I sort the baby. I then go to each of their rooms for a quick tidy, hug, kiss and lights out. Sounds ok written down like that but I do tend to get really stressed putting three kids to bed on my own and can get shouty and then feel like crap all evening

Myself and my ten year old have two variations on a school night...the norm is that he has supper at 7pm (toast or cereal, boy NEVER stops eating) then a nice bath, screen time ends after supper. He plays and relaxes in the bath, then into Jim jams and in bed by 8pm with a book, then lights out at 8.30/8.45....but a couple of nights a week I am exhausted and we both get into my bed at 8 and we listen to an audiobook together ❤️❤️

At the weekends, all bets are off and there’s no big routine x

It depends on the night. If they have had a club then it is a shower when home with a warm drink afterwards, brush their teeth then bed. They can read for up to 30 minutes a night to wind down.

If they do not have a club then we try to eat dinner together before watching a comedy show as a family. They know when they are due to go to bed and they can either forego another show or go up early and read for longer. It helps that they both currently devour books and are heavily focused on those.

We really do not like screens such as iPads/Phones to be out past 7pm. There is no need. They both have night-time modes so do not send or receive messages after this time. I am lucky with DD because she generally recognises all the social media stuff as nonsense and keeps her interaction to a minimum. She has seen how words can be twisted and used against others so keeps away from the drama. DS is oblivious to online relationships. I think shielding them from Fortnite etc has helped with this. Whilst I have no problem with gaming per se I am conscious we have allowed it to explode as a society without appreciating the effect it can have on our children's' mental health. When we game we do so as a family. I think that has helped.

As they get older I imagine we will adapt again but it feels like technology has outpaced humanity and we are trying to catch up with all these block style solutions. We really should be looking at fundamentally changing how we allow our kids to be online. It frustrates me that at age 13 they can suddenly have access to these vortexes of social media with little regulation and at a time when their brains are most vulnerable to peer pressure. I would much rather introduce them to the good and bad sides early so they are better equipped to cope when access is freely given.

Reading that back it sounds preachy but MEH.

We've never done a bath before bed as both ours love the bath so much it wakes them up, instead of calming then down! Also, with eczema in the family, I'm not keen on washing everyday while they are still little.

At the moment we all go upstairs about 7pm. 4yo DD gets into PJ's and teeth brushed in her room, while the baby plays on the floor. Then DH takes the baby off to her nursery and does nappy, clean sleepsuit, anddnbfbbbfeb into sleeping bag. He'll then just give her a cuddle and potter about in the nursery while dd and I cuddle up in my bed to read a chapter of her bedtime book. Currently working our way through the Enid Blyton classics! Then it's back to her room, into bed, kiss and cuddle, baby swapped to me, dh gives DD a kiss and cuddle, lights out for her, baby into my bed with me to be fed to sleep. It all runs like a well oiled machine until one of them is ill!

My son is 6 and his bedtime is 7pm. We turn screens off at 6:30 and either play a calm game (like top trumps or similar), or read a book, or just chat about our day. Then at 7pm we take him for a shower and get ready for bed, then I read a chapter of a book to him in bed. At the moment we are on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

We have quiet time tv hour during which pjs are put on, warm milk is had and snuggles on the sofa. Then upstairs to brush teeth, go toilet and into bed.

Baths, jammies on, snack and drink. half hour of telly, teeth then into bed and read a bedtime story which is an important part of the bedtime routine. A nice bit of interaction with the little ones to end their day.