SLEEP > Sleeping For Toddlers
Toddler wind down routines
GG:
Nothing I do seems to really help DS wind down before bedtime. We read books to him for a little while - around 15 min - and brush teeth as his wind down. He is still wound up, though. The lights in the room where he plays are low (or off, depending on how bright it is outside) and, generally, I don't keep lights on in the house if we're not using a room. Still, it takes him over an hour sometimes to get to sleep.
I realize that it may just be his way of getting to sleep but I'd still like to try to get him more relaxed when he goes to bed. Btw... he moves around too much if I try massage.
What sort of things do you do with your dc to help them relax and wind down?
Florencia:
Masagge is a great hit around here. As your ds, mine would get wriggly at the beggining but i read somewhere (can't remember very well where, i think it was the Johnsonn & Johnsonn's baby site) that if you use a calming lotion (there's one made out with chamomille and lavender that smells YUMMY) and start on 30 secs to 1 min sessions and over the weeks gradually increment it to 3-5 mins, that should be enough. The points lo's adore are feet, specially if you manage to make a "click" with his feet bones... that is really relaxing to them. Also on the hands, and those should be your starting poings. When he accepts it without getting wired, try behind the ears, really smoothly. IF he's OK with it, go with the back and arms till gradually he lets you do his whole body.
Another thing we implemented around 15 months was waving bye bye to things. We'd look through the windows and say night night to trees, dogs, kids on the streets, i'd take an opportunity if i saw a kid running and say: hey, that boy's rushing home cause it's time to sleep... things like that. Then I'd let him turn off some lights in the house, that's his way of saying bye bye to the kitchen, dining room, etc. We'd put some toys to bed as playtime during the day, so he's familiarized with the "going down" process.
We also play soothing music during bath time and i let the music on for his first 2 hours of sleep (we live in a really loud neighborhood so that's more a need) but recently we've introduced picking the cd he likes as part of the routine. I let him choose his pj's (among closed options), the bath towel he likes... it's like he helps me prepare his routine and we start the going down mood with it. We choose clothing for the next day, prepare diaper bag with snacks and juices and when all's set I let him have his bottle watching a cartoon (This is recently, like 2 months ago). So i'd say hour night windown lasts about an hour with a really winding part starting after bath, lasting about 15 mins. We have a short version of it for nap time (quick bye bye to things, quick putting toys down, bottle, brush teeth while listening to music and off to bed) that lasts from 5-20 mins depending on how much time i have.
HTH and that many other moms jump in this thread with different ideas so we can build a sticky with it!!!!!! come on mommies, don't be shy!
GG:
Thanks Florencia! As I was reading your reply I started planning things out in my head and I think the first thing I'm going to do is write down a planned wind-down routine, something that I can follow every night until he (and I) get used to it. Maybe I'll start with a warning just before we start the wind down, so at least he knows it's coming. I also like saying goodnight to things. I've done that in the past but it was only to 3-5 items (inspired by the book "Goodnight Moon", no less).
My biggest problem is dd, who's bedtime is around 7 PM but who isn't always asleep at that time. Also, an hour is a long wind down and, although it would be absolutely wonderful to spend it with ds, it may not happen.
Thank you for your suggestions! And I, too, would love to see what other people do with their toddlers.
Florencia:
Hey GG!
Just to clarify, I don't spend the whole winding down hour with him, for example the 20 mins he watches a cartoon (usually a soothing one like Caillou or Clifford) and drinks his bottle, he's in his room while I tidy the house (i work part time so i totally get lack of time to do things... you could spend that time putting Lena down). While he picks socks, pj's towel Im usually at the living room or my room (again, tyding... oh my life's so fun!) and he comes on and off showing me what he's picked. While we bye bye things, I'm usually picking up his mess or folding clothing so the time I actually spend with him without doing another thing is bath, massage, sing songs and putting down, no more than 20 mins. That could also work for you! if he's too demanding and wants me to pay attention just to him i gently remind him that I have to say good night to my things too (yes, the sheets and daddy's socks ::) he's gonna grow up thinking I enjoy that stuff LOL) and he usually understands it.
HTH and good luck!
Catharine:
Our bedtime routine starts at 7.30-7.45pm when we go upstairs to brush dd's teeth. DH brushes her teeth while I sort her room out, get PJs and and bed ready. Then we are both in her room while she plays with DH and I attempt to change her clothes and diapers. DH gives her a kiss & hug good night and dd & I choose a book to read. I put her in her sleeping bag and start reading. If she acts up at this point, I tell her that its lights off straight away and sleepy time. That usually does the trick for us.
We read about 2-3 books depending on the time. I make it a point to have lights out by 8.30pm no matter what time we start. A little trick I use with her is to pretend that we've finished reading but let her persuade me to read one last book on the condition that it is bedtime after that. Then she lies on me and we talk for a bit about her day or what we are going to do the next day (she seems to really relax at this point), then its kiss and a hug good night before I turn off the light and close the door.
Bathtime used to be part of our routine but she started hating it and crying which hyped her up too much so we took that out. We used to lie in the dark together and say good night to all her friends, family, our friends, her toys, etc. We changed it because the books seemed more effective, though we still do it every now and then.
Buy some new books that your ds really likes, like his favourite characters or toys, or buy those with lots of colourful pictures and you can read and make some bits up as you go along.
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