Sleeples Six Year Old

I am a daycare mom and mom to 4 teens. I just like to offer advice when I can. Here's my suggestions...
A Bedtime routine. Silly as it sounds. A time where you do the same process every night, snack, brush teeth, read a story, kisses and drink and lights out. One of my daycare moms was having the same problem with her 5 yr. old. I suggested the bedtime routine. Her husband works nights and she was having terrible trouble getting them to bed and then up in the morning for daycare. She said the routine worked wonders for her. She tells them it's time to begin getting ready for bed. She gives them a small snack and a drink of water. Brushes teeth then goes to the bedroom with them and reads a little or talks to them. She also started using a CD I burned for her that I use during nap time. They did great. Even if you do this process in 30 min. it's 30 min. of mommy time they can enjoy together. If she needd a little more help, have her purchase some lavendar oil spray and spray thier pillow also wash the sheets in the Downy lavendar and vanilla Fabric Softner. Lavendar works well too. Good Luck to your friend!
T.

I'm interested in hearing suggestions for my 6 yr. old son as well. We do not have bedtime issues. He brushes his teeth and goes to bed when we say. Our biggest problem is not his fault. We get home from work about 6:30 and it's really hard to fit in dinner, homework, playtime, teeth, shower, etc,, by the suggested 8:00 or 8:30 bedtime. However, it doesn't matter how early he gets in bed, his little clock is set and he goes to sleep somewhere between 10 & 11pm. He doesn't get up or fuss and will stay in bed. He just simply can't go to sleep until then. He gets up early consistently. He's tired in the mornings but it doesn't make any difference in when he goes to sleep. We've tried different things (reading, music, tv, etc. to see if anything makes a difference. There are no distractions in the bedroom. Any suggestions? Thanks!

This may sounds silly, but is the child allowed any caffeine during the day or even chocolate later in the day? Some people are extremely sensitive to caffeine - myself included, so my kids have never been allowed caffeine.

Also, making sure the child has some healthy carbs with dinner (i.e., rice) or a snack before bed (rice cakes, low sugar cereal or even turkey due to the tryptophan) can make falling asleep easier.

Also, too much sugar later in the day will increase adrenaline and make sleep difficult (apparently the sugar can keep the adrenaline unnaturally elevated for up to 5 hours).

Also, how physically active is the child during the day? I know it's hot out, but I make my kids go outside early in the day for an hour or so and their summer camps all involve lots of physical activity. If your friend doesn't have a nice shady area for him to play outside, taking him bowling or ice skating in the morning or early afternoon might help. Also, if he is physically active later in the day or early evening, that can impact the ability to sleep as intense exercise increases adrenaline. So, the mother may need to focus on quieter activities later in the day (IF the boy is very physically active).

Also, does the child nap at all during the day? For some kids, even a 20 minute cat nap in the car can revive some kids.

Someone mentioned the scheduling issue and it is a problem in our house, as well to get to bed at a reasonable time when you don't finish dinner till almost 8. I have to make a very focused effort when we walk in the door of knowing what's for dinner and gearing the nights activities towards a targetted bedtime. Right after dinner, my boys have to take their showers/baths and then during the school year, it's quiet time after that. During the summer, they can watch a video.

Also, it is important to keep the lighting low in the evening as the artificial lite tends to tell your body that it should be awake. So, the mother should also check the lighting in the house and in her son's room. Even nite lites can interfere with sleep.

by 6 years old, they understand power struggles...sounds like they have one going on. I'd say that you set the rules and make your kiddo follow them. If she says, bedtime then by golly, it's bedtime. Follow through with consequences and consistency are key. They need to develop a routine and stick to it. But, just because there are rules, doesn't mean she can't make the bedtime ritual fun...

get him some fun pajamas (characters) and make a big deal about getting to wear those for bed...

buy him 5 different toothbrushes (silly as it sounds) that are all different... and have a "toothbrush of the day)....

Give him a goodnight chart... so he knows what needs to be done to go to bed...and set a timer (if need be) so that he knows WHEN it needs to be set and done by

have him help make these....

I have read that monitoring how much and how close to bedtime a child (or adult) watches tv or plays video games effects their ability to relax and go to sleep. The brain stays stimulated and processes the images for quite a while after the lights are out. I shared this with one mom when I worked in childcare....she told the kids the tv broke (she really just unplugged it) and that with a new routine---something about a timer is involved but I can't remember exactly how---and she saw drastic changes very quick. Good luck.

It takes a little while to get them on an early schedule. Melotonin or other sleep aids will help. Both my younger children take it. It is sold in doses as small as 1 mg. I have also seen children specific brands at the Vitamin Shoppe. Good luck!

I am a sleep trainer and parenting coach. Your child could have a legitimate medical issue, but chances are that his problem is more environmental. You need to look at a few things:
-his diet (especially caffeine, sugar, and foods high in preservatives.) I am not a health food freak; in fact, I think it's fine to feed your children the occasional treat or even fast food, but OCCASIONAL is the key. Caffeine should be a real no-no for kids.

-his schedule and activities. Many children are completely overscheduled and need a simpler lifestyle.

-how much TV your child is watching. One to two hours per day should be the maximum.....and that includes video games!

-his bedtime routine. Studies have shown that good sleep gets more good sleep and that a predictable bedtime routine helps children fall asleep and stay asleep. Studies have also shown that a warm bath encourages sleep.

I do private consultations and can assess your friend's child and develop a plan of action for healthier sleep for him. She can email me at ____@____.com.