Bedtimes???

Jamison'smama wrote: I have just started reading the No Cry Sleep Solutions for toddlers and it states that the toddlers respond best to a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30. That just seems so early--We have TRIED 8:00 and have not been successful and we are trying AGAIN to do a bedtime plan. We have been putting her down somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00 and that's not optimal according to the book--any thoughts? Since nothing we are doing keeps us from having an extended going-to-bed routine and frequent wakings I am open to other ideas--hence the book.

When do your toddlers/preschoolers go to bed?

coasterqueen replied: Woah! 6:30 or 7? Yikes that would be good for my sanity but not good for the fact that I don't get home from work til 5:15 I'd never get much time with her.

Kylie goes down at 7:30 (that's when her head hits the pillow) and she watches her show then. She rarely ever falls asleep before 8, if not 8:30/9, though. For her no matter what time she goes to bed (7 pm or 2 am, lol) she's up at 6 am like clockwork. I'd hate to think of what time she got up if she went to bed at 6:30 or 7.

Is that book suggesting it because they think at this age they aren't taking naps??? Kylie still takes a 2 to 3 hour nap every day so I could never imagine her going to bed that early.

Kaitlin'smom replied: no way woudl that work for us, on tuesdays I work late so we dont get hoem till 6:30-6:45p. I am tring to roll it back a bit but she is always in bed by 9pthats the latest, most nights 8:30p. I would like to get back to 8p, but like I said it makes it hard on tuesdays.

ediep replied: jeeze! thats about dinner time here. Jason goes to bed between 8:30 and 9pm. of course, if he didn't nap, then its a little earlier

booey2 replied: When Thomas first started giving up his nap he went to bed almost when I would get home at 5:30-6:30pm every night. Now however it can be as late as 9pm or as early as 6pm. It all depends when he gets up and what he has done during the day with his sitter or with us.

mckayleesmom replied: Mckaylee and Russell are both in bed by 7:30...someetimes 6:30 if they didn't nap good.....Mckaylee sleeps through the night....Russell wakes around 2:30 for a bottle and goes back down. Russell wakes up around 5 is sometimes for anotehr bottle...but not always. Both get up around 9 in the morning. Right no

luvbug00 replied: We have always let Mya into bed at arround 8:30 or nine and she watches tv till she falls asleep.

dolfinrse replied: Zack goes to bed around 9:30, but doesn't go to sleep until around 10:30. I can't even imagine putting to bed that early. DH doesn't get home until 6 sometimes, so that would leave no time for them together.

kit_kats_mom replied: You really have to go with what works best for your family & as long as it's routine, then it should be fine.
In our home, K goes to bed between 8:30 & 9 most nights. If she went any earlier, DH would never see her.

kimberley replied: sleep? what is that? lol on a good night Jade is asleep around 10:30pm

jdkjd replied: Both Kiera and Bailey go to bed between 8 and 8:15 every night. Both get two stories and into bed.

It has worked wonders for us to have a set routine.

chloe&tysmommy replied: ugh..I would love for Chloe to have a set bedtime

Tyler is so easy to get to bed, I usually put him down between 8:00 - 8:30p and he's out for the night

but Chloe is soooo stubborn and won't lay in her bed..she has to be on the couch watching tv and then she will fall asleep (thanks to dh )...but that's anywhere from 9:00pm (if I'm really lucky) and 10:30 pm. plus she rarely ever naps anymore

mummy2girls replied: well it all depends on how cranky she is when we get home. But 99 % of the time she is in bed at 730. and falls alseep around 8. But tonight she was miserable so i stuck her to bed at 7...

MommyToAshley replied: WOW... I couldn't imagine ever putting Ashley to bed that early. Now that she has given up her naps, she goes to bed around 9ish. She doesn't always fall asleep right away. But, she sleeps in until around 9 or 9:30 every morning.

I agree, do what works best for your family. When they are old enough for school, it might be better to put them to bed early, but I still can't imagine putting them to bed that early.

Boys r us replied: Whew..maybe that's our problem..waiting too late to try to put him to bed..but THERE IS NO WAY I could put him to bed between 6 and 7! I would never get to see the little booger! Unfortunately I have no advice for you since we have to continually put brae back to bed probably 50 times between 9pm and 1am every single night! But if you find a good answer...I'll be interested in hearing it!

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
Do we have the same children?

Ethan goes down between 8 and 8:30 every night (sometimes earlier) He sleeps all night.

Maddie JUST NOW (age 5) started going to bed at 8:30 (versus 11:30 ). Sometimes she lies awake and reads for awhile, but has gotten to where she will stay in her room. She sleeps all night and wakes up around 7 most mornings and eats breakfast with her daddy. She doesn't see him at night so this works out. He will also be taking her to school this year. I think it helps with her bedtime knowing she can see him in the morning. I normally have to put her to bed before Scotty gets home for this to work. Otherwise she will keep sneaking out of her room. (Daddy lets her get by with more)I'm telling you though, we had this problem up until a month ago. It was awful. She turned 2 and fought her bedtime like crazy.

I happen to think 7:30 is way too early. I would never have everything done by then (dinner, bathtime, reading, etc) But, whatever works for you. You may want to try to start bedtime then, depending on how long it takes you to get her to sleep. Maddie's friend goes to bed at 7:30 every night, but they are up at 5!!!! I certainly don't want that. I'm not a morning person.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: on a normal night the kids will both go down about 7:00. Katy was 6:00-6:00 every night as a baby and it was torture adding on the hour. What time they go to bed seems to have no effect on wake up time. NO matter what it is always 6:00...unless you try to use them as an alarm then they'll sleep in

ian'smommy replied: Ian goes to bed at 8 every night and it works really well... He fights me more when I try to put him down even a half hour earlier. When we were away for a week he went to be about 2-3 hours past his bedtime every night. I was so afraid that he would be all screwed up when we got back home but he fell back into the routine easily, thank goodness. For his whole toddler life bedtime has been about 8pm.... As a baby I tried to have a routine but it was basically whenever he fell asleep after his bottle.
Whatever routine you pick make sure it works for you and also make sure that it's one that you won't necessarily want to change later. I know a girl who has a 2 year old and she has a nap in the evening around dinner time. She has bathtime at 10pm and then heads to bed. I think this is insane but she prefers to have the evening with her rather than the morning. Her daughter sleeps the morning away because she goes to bed so late. It works for her right now and that's great, but soon she is going to want to go back to work. She is going to have a struggle on her hands trying to change this routine. So while it great to have a routine that works best for you, make sure it isn't going to be one that you are going to have to change dramatically in the near future. Just my little piece of advice. Good luck.

amynicole21 replied: We head off to the bedroom at about 8:45 to read books and tell stories. She is usually asleep by 9:30. I would love to have her go to bed earlier, but like the rest of you, I would never see her otherwise. I usually end up falling asleep with her (she's still sleeping in our bed) so I don't have any "alone time" at night to get things done. Oh well.

On weekends I'm going to try to get her down earlier (maybe 7:30) because she REFUSES to take a nap at home. No problems at daycare, just at home. Urgh!