Advice Please - Winding Down A Young Child...?

[Polly Fouracre]

With four children and nine grandchildren I can say,hesitantly,that I've learned a thing or two!
Routine is the best step forward.An hour before bed-time start to wind down.
Bath,without hilarious play(difficult)story(the library has an endless supply)and a few routine moments.(one of my boys had to have the witch caught by her feet and thrown out of the window!!??)But the words of a short poem or a prayer would do.
The thing then is the difficult bit .THAT IS THAT!! No more stories,hugs,dragging witches from under the bed,nothing.
Also a sleep pillow,a bit of muslin or thin cotton stuffed lightly with polyester wadding and a handful each of lavender,hops and lime flowers and put inside the pillowcase will relax him.
Good luck!One of my girls as a small baby would sleep maybe four hours out of twenty four(she is still alive,God knows how!!)Thankfully she slepr alright before her brother was born fourteen months later.Phew!!

[bubblewrap]

don't forget warm milk, very soporific!

Ovaltine or Horlicks works (well it does with me)

[JennieAtkinson]

Just 14 months between mine two (mind you they are now 28 and 29!), but they always had their bath everynight and then in the PJs we all used to cuddle up for about 10 mins or so and talk about what a great day we'd had and what we were going to do the next day etc. Sometimes a story, but not always. It didn't always work, but they were lovely enjoyable times - I missed these times when they got older. Waiting to cuddle up to the grandchildren now!

and you'll know yourself Shortie when he's not getting enough sleep. For all that the boys were very close they were very different to each other and often had different patterns of sleep etc. at different ages. Wait till you get to the teens, you can't get them out of bed at all!

[MrsC]

maybe a particular book associated with bed? dim lights, fibre optic ones are good, a nice bath, milky drink, a visual timetable (so to speak), easily made with pictures laminated of his day, he can then order them, the last one being in bed tucked up etc, maybe photos of your child you could use. a board of different fabrics, silky, smooth, furry etc, nice warm textures to touch. some of the lamps you can buy with revolving pictures, maybe fish or something are quite relaxing. quiet time music maybe. got to agree with Polly Fouracre re - routine, sure you know this anyway. i think it is nice to include a child with a change to routine which is where the picture thing comes in,they have a decision in it. quiet voice time associated with stories, always relaxing. you don't say if your son is hyper before bed or whether it is just the fact that he needs less sleep,some kids do. hope this helps and i haven't waffled too much, let us know

[NOG]

My boy has ASD and OCD so I know what you are going through.
What worked for us is Book tapes, or a favrot video.

At bed time put on a book tape and then let it run, we have the boy in bed at 8 but lights out at 9 so he has an hour of book tape or video. You should find that after a while he will associate the book tape or video with bedtime.

[rustylady]

The evening bath is a real lifesaver (for Mum). It seems to get them all warm and sleepy. Bath them, bring them downstairs for drying and dressing (no telly). Drink of milk and maybe a biscuit, then upstairs - clean teeth, toilet and straight into bed for a short story. Then lights out and leave the room. It will work, given time.

[Shortie]

The warm milk and biccie can be an issue for us with his insulin - I have to give hin the right dose and he needs to eat/drink anything carby within a certain time which means he wouldn't be able to have them to wind down with just before bed

I tried an activity book left on his bed tonight and told him to do a page or two if he can't sleep. Weeelllll I thought it had worked a treat until I popped up a little while ago and he was beavering away at the pages, wide awake. Hmmm... ...