We have, in our family, five little people. That may be somewhat obvious by the the title of my blog. 😉
So it stands to reason that we have had five newborns, had to go through many many months of dodgy sleep patterns, some no sleep patterns and who the heck cares i just want to lie down sleep patterns.
We went for the pic’n mix approach to sleep. Broadly that meant going with whatever works, results in the greatest amount of sleep and once there was more than one little person in the house, resulted in the fewest amount of awakees. Over the years we have probably dabbled in all the various ‘theories’ but ultimately it comes back to…a default. Go with what gives us the most sleep. Whether thats having a newborn like the princess and the pea inbetween us on our bed or having a 10 year old who has had a bad dream sleep top to toe with us for the night. It all just works out.
I know there are people who get s-t-r-u-n-g out by the thought of a disruptive night, we are a bit different, well i am anyway. Our four year old has been coming into our bed for about 18 months now, every night, without fail. Got to the point when I was almost saying ‘well done’ to her when she managed to get into our bed without waking anyone up!! I never thought i would be one of those people who could sleep inter-linked with someone else. But its amazing what you adapt to 😉
She has pretty much stopped doing it now, i knew she would eventually. There has been points recently where i have had moments where i kind of miss it just a little bit. Maybe a sign that they are growing up and cuddles in bed are becoming far too babyish. *sniff*
I think over the years i have grown less fond of sleep. I find it a bit of a drag. Like there is something else i could be doing…don’t get me wrong those few minutes before you get up are agony, clinging to the mist of dreams, beaten by forthcoming consciousness normally with the help of a baby shaped alarm clock. But there are times when although really i know that i should be asleep that im busy doing something else, robbing my body of its down time as each extra hour of being ‘up’ without the kids means i can just get one.more.thing done.
In our house at least sleep patterns have been fluid..changing with the times, the ages of the kids and the stages they are at. The ultimate goal is everyone in their own bed for the entire night. When that does happen there is a little ‘holy grail’ feeling about it.
But when it doesn’t it isnt the end of the world either.
What about you, how mobile is your sleep?
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We are not too mobile as our eldest quite likes her own bed and My squidge can’t sit up let alone wander into our bed ! We are of a similar philosophy, whatever gets the most sleep 🙂 Mummy and Daddy play musical beds to escape to the spare room for some undisturbed sleep !
I love my sleep, i’m a 9 hours a night girl 😉
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In your line of work then I guess it’s good you don’t need sleep as much. I NEED sleep and get so depressed and moody without it (think that’s what happened last week). Again we just move it about with whatever works best. As it happens Mr Oddball got up in the night and is now back in bed.
Thank you for the mention – need to sort out my giveaway
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singing to them!
Singing to them
routine, calm down time, bath, story, and bed. Also if my daughter was having difficulty sleeping, I would whisper a ” magic bream” into her teddy’s ear. This would only last for a short time so she had to get to sleep quickly to be able to join her teddy on his special adventure
a bubble bath before bed and a nice milky drink
Tell ’em if they don’t go to sleep I’ll sing to them.
By establishing a routine and sticking to it religiously!
A bedtime story and by winding them down so they are not watching tv or playing computer games before bed!
I did all of the above but also in desperate times, which called for desperate measures, I gave a spoonful of Phenergan syrup which would do the trick. BUT a word of warning this isn’t something you should ever do as routine, this is just for those times when there is good reason to take this kind of short cut.
I didn’t – he grew into a teenager and then I couldn’t wake him up!
fresh air and exercise to wear him out!
Tire them out with activities.
bribary
Keep to a routine – same bedtime each night.
reading a story before bed.
calming lavender spray after a bath and a story.
Tire them out during the day
Naturally good sleepers, thankfully.
I make sure there is a good wind-down routine and the usual stories/kisses/cuddles.
Wear them out during the day!
Plenty of Fresh Air and Just Dance x.
bedtime story
hot milk before bedtime and a good story!
The same bedtime at weekends as during the week.
I think a bath and story works wonders!
try and keep to the same routine the best you can, and persevereb with control crying x.
A routine and a bedtime story.
a strict routine, bedtime at the same time every night
My son is only 7 months and we were lucky as he’s always been a brilliant and independent sleeper!
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A good routine and a cuddle
Plenty of calm and quiet before bed.
A bath and a bedtime story
bedtime story
Have the same routine every night
We always have at least one story, more if time allows. Then lights out and good night.
making sure they had a routine we stuck to bath , story then bedtime.. it worked wonders.
a bath then a story, then sloppy kisses and a cuddle
Read them a story.
They have the same routine every night
Drink, snack, bath or wash, teeth and a bedtime story the same time every day. Only, now it’s lighter at night they sometimes play in their room a little before getting into bed and going to sleep. We were persistent with the routine.
Soak in the bath
I have been incredibly lucky. Both my children slept through the night from 5 weeks old and have been fantastic ever since
We co slept. Still do if they wake in the night. Babies felt safest and happiest next to mama and slept soundly 🙂
I don’t get my kids to sleep well – all the time they have a relaxing bath and warm milky drink and chill out time – but they still stay awake!
As much fresh air and exercise as poss, a warm bath and a bedtime story
Walk them up our lane and back – a bit of excercise does miracles!
By going with the flow – when they were babies we did what they needed, slept on us, slept beween us and eventually slept in their own beds. It worked and they gradually got used to sleeping by themselves and we have no trouble with their sleep now they are older.
Bath quiet time & a bedtime story
Routine, from as soon as possible, which includes a bedtime story so there is some quiet time before lights out.
By a nice bath – chill out time and routine
Hot bath before bed with Johnson Lavender bath oil then a nice warm bottle of milk. Out for the count every time!
A warm bath and a wind down read together before tucking her up in bed. Seems to work!
routine!
By getting into a bedtime routine bath story cuddle and hopefully a night in there own bed, but I didn’t stress if they slept with us.
Same routine day in day out, they don’t know any different 🙂
I always make sure he is in bed by 9.00 pm. But its getting a bit harder now that it is lighter outside. He thinks he is being sent to bed earlier!
Relaxation before bed. Dark quiet room. Routine – bed same time.
Set the same routine every night works for my little one.
Routine, routine, routine
Keep to a routine is the key.
I always read a bedtime story even from an early age, it just gave them time to settle down.
I let my son take the lead but, very gently, introduced a routine – He was a nightmare for the first year but he has a great routine now and, although he does wake some nights, he goes back to sleep easily. He even woke at 6am the other day and cried and told me it was too early and he wanted to go back to sleep!
A bath, then low lights and a bedtime story.
I don’t have kids, so I don’t know how I would get them to sleep.
A lot of hugs and reassurance 🙂
A consistent bedtime routine
Routine is best (bath, storytime, sleep)
I couldn’t – even the health visitor at the sleep clinic said she thought I just had one of those kids who doesn’t need much sleep !!
Have a clam down hour before bedtime
I have to give my daughter a dummy and her favourite cuddlly toy to get her to sleep.
Bath amd story.
Regular routine and lovely thick blackout curtains
I always read my children a bedtime story, however tired I was. They loved the routine of bedtime and I never had any trouble with them staying in their own bed and going to sleep.
Sleep is for the weak ha! I survive on about 5 hours a night and have done for quite a few years now. My two are good sound sleepers and slept through pretty much from about 8 weeks, but we have had some nights with a little person creeping into the bed.
I just go with the flow, there will come a time in both of their lives where the thought of getting into bed with their parents is just gross! So I reckon we’ll get our bed back completely to ourselves then 🙂
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Warm bath, warm milk
Mine are now 5 and 3 and they’re good sleepers because we introduced a firm bed time routine early on and kept to it. We also let them nap in their own beds rather than expecting them to do it in pushchairs. Lights are out at 7 pm.
A regular bedtime, bath and story.
Routine! and a bedtime story
Dim lamp, talking in a hushed voice and a bedtime story each and every night.
Glass of milk and a story:)
warm bath and Lavender oil on their feet.
Reading a story
fresh air and warm milk – knocks them out!!
We have been really lucky that a warm bath, gentle stories and a cuddle have been enough for our girls to sleep. They were both very early risers but went to bed without a fuss and from about 12 months slept through 99% of the time.
A bedtime routine from an early age. Also, I let them read for as long as they want as long as they are in bed. They never manage more than 20 minutes before dropping off.
I try to spend an hour after tea playing physically with them, them relax them with a warm bath, cuddle, warm milk and then a story in bed.
bedtime storys for my 8 year old and my 3 year old tells me its time for bed at around 6pm everyday 🙂 she loves going to bed
its hit and miss so no real technique but fun filled day outdoors helps
By introducing a routine, bath, story, cuddle bed. Both kids settled fairly quickly into full nights sleep this way 🙂
a good routine that was repeated every night including a drink a hug and a story
If wakes up at night just stroking her neck and cheeks till she starts falling asleep again, and never pick her out of the cot at night 🙂
Singing to them.
Fill them up with lots of food!!!
A good routine and a musical teddy
There’s no magical soloution, sorry!
Never managed it with number 2 and she survived!
Get them into a routine from an early age
Lullabies and sea shanties!
Routine definitely helped so much, although with 4 children I too had my fair share of little sleep and disturbed nights 🙂 x.
If someone knows the answer please tell me as my 1 year old still has not slept through once 🙂
My eldest however, has so much energy that he burns himself out by the end of the day (it makes you tired just looking at him) and sleeps really well.
Spend time settling them down.
I still haven’t found a way 🙁
We have been very lucky apart from the teething times to have a little one who sleeps well. I am sure our little bundle of joy due in September will be the opposite.
its got to be a good routine.
A good bedtime routine is a must, always bath, a story in bed, before cuddles and kisses with Mummy and Daddy in bed. If my little boys wake at night, I try to not talk to them unless they are fully awake (usually not) so I just stroke their face, kiss them and tuck them back in.
good bed time story
A good routine and no tolerance about getting up in the night (except when they’re ill!)
Into their own bed as soon as big enough.
From the first night home from the hospital they slept in their own room, in a moses basket inside their cot. This ensured that they were familiar with their own room from the outset. I used a monitor to get up to them in the night for feeds etc. But found that it helped later as I didn’t have to change their sleeping environment from my room to theirs. Later when they were a bit older, a regular routine at bedtime, I always gave them a bath, then read them a story, before letting them sleep.
Keeping a routine in place, bath, story with cuddles and bed 🙂
I didn’t LOL. I wish there was a magic wand.
lots of activity during the day to tire them out and always try to follow a bedtime routine
Letting our 4 year old get in the middle of us when he creeps in, in the middle of the night …… that way we all get sleep 🙂 x
stuck to same routine, bath followed by salt & pepper (our name for talc) , hot milky drink, story, dim lights and zzzzzzzzz.
Music would work well 🙂
With the 1st I really didn’t have a routine at bedtime, it wasn’t until the 2nd was 9mths & I found out I was expecting again that I thought we best sort out bedtime routines (as we were going to have 3 under the age of 3). I remember the health visitor giving me a sleep routine and after their baths etc I’d put them in their beds, say nightie night, then sit on the top step until they cried, then quietly went in (no eye contact) lay them down, said night night & went back to the top step of the stairs. It took a couple of nights before they started going down without me having to sit on the stair, but I’m so glad we did it as they slept so well after that & I did the same with our 3rd (after I’d stopped breastfeeding) & again with our 4th (who came along just after our eldest had turned 4yrs). We even stuck to our bedtime routine when we took the kids to the caravan & I remember people being so surpised on the summers evenings when all the kids were fast asleep & hubby & I were outside the caravan having a game of tennis & enjoying so much needed ‘Us’ time. Oops I think I’ve rambled :-O 🙂
I put both of mine in their own rooms from around 4 weeks, we all slept alot better and they both ended up sleeping through the night at 8 weeks
sing to them
My little one is only 5 weeks old, so we haven’t got there yet, but we are improving with the same routine every night.
i never have my son now 10 has always had problems but once he is asleep then its ok, its the falling alssep
Always had a routine of bath, storytime and cuddles, then bed. Just lucky with our son, he has been quite a good sleeper (with the odd exception now and again).
nice warm milk, bedtime story and make the house quiet = good nights sleep.
A consistent routine; bath, story, bed in a warm room that my son had personalised himself.
sticking to a good routine.
I didn’t lol they were a nightmare….
bath then either soft music or a story.
ive always had routine , bath , story , cuddles , bed… worked a treat on 1 & 2…… 3 however still does not sleep well no matter what I do 🙁
my son didn’t sleep right through the night for 3 1/2 years lol, but I followed all the usual advice like not turning on lights in night, keep voices low etc etc, in the end what helped him sleep was taking his dummy away as he was getting me up 7 times in the night just for that!!
When my children were babies and toddlers we let them fall asleep down stairs and then carried them up. Once they were older it was warm milky drink songs and stories if they got out of bed they were taken straight to bed again.
A combination of letting her take the lead and us guiding her. She certainly was the first to be regularly sleeping through out of our friends babies! But we’ve had a routine since she was tiny and I’m sure its helped. Bathtime, changed, milk, story, cuddles, bed. (and fingers always crossed!)
routine, supper; 2 books and then to bed.
Stick to a routine, make sure they are well fed and are kept warm.
Definitely a good routine is a key – we did the same things every night starting with a bath, and then quiet time while drying and cuddles. She soon started to recognise it was time for sleep.
By following a strict bedtime routine, with bath, story and bed… and persevering!
A good bedtime routine: warm bath, bedtime story and kiss goodnight. One daughter had a lot of bad dreams so we had to pretend to put them all in a box before she settled down. I had all the girls sleep in our bed when they were babies. Frowned upon greatly but mankind has been doing that since time began.I even had a brio 3 sided cot that went up against the parents bed and adjusted to the same level. Roll on ,roll off!
we used to have a routine of bath and story , low lights , a calm atmosphere.
We do whatever gets us the most sleep too. All three kids sleep in our room and we usually have at least one in our bed. I would never do controlled crying. Children need comfort and reassurance at night.
Boring, but it works-routine, routine, routine…
We have been really lucky they have always slept really well, unless they are poorly!
a good routine with plenty of songs.
A regular bedtime really helps. The biggest sleep-disturber in our house is over-tiredness!
Used to be bath, story bed but as they have got older and weather nicer its play outside bath and straight to bed. Sometimes skipping the bath!
routine always works, bath, story sleep.
Routine was the main thing, keeping a set bed time, having a bath and reading a story.
A regular calming routine and a funny bedtime story always worked well for my four
I just tried to keep to a routine and it worked until they got older as they just seem to need less sleep these days…
play music
Made sure we stuck to a routine, bath, book then bed. Seems to have worked well with all my three x.
warm lavender scented baths!!! then comfy pjs
With my God-Daughter Sophie we used to play Disney audio stories to get her asleep it was the only way to stop her from crying.