https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 15 May 2026 04:59:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332862 Sun, 25 Oct 2015 08:45:35 +0000 MamaChin 2332862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh I wasn't counting bedtime routine as part of the wind down, makes sense though. We do dinner at 5:45/6, little one starts her routine at 6:45/7, then big brother right after. We do bath, books and a song. I can leave the room right after with the little one but the older one needs me to sit in the hallway until he falls asleep, usually around 8:15/8:30. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332783 Sun, 25 Oct 2015 01:57:24 +0000 Nutella 2332783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We keep our wind down routine as short as possible! Dinner, bath &amp; bed is all done in an hour-90 mins max. Storytime before bed if he's extra hyper (often seems to be extra hyper/throwy before bedtime). We dim the lights in his room from post-dinner, but bath is in full light so I guess that's not really followed through. He's pretty good at switching to sleep mode though...we've always just put him down and walked away. Now that he's a toddler there's usually a few seconds/minutes of crying before falling asleep but I'm ok with that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332703 Sat, 24 Oct 2015 21:16:29 +0000 Grace 2332703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From the time we start pajamas to the time she is in bed is probably 40 min. And before that, we play with lego or colouring or something. I don't do TV or visits to the park or running around after supper because that does tend to get her riled up and overtired. Having said that, LO goes to bed at 8 and supper is at 6, so there's not a big rush to bed these days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332697 Sat, 24 Oct 2015 20:47:17 +0000 Tanjowen 2332697@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I count the bedtime process as the winding down period. We snuggle up for about 10 minutes with a TV show, then bathtime, then books and cuddles. It takes about 45 minutes total, and then he sits in his cribs and reads a few books and passes out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332693 Sat, 24 Oct 2015 20:37:25 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 2332693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's like my toddler hits a second wind after dinner and before bed. From about 6:30-7:00, she is SO hyper- runs around, dances, yells. But she always seems to settle down once bedtime routine starts. But we only spend about 5 minutes reading books, so we don't have a wind-down time for real. </p> <p>There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the evening for dinner, bath, early bed AND winding down! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332690 Sat, 24 Oct 2015 20:32:15 +0000 MrsSRS 2332690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got lucky. Our kids seem to be able to go from wild and crazy to lying down and calm no problem. Now I will go frantically knock on wood... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332685 Sat, 24 Oct 2015 20:27:27 +0000 californiadreams 2332685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we don't have a full hour, but a big part of the "bedtime routine" is reading books in his room and we use only his small lamp for this. then we lay in the dark and i tell him stories and finally he settles down and falls asleep. I guess that whole process is an hour, but i wish it was less :bummed: he just won't fall asleep sooner.</p> <p>eta. the books and stories start after we do supper then bath (sometimes bath is skipped though). DH or I will clean up from supper while the other does the bedtime routine. Although, sometimes we are too tired from work or not home or busy with other stuff and the clean up doesn't happen until the next morning or even the next day after work :meh:</p> <p>eta again. This is not really how we would like to do things, it's just that LO doesn't go to sleep any other way. He is not one of those kids that we can tuck in and say goodnight and leave the room. so while i enjoy the time with him, it is really exhausting on a daily basis.</p> <p>Do your kids fall asleep okay? do you feel the one hour wind down time would help them fall asleep or sleep better overall? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/winding-down-before-bed#post-2332683 Sat, 24 Oct 2015 20:20:19 +0000 MamaChin 2332683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All the books and sites say to have an hour of winding down time before bed - dim lighting, quiet play, nothing super stimulating. Sooo you want me to put my kid down early AND have them wind down for an hour - who is actually doing that?! Our hour before bedtime is spent eating dinner, then the kids running around screaming and playing while I clean up. Then the big one waits in the playroom while I put the little one down. If you're able to accomplish this wind down period, what is your secret?? </p>