Establishing a bedtime routine.....Is it too late?

Ok.  I admit it.  I do love having Jamie sleep in our bed.  But he is getting far too big.  And he is not getting the amount of sleep he should.  I have read somewhere that 4/5 year olds should have 11 hours sleep a night.  I am afriaid this is not happening at the moment and Jamie has started to wake up grumpy.   www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Childrenssleep/Pages/howmuchsleep.aspx

So, lets go back to an old article at:  www.bounty.com/baby/care/establishing-a-bedtime-routine?WT.mc_id=50002

Consistency counts
Even if you're not a fan of rigid routines during the day, in the evening a bedtime 'ritual' helps children of all ages to relax and set the stage for sleep.   A good bedtime routine can kill two birds with one stone by ensuring your children get quality one-to-one time with you, while still enabling you to have some grown-up time in the evening.

Mum of two boys Lisa has been strict about bedtime since she returned to work part-time when each of her children were a year old: 'It works for everyone. My boys always have a bath then a bowl of cereal, then relax with books before bed. They are in bed at the same time every night, which means they are never tired and grumpy in the morning and I get to have some downtime as well.'

A few ideas

There's no 'right' way of doing things or a 'right' bedtime. There are many examples of bedtime routines and rituals and you can create one that suits you and your family. You might want to think about:

•A last burst of energetic running around
•A quieter sort of play before a bath
•Whether or not you want your children watching television before bed
•How you will mark when it's time to start the bedtime routine - maybe a song for younger babies or a five-minute warning or tidy-up for toddlers.
•How long bedtime takes - you'll probably need to allow at least an hour
•Whether you give them a bath every night, or bath less frequently

Whatever your family's bedtime ritual, if you keep it consistent and low-key, you'll give yourself the best chance of a reasonably calm end to another day.