I have two toddlers around the same age who share a bedroom. One of who is only here half the week. When they are both here, we cannot get them to go to bed; they scream and throw fits, or get out of bed to run and play. Bedtime takes about 3 hours, and we don’t know what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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When my daughter doesn’t have it, like last night, she is still up when I leave for work at 4:30 am!
Read to them while they are in bed…buy each of them a oversized stuffed dog and make a routine at bedtime that the doggy is tired so hug your doggy while I read you a nice story…pat your doggys back too…worked fof our grandkids…
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No to melatonin!
My boy gets amped up at night. I read to him and it calms him down and ready for sleep.
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Make some consequences
Don’t use melatonin daily as they can become reliant on it, but it is good for occasionally
Stairgate on the door so they can’t wander then strict bedtime routine maybe a reward chart
No tv or electronics after bath time made a huge difference with mine.
Tire them out before bath/bedtime. After they have a calming bath, they should go to sleep easier
Stagger bed time… or like Supper Nanny… back to bed technique…
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Separate them. Or alternate bed times.
When you say toddler what ages are we talking?
Melatonin gives me nightmares. Why not sent the toddler who’s home all week with the other?
I gave up making my toddler take naps after spending months fighting with her to sleep. Since she hasn’t been taken naps, she goes to sleep very quickly at night.
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Routine! Bath time, brush teeth, read a book , go to sleep. And if they toddlers, they should be going to sleep early like 7.
And try not to give them naps.
Put toys up so they have nothing to play with. We have toy chests and use the closet for bigger toys.
Melatonin body wash & lotion
Put in bed the first time. Say good night give hugs and kisses and walk out. When they get up walk in, say nothing pick up put back in bed, no eye contact and walk out. Do over and over. It could take 20 minutes ut could be hours. Dont give in. When you do they win. Be consistent
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Tell them its bed time 3 hours sooner 
they can play til they wear themselves out
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Bedtime routine, start early
Make a schedule and stick to it
Are you able to each take a toddler and put them asleep and then put them together in their room once they’re both asleep it may be a little easier until they both get comfortable being in the same room together
After a month or two then just do the complete Extinction cuz they should be used to bedtime routine by then
Or if that doesn’t work sitting between them and rub their backs until they both fall asleep that’s what happens in daycares
Oh good lord, I have no advice. Them babies are busy busy.
Too many variables to consider. What time are they waking up? Naps? Are they doing enough during the day to make them tired? A toddler who is not tired will not go to sleep until they’re ready, js. Good luck.
My bonus daughter is 4 almost 5. When she goes to visit her mom it completely screws up her sleep schedule but we have a deal. You don’t have to go to sleep you just have to be quiet and stay in bed. She typically gets a toy to sleep with but she has had a few accidents so we let the toys sleep in the toy box until she can take herself to the bathroom but that’s a different story lol. My son is 2 and we just have to keep tucking him back into bed. We get to bed at 8 as well so sometimes baby girl stays up for a few hours 
. They’re in separate rooms though so. Definitely get a routine and turn off the TV an hour before bed. Take them on a walk. Have them run laps and learn exercise lol. Make sure no TV or lights are on in their rooms.
Maybe turn off all the lights in the house so they will have to come to bed? 
just a thought it may work
I don’t have two kids but when my sons friend comes to sleep over(she’s 3) I have her go lay down alone for 30 mins and then when she’s sleeping I put my son (4) in the room to sleep and I have no issues. They dont sleep Im the same bed but it’s near each other
Look up super nanny videos she has great ways to get kids to go to bed
Try a nice warm bath and lavender bath soap. Then pjs and story time.
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Have a night time ritual so they will know when it is bedtime.
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I am part italian so I always play italian music for my son at night it helps soothe him
My kids are grown now 20, 21, 25. I never forced mine to go to bed. I let them play in their room and when they were tired, they’d climb in bed or lay on the floor and fall asleep. I never saw the point in fighting with a child to fall asleep.
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We did a treasure box for a while. Just cheap stuff from the dollar tree. Then we moved on to making it a race. First one to sleep wins the trophy which isn’t an actual trophy, it’s completely imaginary. They also have a book to “read” in the dark lol. It works most nights
My kids used to do that but now I sit in their room till they are asleep, before they would take along time to go to sleep we give them melatonin before bed sometimes and they fall asleep faster than they did before. Try to sit in the room with them.
I just turn all the lights out in there room they to scared to get up
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When it was close to bedtime for my twins I used to have them run races against each other and playtime was jumping and yelling and getting it all out. We would do this for about 30-45 mins before bed. Then we would read a book and they’d be out quick. Sometimes I bathed them before that last playtime which also helps.
Explain the excitement they have waiting for them tomorrow and how they need to hurry and sleep so tomorrow can be here faster. I usually do one warning nicely like that and then I get stern. “No bed, no…whatever it is you are exciting them about.”
When my children were small and had to share a room we would avoid this by having the bath, teeth, stories routine then one would be taken to bed and the other would lie on the sofa. When the one in the bedroom was asleep the second child would get carried in to their bed.
I’ve been so blessed with my kids they went to bed when told too never misbehaved in public or store they tried don’t get me wrong but nip it the bud quick…never had to baby gates never locked anything up…my granddaughter now is a whole different story lol…love her but she gives me a fight about everything I don’t know what to do with her lol…
I’m a big believer in the science backed book called the happy sleeper. I’ve been told CBD works well too. I’m also a big believer in a night time routine that takes around 20 minutes to get them in that mindset.
Consult with your pediatrician, but melatonin worked wonders for my cousin’s kids.
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We always did wind down time. No electronics at least an hour before bed time, a bath, story time.
Try separate bedtimes
take the lightbulb out sit by the door every time they ome out put them back in till they stay do it every night it works lol
I have a 2 and 4 yr old grand kids who live with me. Melatonin works wonders.
Dinner, out to play in the fresh air( run run run), snack, bath, brush teeth, story and quite bed time. Time to lay still and relax. They get out of bed, put them back with nope its bed time. Put back put back put back.
It will get easier. And anytime you can have them run their wiggles out the better.
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1hr gymnastics class right before bed. Drastic time…drastic measures! Only thing that worked for my young one…lord I thought the Energizer bunny had been reincarnated. She just wouldn’t ever get tired.
But usually a wind down schedule you honor every single day.
Here’s some ideas
- These 5 crystals help with sleep,
Selenite.
Amethyst.
Celestite.
Rose quartz.
Lepidolite, put them in the room. - Maybe get ready for bed earlier, serve them some sleepy time tea or hot cocoa while they watch a movie right before bed. 3) Give them melatonin.
- put lavender around the room or some other relaxing aromatherapy.
- pray
Good luck
Bath, bed, quiet time…before they get their second wind. No ripping tearing, scaring them, yelling at them. No threats unless you are willing to carry them out. But calm quiet consistent routine is best. My little ones had a 7:30-8pm bedtime.
I would put a drop of perfume in the palm of my kids hand and tell them the had to lay still and close their eyes and sniff up all of the fragrance. The sniffing had them doing deep breathing and helped them to relax
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Feed them well ,Bath them & get them down at the same time every night. Rubbing backs has always been a trip to falling asleep for Mine when they were Small.
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Routine, routine, routine. Dinner at the same time nightly, bath at the same time (we use lavender to help), brush teeth read a book or 2 and lay down at the same time nightly. No sugar or electronics for 3hrs before bed. My son has ADHD and sees a sleep specialist, she says routine is what any child needs to fall asleep and sleep good. Melatonin if they absolutely need it or even just to get them use to routine. My son takes it nightly (per Dr orders) because his adhd keeps him from sleeping. My youngest is 3 and having a hard time going to sleep/staying asleep so we ordered a projector alarm that has lullabies.
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Put them to bed at separate times. Normally 15-20 minutes apart so the first is asleep before putting the other one down. Have a good bedtime routine. The older one can stay up and read a couple extra books.
Before dinner/bath…quiet the house…turn off lights, tv, close curtains/blinds…when you make the home quiet & dimly lit, it signals sleepy time
Lots of outdoor time during the day. I have a 5 year old child with autism. But if that doesn’t work, bath with lavender and lay with them for a bit at bedtime.
Camomile bath, warm snuggles, story (reading) time while in bed, then sit in the room quietly until they relax and go to sleep. No talking, no interaction, just sit quietly. Speak softly so they have to be quiet to hear you if you must instruct them to lay down, be quiet, etc. This can benefit the parent too. Enjoy the quiet time with your babies.
Also start the quiet down routine early (dinner, puzzles, coloring, laptime with parent to discuss their day (undivided attention), then start bedtime routine with teeth brushing, bathtime with lavender or camomile, pjs, bed with storytime, then quiet time. Oh! Lightening by nightlight or low lighting lamp.
melatonin they have it for young kids and it’s amazing. Talk to your pediatrician.
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Story time at bed helps kids be still and relax a bit. And yes limit sugar before bed.
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MELATONIN!! Walmart carries a chewable strawberry version for about 6 bucks. It’s all natural and works like a charm. Look for it in the vitamin section 
Wear them out during the day and have a set bedtime schedule. No sweet snacks after a certain time of night. Either have an early nap time or no nap during the day at all.
DON"T let them have ANY SUGAR. at least 2 hours before bed time
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Oil diffuser knocks me out without meds!
Give them a half a cup warm coco get them in the bed warm and cozey and read them a story
I play soft music and hum along
Nighttime routine bath book bed…3 days to make a habit 3 days to break one
One word: Melatonin lol that combined with a routine
Don’t put them to bed in the same room. I imagine they are setting each other off. 3 hours? Way to much
Watch an episode of Supernanny!!! She could get those kids to stay in bed and sleep.
When our grandkids come over and stay youngest goes in first once asleep other one goes in and goes to sleep. Waking up is different
Wear them out before bed
Well for starters crack down show them you mean business
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Stagger bedtime. What time are you putting them down
It will take a couple of days to put them back to bed but be patient. I would say smack their butts but some people get outraged
I have twins and I sit in the room and just remind them to lay down and keep quiet cuz its bedtime. At first its probably gonna take forever but now they are asleep within 10 mins
First check if there’s anything you are getting wrong as a parent.
No naps after 2pm. or not at al.
I’m old school, you don’t want to hear it.
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Any way to separate them.
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Send them to bed an hour early to burn out energy,
Lay them down one at a time
Or sit in the room and don’t let them up.
Lay down with them. Give warm bath right before you lay them down. Soft night lite low music
Routine, routine, routine!! It takes time and patience but it works. Also, for nights that are really bad just a tiny bit of melatonin works wonders. I used it for my daughter just to help get her into a routine and it helped a lot.
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All the people suggesting drugging kids…wow.
My 2 boys were super close in age and the only thing that worked. Was to put the younger ome to bed first. Let him fall asleep and then put the oldest down. It worked for years till they got their own room.
No tv! Lots of play! Routine routine routine! My little is in bed at 7-730 read 730-8 and asleep by 8-830 and up 6-630. If you wait to long and they are over tired…you’re screwed
You need to get your family into a routine. Toddlers and children do so well with a routine. Morning routine…get up, cleaned up, dressed, breakfast, brush teeth, feed kitty/puppy play. Noon, pick up toys, lunch, short nap. Afternoon, snack, play, clean up before dinner, eat, quiet play, pick up toys, bath-time, pajamas, story-time, snuggles, tuck into bed, lights out with door cracked open (slightly-please! ) With some young toddlers you might have to “demonster” the closet and under the beds. If your toddlers are throwing fits at bed-time, seem to be hyper, then chances they are overly tired, and you should try to anticipate this before it occurs by using the time after dinner for quiet play, and winding down (this is were a bath and story-time come in). Once you get in the groove of a routine, you might find some of your sanity being restored, as well as some of your own relaxing moments. Good luck, and please remember to take as much as joy with your tots as possible. In the blink of an eye they will be all grown up.
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