Just give 'em the adult Ambien- they'll sleep twice as long. But seriously, I remember reading a study a number of years ago where they took a couple of pro football players and had them follow around little kids all day, doing exactly what the kids did- all the movements, running, jumping, up and down- and the athletes couldn't keep up. Dairy products close to bedtime help- the lactic acid calms them down. Like those plastic cheese squares. Really- they work. Get 'em tuned in to their own books on tape or playlists and tell them one story from you, then they're on their own. Kids just don't have the same incentives to get on a schedule for sleep, food or anything else.

Screw Ambien. I have some high doses of Restoril (Temazepam) over here.
I also have Klonopin if you'd like to just keep them half sleepy all the time.

Just let me know. I wont mail them to you.. that is illegal of course right? *wink wink*

We pay Travis to stay in bed now. It is working. Bribery is the BEST.

Try melatonin--worked wonders for our eldest. Start at 1 mg. 30 minutes before you want them to go to sleep for two weeks and work your way up to 3 mg. as needed. The key is combining the melatonin with a consistent bed time and routine. After about three months, they shouldn't need the melatonin anymore. Good luck.

I don't have answers for you. Neither of my kids are good sleepers, and especially now with the move and all the chaos, it's been hard. We are all sleeping less. I feel for you!

Whew, at least Ash isn't the only one who had a tough time going to sleep. Well, she'll sleep...once she's tired. She's up at 6:30, rarely naps and doesn't crash until after 10...if I'm lucky. Sure wish I had a clue as to what to do. Good luck!

Good luck! I couldn't get my kids to nap no matter what. Now they're all in school so it doesn't matter anymore. Unfortunately, by the time I'm ready for bed, they usually want to stay up but we won't be having that. Not in this household.

I don't think there's a kid who doesn't fight going to bed, LOL. Do you guys have a bedtime routine? With my guys it used to be warm bath & reading to get them calm and quieted down.

I think storyteller has a great suggestion. Putting them into a bedtime routine helps signal that it is bedtime. But hey if your kids didn't fight bedtime they wouldn't be kids ;)

Babygirl was a pain to put to bed until we put the control of sleeping in her hands (she's 2.5yrs) I put a small bedside lamp in her room that she is able to turn on and off. She's put to bed, read one story and then left to her own devices. Now, she reads herself to sleep and turns the light back on and reads until we get her.

Ok. That last part's a lie. She still gets us up at the crack of hell.

I'm not sure of any suggestions once they get older and they're not going to bed. We start with the bedtime thing as soon as we get home from the hospital.

They go to bed awake. No rocking them to sleep. No letting them sleep in our bed. Same bedtime every night. When they cry, you let them except for about every 20 minutes you go in and give them a cuddle and put them back down. It's a really tough first 3 weeks of very little sleep but once they get the hang of it, it is a beautiful thing for the rest of their childhood.

Same thing with nap times.

This was something very important to us and so we paid the price early on to enjoy the fruits later.

On the really rough nights... a little dose of benedrill goes a long way... What's that?? They have to be sick?? jk

Get a routine going and stick with it. Bath time, wind down, mommy/daddy read a book, tuck child in bed, night time prayers...and of course the threat 'If you get out of bed you are BUSTED!'...works at our house anyway.

Josh is correct. Our younger daughter had to cry herself to sleep; the more we fussed over her, the more overstimulated she got.

I'm 20 and still fight going to sleep. It's something you'll deal with until we get a job and are as exhausted as you are. Oh and college? Yeah that has no effect either...it's definetly not going away until we get 9-5's.

I'm with the ones that say a good routine... And I'm all for the busting them if they get out of bed too. One thing I found that really works; After we've had the routine and the goodnight hugs and kisses, I refuse to speak to them. Even if I have to bust em', I do it as silently as possible. The other thing, have you tried a reward chart? And, are they still in the same room? I had to separate Daniel and Rosie for a while - but they can go to sleep in the same room as each other now.

Good luck!

I'm with the nighttime routine and threats camp. My older one would generally throw everything he owned over the baby gate every night and scream and protest until he was about three. But he never got to come out. And after a while, he'd fall asleep on the floor near the gate, with all his crap in the hallway. He eventually caught on (slow learner!) and stopped, but we had to persevere. The little one, I put him to bed and close his door and don't see him till the next day. He parties all night some days -- I can hear him through the monitor playing Star Wars and dinosaurs, but he knows better than to open the door.

We did what Josh wrote with all our kids. consistency is the key. But since your kids are older (I think Josh's way only works if you start that way when they are very young), go with Ben's suggestions. Good luck!

Ambian-ce--Light the candles and the incense, play some Buddha Bar...oh...you're trying to get the KIDS to bed! Sorry...

do like I do, I let Mrs Ferd handle getting them to sleep. That way I only hear the arguing and yelling and pleading. Better for my blood pressure this way.

Try Herbs for Kids Chamomile Calm drops,works like a charm,no side effects either.Google the company,you can order directly from them.The picture of"you"begging the kids to sleep has me giggling like crazy.