hi im a single mum with 2 children both boys one is 3yrs the other is 5 yrs old my 3 yr old is fine goin to sleep while my 5 yr old is a nightmere i put him down abouot 7 7.30 as he has school they both have a bath together and then youngest goes straight to bed while 5 yr old comes down he will play on game cube or play cbeeebies on internet for a lil while then i take a drink with him to bed he has a night light and he has a vid on for 30 mins whether he has the tv in his room or not has never changed the way he sleeps either as i have tried this i have tried readin a story with etc and this doesnt work he keeps gettin up askin for juice he scremas kicks shouts etc the boys share a room as well which is really hard so if lil one wakes he is up for rest of night.he adventually end up fallin sleep about 11 ish each night and me havin to wake him in morning also he really messes about up stairs he clumbs up in bathroom tips shampoo powder or anything he gets his hands on in his room tonight he put it all other his brother who was asleep so i had to bath my 3 yr old again at 8 tonight! i really need some help i dont no wot to do!

well, firstly i wouldn't recommend the games, computer or video as they are stimulants, after having a relaxing bath, he is waking himself up again with the games etc. i think you should try the reading a story again but straight after the bath, perhaps using the johnsons lavender bath might help too? definately cut out the games. take a bottle of water each for them for the night and put it by their beds too. does he keep getting up? if so, just keep taking him back, say it is bedtime the first time, then don't say a word after that, just keep taking him back, also i find if the room is too light,like say a nightlight or lamp is on, my two won't sleep at all lol. good luck hun

i suffered this problem with my daughter right from the day she was born until she went to school, and although i hate to say it i hated her, i was constantly tired, and on edge, she used to catnap for 20 minute periods she was not a happy baby when she was awake she constantly screamed and cried, the doctor gave her valium when she was 6 mths old but she used to make herself sick, we went through all the usual things suggested to us like a bedtime routine storiy before sleep, milky drinks you name it we done it, it was only when she started full time school that she actually slept through the night for the first time, i dont know what to suggest to you, but rest assured you are not unique in having a child that wont settle at night, my daughter is 19 now and still she does not sleep as well as you think a teenager should, but my doctor says that some people do not need as much sleep as others