Getting boisterous boys (in bunk bed) to sleep at night - need inspiration

[*Efjay*]

I have kids sharing. My older boys will settle quickly when I tell them they will loose computer privileges the next day if they don't settle.
The younger kids.. My 4 & half yr old has a light & I tell him I will have to take it away if he doesn't settle down, be quiet & go to sleep.
I might sound mean but I have resorted to threats of taking things away. It works & I have never had to take away his light.

You might find some visuals will work also. Print out little picture of what is expected of them once in bed (A child sleeping in bed) and maybe a picture of it being night time & one of reading a bed time story & one of saying good night. Put them all in order & show them, it is time for sleeping now.

Give them 1 warning & if it continues then out goes the night light!

[AndiE]

Far out Efjay, you should be an OT I should've thought of that as at each OT session, DS2's OT has a visual list of what he's doing during the session. Great idea. And no, not mean. We've tried that tack too but it doesn't work very well. DS2 is both a major attention seeker and a very persistant, tenacious little bugger. I love him dearly but my goodness, he's a challenging little boy.

Wysiwyg - you might have hit on something too. Maybe some classical music (which they actually like). Handel's Water Music Suite calms them down in the car almost every time I put it on!

[JLeigh29]

DS is an only child (not for long), but likes the attention too...one more snuggle, a drink, toilet etc.... is it an age thing?! I read that you can give them a 'free pass' after you've settled them (done toilet, drink, cuddle etc) and they can get up/call you in once, but after that, you ignore all requests...straight back to bed with no interaction from you. Is your older boy awake through all of this? Does he ignore whats happening? I agree that calming music or stories might help...even just on a CD player, so he's got something to listen to and therefore doesn't need distracting. DS has lullabies on his monitor that play for about 15 mins.

A reward chart for staying in bed, not calling out, being quiet or whatever you need from him? Our DS gets up in the middle of the night and, after four plus months of 3-6 wake ups a night, we've had four nights in the past two weeks of getting up once or less. The first night was a fluke, but once we got one night, others have followed as he really wants the sticker (and the reward that goes with a certain number of stickers).

[*Efjay*]

Far out Efjay, you should be an OT I should've thought of that as at each OT session, DS2's OT has a visual list of what he's doing during the session. Great idea.

I spend a lot of time at OT appointments also lol.
I was amazed with my 4 yr old when he would come out all the time when I showed him a child sleeping in bed & said YOU MUST GO TO BED NOW. He turned around, crossed his arm & walked back to hi s bed in a huff but he stayed there! That was the start of his growing up & going to bed on his own (not with me sitting with him) and he needs a reminder I think as he often comes out again.

[Deedles]

Oh my I could have written this post exactly myself.
My boys are 5 and 3.5 and share a room/bunks and their bedtime is 7pm give or take a few.

We do exactly the same routine! Our boys will chat to each other, dare the other to do something, say they need to wee 5 times and yell out for DH or myself and finally get to sleep by 7.45-8is.

Honestly we just get to the point where we are putting them back to bed over 5 times a night.
Ahhhh!
I look forward to trying all suggested solutions
.