Over Tired

The over tired mind of my son sets him into overdrive. It is complicated for him and for me to get him to rest. This is not only for nap time. Most days, there is no nap. By bed time he is really tired.  One would think that being up all day would be no trouble at night going to bed.

With darkened eye lids and a screaming chuckle I know he is tired. He is running around the house and not stopping unless it's for water. Then he runs and laughs more. Hopefully his sister stays clear from him or he will hit her thinking it's part of the game.

His little sister thinks this is a game and joins in the fun. For me, it's trying to unwind him to get him ready for bed. Trying to separate the two so one can rest is a quite a task at hand. I literally have to let him run until he runs out of energy. I wish to stop this and settle him down. How to go about this?

I turn off the television, dim the lights and read them a book. Rocking them in my chair usually will help settle his nervous system. He calms down with the sound of my voice and having a blanket tightly wrapped around him. This goes well, unless, his sister and him start to push away at each other.  They fight over me all the time.  Giving them individual attention at this age while my wife and I work opposite shifts can't be done unless one falls asleep.

I would like to try and keep a set routine for bed time. Sometimes that routine gets broken mostly because I am over worked and very tired from my day job. This is when I let the t.v. on a cartoon that is turned down low for my daughter. She will lay on the couch and watch Yo Gabba Gabba, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Bear or Wubbzy. This gives me a little one on one with my son to help get him to sleep.

He does not like to lay down by himself. He needs me to lay by him until he falls asleep. Then I sneak away and get his sister ready for bed.  Usually she isn't very hard to get to sleep on her own.  Some nights I end up playing musical chairs with our bedrooms trying to keep Dane asleep in his own bed.  He wakes up a lot during the night.  I think he sleep walks.  I get out of my bed and lay back by his side to get him to sleep.  I want this routine broken.  He is old enough where he needs to sleep in his own bed.

Our family doctor recommended melatonin, a natural vitamin, to help with his sleeplessness. 3 milligrams 1/2 hour before bedtime. It helps to release serotonin in the brain and helps him get sleepy. I have seen some positive effects of this. It does help unwind him and get him ready faster for bed time.  He still seems to wake up during the night several times.

My wife and I work opposite shifts and hardly see each other. I know she is going though tough times dealing with the kids when I am not around. Then we switch. She goes to sleep and I get to raise them. It's like were two single parents.