getting to sleep

[gym mom]

My dd got moved to l4 in Jan. she went from at l3 2nights from 4:30-6:30 practice to l4 3nights 6-8:30 practice she just turned 8 last month.I of course was worried that the increased hours my be hard on her that she would be exchausted.But instead we are having problems getting to sleep ,by the time we get home she wants a snack then shower it is usually around 9:30 and is having trouble getting to sleep she tosses and turns 2 off the morning after gym she has to get up at 6:30 in the morning because I have to be at work at 7.Anyone had this problem ? any suggestions?

[Livinatthegym]

This is one of the things I've liked least about gymnastics. By the time we get home, eat (a full meal for us because there's no time for supper when practice starts right after school), and bathe, it's 9:30-10:00, and then there's homework. Too many days the kids go to school tired. The other problem is that gym really revs them up (you'd think it would exhaust them, but no). They have to have time to wind down before they can sleep.

Suggestions, which may or may not be helpful - make sure the snack includes milk, and keep it fairly low carb. You don't want a big energy boost right before bedtime.

Don't turn on the TV or computer as the bright lights and motion can stimulate little brains and make it harder to fall asleep.

Hopefully, someone else has some more. Good luck.

[nettyinpa]

Can you take a snack along in the car? Or, by-pass her shower for a night? Honestly, our kids don't take a bath every night. It's just not feasible. I make them wash their hands and faces but that's about it. I know this may be TMI but we also buy those kids Cottonelle Wipes.

My dd has practice from 4-7. Her brother is also in the gym for karate, until 8:00 most nights. They both eat their dinner in the gym and/or do their homework there, too. Maybe you could even take her pajamas along? Get her out of her leo and into some comfy jammies! Just some suggestions. How long of a drive is it for you? We have about 30 minutes and that seems to wind them down. Sticking to a routine is the best way to get them to bed and to sleep. What kid wouldn't want to stay up late everynight? Good luck!

[Megley]

We have this problem too, but fortunately my dd's practice is over at 8:00 and we don't have a long drive home. She also can sleep in til 7:30. Even so, she is so wired from practice that she won't go to sleep, often until 9:30, and then it is next to impossible to get her up the next day. I agree with previous suggestions, but also make sure that she goes to sleep super early on the nights when she does not have practice so she can catch up on sleep and do baths/showers on off gym nights. If possible, let her sleep in on weekends. This strategy seems to help my dd recuperate enough to manage her gym and school schedule.

Meg

[gymmomntc2e6]

dd's practice's end at 6pm (will be ending later next season if she moves to L4 - yes I am not so patiently waiting to post in the new L4 parent thread !!! - should find out next month)

I started having dd do her homework on a clipboard in the car (this would not work if your little one has motion sickness issues) because it takes her sooooooo long to eat (she does not eat much but she eats slow and she eats every 1.5 hours ( could practically set your clock by her " I'm Starving " . We have 15-20 min drive each way and she is usually able to complete all or most of her homework that way.

We have also gone to showers on non-gym nights - may gross some people out and we may not be able to do this once it gets hot, but don't really have this issue during the school year except maybe part of May & all of Sept. Like the other poster she washes her hands, face and feet when not showering.

We found she really needs time to be able to eat at her own pace and play a little - then she goes to bed ok.

[gym mom]

We live in Fl so it is always warm ,by the end of the day we are hot and sweaty with sand all through our hair .Her bedtime has always been 9 even on the weekend and with sleepovers the latest her friends could keep her up was 10 and that was a struggle and when she didn't have school she was up by 7.She is sleeping in till 8am on the weekand.Reading used to help at night but now it just puts me to sleep.She goes to them gym m,t&thur and wed she has girlscouts till 8 .I only wished I could take some of her energy I could use it.

[gym law mom]

This is one area I don't think my gymmie has ever had a problem with. Of course, she's older and seems to unwind on the 15 min drive home. Some tips I can think of from sleep experts:
1. Stay on a schedule of same bedtime every night. Sleeping in for an hour or so on weekends shouldn't hurt too much, but not 2-3 hours.
2. Sleep lost is sleep lost---it can never be "made up."
3. Keep her on a routine--gym days or not. Sounds like she has time to do homework and eat a light dinner before going to gym. Then after practice--shower and snack then bed.
4. Try not to stress is she's a few minutes late getting to bed. Ask her what works best, snack in the car, shower as soon as she gets home etc.
5. Watch what she eats and drinks. No sports drinks in the gym bag---they're loaded with sugar.
6. Some type of soothing background noise might help---music etc.
7. My gymmie loves a backrub when she's getting ready for bed(hey, I do too!!). Usually when she gets even a 3-4 minute "massage" she's falling asleep.

Hope something here helps.

[flippymonkeysmom]

This has always been our biggest struggle. My dd usually has quite a bit of homework every night. She does it right after school - but doesn't always have time to finish before gym. She eats her dinner in the car every night on the way to the gym. She gets out at 8:30 - although sometimes practice runs a few minutes over. By the time we get home it is after 9:00 and she still has to shower and finish any homework she didn't finish (not showering isn't an option - she is a disgusting sweaty mess covered in chalk when she gets out). Then she is up at 6:15 every morning for school and starts all over. She loves gymnastics - but I know it wears her down sometimes - once the black circles under her eyes start looking to dark I have her take a night off to get a good night sleep.