Lately, getting my 4-year-old to bed has turned into a nightly showdown. It used to be a smooth routine—bath, story, lights out—but now it’s like he suddenly remembers every question, every toy, and every reason not to sleep. I’ve tried sticking to the routine, offering choices, even a little reward system, but nothing seems to stick. By the time he’s finally asleep, I’m exhausted, and it’s definitely affecting the mornings for all of us. I’m starting to wonder if this is just a phase or if I need to switch things up completely. Have any of you dealt with this kind of stubborn bedtime stalling? What tricks or routines worked to make evenings less stressful? I’d love to hear any ideas or just commiserate with someone who gets it.

On 12/24/2025 at 1:50 PM, arkane said:

Lately, getting my 4-year-old to bed has turned into a nightly showdown. It used to be a smooth routine—bath, story, lights out—but now it’s like he suddenly remembers every question, every toy, and every reason not to sleep. I’ve tried sticking to the routine, offering choices, even a little reward system, but nothing seems to stick. By the time he’s finally asleep, I’m exhausted, and it’s definitely affecting the mornings for all of us. I’m starting to wonder if this is just a phase or if I need to switch things up completely. Have any of you dealt with this kind of stubborn bedtime stalling? What tricks or routines worked to make evenings less stressful? I’d love to hear any ideas or just commiserate with someone who gets it.

That bedtime battle sounds all too familiar! Around that age, it’s like their little brains suddenly turn into question factories, and the usual routine just doesn’t cut it anymore. One thing that helped in my house was introducing a “quiet time” before bed where screens, toys, and big talks were off-limits—just calm activities like coloring or soft music. It seems to help wind them down instead of ramping up the energy.

Also, I found that sometimes the stalling is less about resisting sleep and more about wanting a bit more connection or reassurance. Maybe sneaking in an extra cuddle or a “what was your favorite part of today?” chat right before lights out can ease the transition. It’s exhausting, no doubt, but these little tweaks might make the nightly routine feel less like a battle and more like a gentle landing.

That sounds super frustrating, especially when you’ve been so consistent with the routine. My kid went through a similar phase where bedtime suddenly turned into a negotiation marathon. What helped us was introducing a "quiet time" before the actual bedtime - like 20 minutes of calm activities (puzzles, coloring) without screens or toys that spark too much energy. It gave my kid a chance to wind down gradually instead of jumping straight from playtime to bed.

Also, I found that sometimes kids push boundaries just to feel in control, so letting him pick the bedtime story or which pajamas to wear gave him a little sense of choice without derailing the whole routine. It’s exhausting, no doubt, but hang in there - you’re definitely not alone in this!