Quiet days=more sleep at night?

[Louisep]

Based on other posts I've been doing some reading and I think our days are too chaotic and stimulating. My DS is high energy and I've been meeting that with an endless array of trips out of the house.

I want to stop this but need ideas about how to entertain my 9.5 almost walking son inside. No amount of toys do the trick and he needs mama interacting with him or he gets fussy.

Please can you share activities or suggestion of books I can read about engaging indoor play.

Also, any success stories of families who changed their daily routines and found it had an impact on sleep?

Thanks!

[sapphire_chan]

Sorry but for us busy days = sttn, quiet days = constant waking.

[OGirlieMama]

I've never found any difference in sleep after a busy day vs a quiet day. I tried and tried to make the correlation but ended up deciding it must work for someone, just not us.

[bethanymama]

yes, sometimes for us

Yes I've noticed something like this. My DS sometimes does really well when I give him a lot of time to himself. If he's with his grandma or someone much more stimulating, he has a harder time sleeping. His grandma always thinks she does a great job wearing him out, but he almost always sleeps worse on the nights where she has been with him!

He's 20 months now, and I've always tried to encourage him to play by himself. It's actually getting worse now that he has more fun toys (legos!) that he wants me to play with him, but in the past he seemed to be in the best, most calm mood, at the end of the day when he has spent some time playing by himself. The only way I can get him to do it is by doing some chore in the same room as him - being very busy myself, but not entertaining him. Like, doing dishes, folding laundry, dusting, vacuuming, etc. I let him get into whatever he wants. If he's happy emptying the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen by himself, I let him, and then we pick it up later. Also it's usually for ~15 minute time spans. Then I'll talk to him, sing to him, etc. until I see the next opportunity for him to do something on his own.