Sleeping longer

[kchara]

My kids go to sleep around 9 pm.  We put them down around 7:30, but they just don't go to sleep until 9.  They're up at 6-6:30.  In between, the little ones (5, 3, and 3) are in and out of our bed all. night. long.  They're exhausted every morning, but they NEVER sleep in.  Ever.  I've been giving them naps after lunch, but one of my 3 yo's constantly wants to sleep at around 9:30, and everyone is monstrous by lunchtime.  And it's still hard to get them to lay down.  When they do, they sleep for 3-4 hours.  Then the cycle repeats. 

Any ideas to help them sleep more at night??  I'm beat, they're beat, and everyone is super grumpy.  Even my 11 and 9 yos are not getting nearly enough sleep, and it shows.  

[newmamalizzy]

Is there a reason why you can't put them down for a nap at 9:30?  It sounds like they're just getting themselves into an overtired cycle, so maybe some drastic efforts to catch them for sleep before they're tired might help get them back on track?
 

[kchara]

I tried to put them down at 9:30 yesterday.  It didn't work.  I think I might just have to get the twins on a 2-a-day nap cycle, and have everyone sleeping differently.  It's sort of nice laying them all down at once, though, too.  That's my naptime!!  
 

[Learning_Mum]

I would probably try and get them to make it through the day without a nap and then get them to bed super early that night.

My 7yo and 4yo both go to bed at 6.30pm and are asleep by 7pm then sleep through until about 6am.