Going to bed struggles

[joby'smom]

A friend of mine is having huge troubles putting her youngest, 8 year old, daughter to bed. I told I'd ask around for some suggestions. Here is what she wrote me in an email today.

"She ended up standing in the living room for an hour, then sitting at the table for another 1/2 an hour, then I finally let her sleep next to me on the couch. Nothing works. Yelling, praising, hitting (not that I'm an advocate but at some point I lost it), taking things away. She only wants to sleep if I come to bed and will not cave no matter what.
God help her teacher tomorrow."


Any ideas?

[Psyche]

Is she talking to her about it at times other than bedtime? Does the 8 year old have a bed time routine to settle down? Maybe a half hour in bed with a book then lights out? Is she scared of something? Has she ever been abused?

Other than that if none of the above could be an issue, I would probably institute some logical consequences. For every half hour she delays bedtime, she goes to bed a half hour earlier the next day? Or has to have rest time to help make up for the lost sleep?