Turning Bedtime Chaos into Calm

Evenings can be the hardest part of the day for families. Children are tired, parents are tired, and everyone’s patience is running on the last little thread. The smallest thing, the wrong pyjamas, a missing toy, a toothbrush that “feels funny”, can turn bedtime into a spiral of resistance and emotion.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Bedtime chaos is normal. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

A calmer evening rhythm is possible, and movement can play a huge role in getting there.

Why Evenings Feel So Overwhelming

By the end of the day, children have used up most of their emotional bandwidth. They’ve been processing new experiences, rules, noises and feelings since morning. Their brains and bodies are tired, but they often don’t know how to settle themselves.

Instead of slowing down, they speed up.
Instead of relaxing, they get restless.
Instead of listening, they push back.

This isn’t disobedience, it’s overstimulation. Their nervous system is still “awake” even when their body isn’t.

That’s why calming bedtime starts with calming the body first.

How Movement Helps Children Transition to Sleep

Children don’t go from busy to peaceful instantly. They need a small bridge between the two. Gentle movement is that bridge. When we guide them through slow, playful motions, we help their body shift out of “go” mode and into “rest” mode.

Movement helps:

• Burn off leftover energy

• Loosen tight muscles

• Slow breathing without forcing it

• Give the mind something simple and rhythmic to focus on

• Create a predictable signal that bedtime is coming

This turns bedtime from an abrupt stop into a gentle landing.

A Simple “Hanu Evening Flow”

You don’t need a full routine or a quiet house. Just a few minutes of predictable movement can make the transition dramatically easier. Here’s a short Hanu-style flow designed specifically for bedtime:

1. Slow Stretch Up
Reach tall like Hanu climbing his tree, then slowly float arms down like leaves falling.

2. Gentle Forward Fold
Bend forward and let the arms dangle. Ask your child to pretend they’re a sleepy monkey looking for their favourite banana.

3. Rocking Side to Side
Sway gently like a tree in the evening breeze. Slow, soft and relaxed.

4. Child’s Pose (“Hanu’s Hiding Place”)
Curl into a small ball, forehead to the floor. This is deeply calming for the nervous system.

5. “Blow Away the Day” Breathing
Inhale slowly, then exhale as if blowing away all the busy thoughts from the day. Long breaths out help switch the body into rest mode.

This whole sequence can take two minutes or ten, depending on your child. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s softness.

Make Bedtime a Sensory Downshift

Small environmental cues can reinforce calm:

• Dim the lights

• Lower your voice

• Use slower movements yourself

• Put on a gentle background sound or silence

• Reduce visual clutter where possible

Children mirror the world around them. If everything feels slow, safe and predictable, they relax faster.

Turn Connection Into the Final Step

Once the body is calm, connection finishes the job. It might be a cuddle, a story, or a quiet chat about the best part of their day. Even just a hand on their back can be enough.

What matters is that the child ends the day feeling secure, not rushed.

Bedtime Doesn’t Have to Be a Battle

Chaos often comes from children having energy or emotions they don’t know how to settle. When we offer movement, breath and a gentle transition, bedtime becomes less of a fight and more of a shared rhythm.

This is exactly why Hanu’s world blends movement, stories and calm. Children need practical tools to help their bodies slow down. Parents need something that feels simple, doable and peaceful.

A calmer bedtime doesn’t come from control, it comes from connection. And movement is the doorway to get there.