Sleep Remedies

What I don't want to hear is a bunch of parenting wisdom about routine and strict bedtimes and such. Because it's been spring break here the entire week. And I had surgery. And Jenna slept at three different houses, well one wasn't different because it was her own, but still, maybe I should say strange houses. And routine unintentionally went out the window. And by the way, routine has never made a dent in my daughter's energy level.

The deal is, 7 years old. Never falls asleep without an hour or seven of reading and writing and artwork and mazes and puzzles and math problems. Favorite new activity: Writing three columns of alternating-colored vocabulary words, one letter per page, on large classroom poster paper, and rolling masking tape balls to stick on the back to decorate her room with the sheets.

Chamomile Tea doesn't work. Tried it. The good stuff too. Leaves in the tea seeping spoon. In the end, I drank it and felt great. Fell asleep before everyone else.

She has CRCT tests starting next week for two weeks. We have to be on time to school or they lock us out. She needs to sleep well or she'll get sick. That's the long and short of it.

Give it up parents. Confess it. What puts your older (as in 5-10 year old) kids to sleep? I need one night to get us back on track. I'm not talking long-term behavioral modification. I'm not talking phenobarbitol (although it worked for me as a kid). I'm talking, what WORKS and is LEGAL?