My child is calm but is taking a long time to fall asleep at bedtime - Campign In

There are two primary reasons why your child may be taking a while to fall asleep at bedtime even though they are laying calmly. It could be one or the other or a combination of both.

1. Bedtime is too late
Make sure you have any early bedtime based on the Perfect Bedtime Range guide. When kids go to bed too late, they get a second wind and their body fights sleep. They can be restless and unable to fall asleep even though they are laying down calmly.

With Camping In, you can even start bedtime a little bit earlier if you'd like to since it may take your child longer to settle down with you in the room. Putting them down a little earlier gives them some extra time to settle without getting a second wind.
For example, if ideal bedtime is 7:15 but your child is restless and not sleeping until 8:15, they may be getting a second wind somewhere in between which is also contributing to their inability to fall asleep. So, try 7:00 for 5 nights and see if that makes a difference and helps ensure they are asleep before 8:00pm.

2. Having you in the room is too distracting
When you are visible to your child as they're falling asleep, it can take them longer to fall asleep. Having you in there can be distracting to their process of falling asleep - even if you are totally silent and still.

If this is part of the issue, you can either be patient and continue working through the Camping In strategy which will help to get you out of their room or you can fast-forward the process by moving to the hallway where you may be less of a distraction. The other option is to switch to Silent Return with Limits where your child learns to fall asleep without you in the room right away.