Bedtime routine

[TORino]

Now I notice that many of you start your bedtime routine between 6-7 and put your LOs down then.

I haven't been doing that because sometimes Tilly goes 4 hours after we put her down at 10.30. Then after the feed in the night she often won't settle which means I'm up for the day at silly o clock.

So we usually bath her between 9/10 and then feed then in the dark bedroom for sleep between 10-11.

Trouble is, I've noticed after the earlier feed she's sleepy I.e she's sleeping soundly now and it's 'bathtime' so we'd be waking her up which I'm thinking is a bad idea.

I'm worried that putting her to bed earlier she might sleep say 7-11 and then not go back down all night so I'm terrified to try it cos another all nighter will send me over the edge I think.

I'm desperate to try something else though because last night was a FAIL and we didn't really make it upstairs at all!!

Any advice for me?

 

[Cazza]

We give R a bath around 6, baby massage, bottle then bed. I do a 'dream feed' at half ten elevenish.

She used to wake up for another feed around 3am but that's gone further now til 5am and she goes back to sleep til half nine ish.

She kind of fell into this routine herself around 7/8 weeks old coincidentally when we put her into her cot in her own room.

She only has two power naps of around 45 mins during the day.

 

[Lulabell]

I think it's just trial and error Hun. We put josh down for bed between half 7 and half 8. Also, I don't do bath before bed as I find it wakes him up. So I do bath first thing in the morning instead. But every baby is different. I hope you find your routine soon.xx

 

[BevG]

i take Alyssa to bed with me at 11-12 so oh can see her after he finishes work at 9. she has a bottle at 8-9 then naps or plays, we change her and put her bedtime clothes on then sleeping bag at 11 ish feed. if shes still hungry or fussy when i put her in her cot i give her a booby feed then sing to her. i dont speak to her or do anything but rock her gently if i have to pick her up then when she gets sleepy i put her down before shes fuly asleep. rinse and repeat til shes off then i go to sleep too. she wakes 3-4 for a feed and i d the same then. usually she goes back to sleep til 7-8am n then we get up

 

[katie_lou]

Hey Hun , i bath ruby every night at half 8 , massage and then bottle at around half 9 , I find a bath really helps to settle her, she will then sleep until around 6ish when she wakes or a feed . Xxx

 

[beckyboo1]

I'll be avidly following this as I'll be needin tips soon

Would be interested to know at what age you started trying to introduce a routine. I'm not that fussed with Harry as he's not 2 weeks yet but I would like to do all I can to pick up some good tips

 

[l_maclean]

We're a total no go as far as routine goes. The most G has is into a sleeping bag and a feed in bed, but as she goes to bed quite happily I'm not fussed.

It might mean one bad night, but maybe worth just having a go and see what happens. Maybe when ur OH has a day off so you have help if your exhausted.

Xxx

 

[hugsy]

I was worried about that but started putting her to bed at 8 and she dropped the 1030 feed n sleeps tillbetween 2 n 4 them again till 6 or 7

 

[littlemiss83]

My Lo used to go to bed around 8/9/10. But he started getting really grumpy from about 4.30pm. Now he has a nap at 5ish then bed at 6, he doesn't go off straight away, i'd say around an hour after he goes to bed he falls asleep. If he doesn't get his late afternoon nap he takes hours & hours to get to sleep. He's def worse the less sleep he gets. Best night I had yet was when he slept til 5.45 for his nap then he woke &, I got his jammies on & he was sleeping as soon as his head hit the pillow at 6.30. The whole thing about being tired & sleeping better, it doesn't work with babies. If they dont get the sleep they need, they get over tired & they dont know whats wrong with them, and its very difficult for them to get to sleep in that state. I'd say try putting LO down early & do exact same routine, and when she wakes, keep it very quiet & dark, try not to chat/smile ect. Get on with feed then put LO straight back down, no fussing, it should work.

xxxxxxxx

 

[Sleepy sue]

Hi Hun I woke sam once to have a bath at 8 thinking he has to stick to a routine. OMG did he scream and it took me ages to settle him, we then had a bad night too
So I'd say if she's a sleep skip the bath, and change nappy. Xx

 

[Hunnie]

Giving Sophie a bath does wake her up but at the same time the splashing around tires her out. I basically just use the bath as a sign to her that it's bedtime and she should sleep longer because I don't think there's really any other way that she would know

 

[Samsgirl]

we give Hannah nappy off time on a towel in her gym at 5:30 ish...she has a good kick which usually helps to tire her out. Then its bath at 6 with Johnsons bedtime bath and then it's bottle...with 'In the Night Garden' on the TV (lol) and then down for bed and she sleeps til 2am. I feed her then and she goes right back down until around 6am xx

 

[Iriki]

I think this thread just shows us how very different all our babies are. They all really just do their own thing.
Chloe found her own routine at about 5/6 weeks..... She has several naps throughout the day ..usually - 9.30ish till 11.30ish then 1 till 2.30 and usually 4.30ish till about 5.30. We then do PJ's and sleeping bag and last feed at around 7pm....and just recently she's started to sleep till about 4.30 /5.00am, wakesfor a quick booby feed and nappy change and then will go back down till 7.30/8ish.
She's lke her mommy and loves her sleep
If we're out and about doing things during the day though, anything goes, she seems quite flexible and will sleep pretty much anywhere, anytime when necessary. Likewise if we're out in the evening, she's quite happy to carry on being the centre of attention for a couple of hours after her bedtime.
We do bath time in the morning too, as she gets all excited and just wants to play!
I think they all find their own rhythm though and you can't force anything on them