Putting your lo to bed
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Terrie
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rhys has always had a bedtime routine.
bath at 6.30
cuddles till 7.30
bottle at 7.30
put in cot awake at 8
he falls asleep on his own, no rocking, patting, pacing up and down!!! if he cries its only for 5 minutes, it sounds harsh but we leave him to it. he now hardly ever cries and knows that its sleep time.
we've done this since 2 weeks old.
bath at 6.30
cuddles till 7.30
bottle at 7.30
put in cot awake at 8
he falls asleep on his own, no rocking, patting, pacing up and down!!! if he cries its only for 5 minutes, it sounds harsh but we leave him to it. he now hardly ever cries and knows that its sleep time.
we've done this since 2 weeks old.
lauramumof2
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Flame said:
For the two of them
Dinner
20 mins play (all four of us)
Bath
Milk
Story
Bed
They get to bed roughly about 7 and sleep till about 7.30 (6.30 for Joe)
Sometimes its a bit later to bed but the order never changes except for the fact that bath night is only every 2nd night.
Rubys mummy
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Same as Tezzy-we had Rubes in bedtime routine from first week home, in her own room. She goes into cot awake, plays and kicks around for around 30 mins then crashes out....she has slept through from 7 weeks old too, we dropped her dream fee at 11pm recently and she goes from 7.30pm till 7am every night 
Nathan doesn't have a set bed time as such we just watch out for the signs hes getting tired. Its usually between 7.30 and 8.30 and I get him in his baby grow and give him his bottle just as hes starting to rub his eyes and yawn. He usually goes off within a couple of minutes. I don't like to put him down asleep so he can get used to getting him elf off to sleep.
for the first few months we kept emma with us until we went to bed because she had to be fed every 4 hours, but when we moved her from a moses basket to a cot we started a routine now she usually goes up roughly 7is she takes about an hour to settle and then sleeps until morning, that way we get the evening to ourselves
Grace has had a bedtime routine from 6 weeks........... before that we kept her up with us until we went to bed. I am BF and she used to cluster feed loads in the evening .... now our routine is:
5.30 Pm Wash or Bath
5.45 Pm Rice Milk and Breast
6.15 pm Story and Cuddles
6.30 pm Nappy Change and Into Grobag
6.45 - 7 pm in bed awake.................
Grace has always been such a good girl and gone to bed awake and we have never ever had tears...........
5.30 Pm Wash or Bath
5.45 Pm Rice Milk and Breast
6.15 pm Story and Cuddles
6.30 pm Nappy Change and Into Grobag
6.45 - 7 pm in bed awake.................
Grace has always been such a good girl and gone to bed awake and we have never ever had tears...........
I didn't bother with a routine until Austin was nearly 3 months, OH enjoyed cuddling him to sleep & they say they can't learn bad habits until 3 months. He now has:
8pm: bath or top & tail
8:30: Story with Daddy & bottle of EBM
8:45: Into bed, usually awake
8:50: has a little moan, mummy comes in & gives him dummy, he falls asleep within minutes.
He's just started sleeping through, & if we're out & miss his bedtime he gets a bit cranky - he knows! But as I said, we didn't start the routine until he was 3 months.
8pm: bath or top & tail
8:30: Story with Daddy & bottle of EBM
8:45: Into bed, usually awake
8:50: has a little moan, mummy comes in & gives him dummy, he falls asleep within minutes.
He's just started sleeping through, & if we're out & miss his bedtime he gets a bit cranky - he knows! But as I said, we didn't start the routine until he was 3 months.
Our routine is this (since 5 weeks):
1. Strip to nappy, wrap in towel & wash face & hair at the sink
2. Either bath or top/tail (bath every 3rd night)
3. Dry & dress
4. Turn off bedroom light & have hall light on
5. Feed - not talking to her, and trying to avoid eye contact
6. 5 minute cuddle at my shoulder (helps her tummy as it lets the milk go down a bit)
7. Into the cot
It took a week or two for her to clock on that this routine meant it was time for sleeping, but she's been really good with it ever since. I think the key is to keep everything boring, hence why we don't talk to her once she's dressed for bed.
I found especially with bf'ing it was easier to get her sleepy & ready for going to sleep. I sometimes put her down and she's asleep already before that step, but 80% of the time she'll go down awake & settle herself. We have 1 bad night every 10 days or so.
We found persistance is the key.......she would whinge at first, and we would just go and stroke her head/ face or put our hand on her tum (she likes this - must make her feel secure). If she was crying or upset, we would pick her up & give her a cuddle or try to feed her some more, and then put her down, but all the time not talking to her....just a few shh'ing sounds.
1. Strip to nappy, wrap in towel & wash face & hair at the sink
2. Either bath or top/tail (bath every 3rd night)
3. Dry & dress
4. Turn off bedroom light & have hall light on
5. Feed - not talking to her, and trying to avoid eye contact
6. 5 minute cuddle at my shoulder (helps her tummy as it lets the milk go down a bit)
7. Into the cot
It took a week or two for her to clock on that this routine meant it was time for sleeping, but she's been really good with it ever since. I think the key is to keep everything boring, hence why we don't talk to her once she's dressed for bed.
I found especially with bf'ing it was easier to get her sleepy & ready for going to sleep. I sometimes put her down and she's asleep already before that step, but 80% of the time she'll go down awake & settle herself. We have 1 bad night every 10 days or so.
We found persistance is the key.......she would whinge at first, and we would just go and stroke her head/ face or put our hand on her tum (she likes this - must make her feel secure). If she was crying or upset, we would pick her up & give her a cuddle or try to feed her some more, and then put her down, but all the time not talking to her....just a few shh'ing sounds.
So its a bad idea to keep him downstairs in the evenings then even though we put him in his chair to try and sleep (as he can sleep through most things)?.
I just dont feel very comfortable putting him upstairs on his own yet.
I just dont feel very comfortable putting him upstairs on his own yet.
I wouldn't say its a bad idea hun, if he's in his basket, could you pop him in a next door room? We are all on one level as we are in an apartment, so she's only ever in the next room to us.
If he's in his basket then you can just relocate that when you go to bed.
I feel that determining the difference between day & night (difference in light & sound) has really helped us as she def knows when bedtime comes.
Do you have a monitor? We have a video monitor which we love as we can just flick it on and see she's ok at any one time.
And remember - once you do start putting him upsatairs, the first night will always be the worst
If he's in his basket then you can just relocate that when you go to bed.
I feel that determining the difference between day & night (difference in light & sound) has really helped us as she def knows when bedtime comes.
Do you have a monitor? We have a video monitor which we love as we can just flick it on and see she's ok at any one time.
And remember - once you do start putting him upsatairs, the first night will always be the worst
Rubys mummy
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Emmylou said:Do you have a monitor? We have a video monitor which we love as we can just flick it on and see she's ok at any one time.
And remember - once you do start putting him upsatairs, the first night will always be the worst
We have the Boots video monitor and its the best thing we ever got-we can watch her and check her every few minutes if we like..it made putting her into her nursery much easier.
It wasnt cheap-work bought it for me when I went on Mat leave but was buying one anyway, so saved some money
Flame said:
I think Austin was nearl 3 months before we put him down in his bed by himself - and we live in a bungalow!!! So I know how you feel not wanting to put him down. They can't learn bad habits this young, so don't worry too much while he's still young.
finley doesnt have a set routine really, he has a bath every other night, and then pjs and a bottle at 8.30, always falls asleep on me though and then i put him to bed, yes he is spoilt 
you would think id know better already having 2 older kids, but i just cant be doing with the hassle of him screaming and waking other 2 up just so he goes off himself, im sure once hes a few months older he will get better, im gonna try and get him into going to sleep on his own though at some point
you would think id know better already having 2 older kids, but i just cant be doing with the hassle of him screaming and waking other 2 up just so he goes off himself, im sure once hes a few months older he will get better, im gonna try and get him into going to sleep on his own though at some point
Firstly, Isaac doesn't like sleeping so we've never thought about a 'routine' as such until recently when we bought his cot. We usually let him fall asleep on us, then move him to his basket or the side of us on the couch, as he usually wakes up again, now we're trying the cot in the bedroom, and he's still the same but hoping he'll start to associate it as his 'bedtime', although he doesn't actually 'go down' for the 'night' until between 10 and 11pm, he just doesn't sleep enough to have a bedtime before then as yet.
Don't think that helped much although I do think whatever works for you and your LO is happy with, is the routine for you, very best wishes finding it
so we've never thought about a 'routine' as such until recently when we bought his cot. We usually let him fall asleep on us, then move him to his basket or the side of us on the couch, as he usually wakes up again, now we're trying the cot in the bedroom, and he's still the same but hoping he'll start to associate it as his 'bedtime', although he doesn't actually 'go down' for the 'night' until between 10 and 11pm, he just doesn't sleep enough to have a bedtime before then as yet.Don't think that helped much although I do think whatever works for you and your LO is happy with, is the routine for you, very best wishes finding it
Hellokitty
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For the last week we have been putting Maia to bed at 7.30pm after a bath/wash and a massage. Surprisingly she has settled pretty well and has been a much nicer baby since then!
It has also given DH and I some time to be ourselves again, which is a bonus!
It has also given DH and I some time to be ourselves again, which is a bonus!
Miracle babe
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I started putting Rowan up in his moses basket in our room when he was 2 weeks old and I bawled my eyes out doing it but it was soooo much better for him as he would settle in the dark and quiet. Then when he was 6 weeks he moved into his own room/cot and since then we have a routine of
4.30pm - Tea
5pm - Play
5.30pm - 2nd tea at the table with us as a family (he just has a little bit so he enjoys eating with us)
6-6.30pm - Bath and games
6.45pm - Into babygrow and have bottle and cuddle
7pm - Put down in cot awake. He goes off almost immediately
4.30pm - Tea
5pm - Play
5.30pm - 2nd tea at the table with us as a family (he just has a little bit so he enjoys eating with us)
6-6.30pm - Bath and games
6.45pm - Into babygrow and have bottle and cuddle
7pm - Put down in cot awake. He goes off almost immediately
