What would you do

[pinkyprincess]

We have a routine (I don't want to call it that as it isn't really) in the sense that every hour and 45 mins I put him down for a sleep varying from 30mins - an hour half.

Now most days his last nap has him waking up between 3 and 4.30. His bed time is 6.30 and we start his bedtime routine (our only routine) at 5 where he watches baby Einstein, has half hour naked time, in the bath where I blow bubbles and read books to him, massage, feed to sleep. This means that he's generally up 3 hours plus before bedtime.

Generally this works fine for us BUT the last week or so we've had to take him in slightly earlier or he hasn't gone down well like last night. I was talking to OH last night and pondering, should we ignore bedtime and carry on with the 1hr 45 cycle? Or should we stick to our routine?

I like him having an early bedtime because that is the ONLY time I get to myself (as you all know about Tyler's bottle issues) and with OH so I'd rather he doesn't eat into that but if he has to, he has to.

What would you do?

 

[wannabmummy]

I'd definitely stick with the bed time routine. What you could try doing is putting him down for a little 15 min nap in between baby Einstein and bath, so that he isn't over tired when he goes to bed?? We do this with theo if the gap between nap and bed time is going to be a large gap and he goes down fine if he has a little cat nap before. Have even managed a nap from 5:30-5:45 and he's gone down fine at 6:30.

Hope this helps x

 

[Samsgirl]

I have a very similar routine to you...try to get her to nap around 1.30/2 hours after she last woke up.

we also start our bedtime routine around 5pm and she is normally in bed by 6:30....

I 'try' to get her to have a nap around 4pm ish....but she just will not go down!!! so most days she is awake for around 3 hours by the time she goes to bed. sometimes this is okay but other nights you can see she is overtired and she's grumpy and hard work at bath and bedtime...

If the weather is ok, i take her for a walk and she will often drop off. even if she sleeps til 5pm, she still goes down fine at 6:30 so a late nap doesnt mean she wont settle, if that makes sense...

i just wish i could get her to go down for a nap in her bed after 3pm!! arrggghhh....lol xx

 

[My1stBaby]

Yeah max only lasts 1.30-2hrs between naps so I do bath bottle n bed depnding on when his last nap was. I'd say its better for him to not be over tired, so you could just move in 15 mins earlier/ later depending on his last nap. I do the same as samsgirl, if he needs a nap (he usually has like 20 around 7ish) I take him for a walk to get him off, that way he's not over tired for bedtime at 9.

But its easier for me as his bedtime is later!

Xxxx

 

[mum2b410]

I think u should try and fit another short nap in if u possibly can? Its v difficult to squeeze it all in- especially when u add dinner into the mix!! But that way hopefully he will go down to bed better coz he wont b over tired? I havent read ur other thread yet but am guessing last night was not good!!
The difficulty I find with all this is that the last nap of the day is always the hardest and if u dont get them to go off when u need them too it messes up the whole bedtime 'routine'! Ethan's third nap is anywhere between 4.30 and 5.30 altho it has been as late at 6! When it gets later its because he is being a pain to go off and then it pushes bed time back. U might just have to experiment for a bit hun and find what works for u guys......dont know if u r doing dinner/tea with him yet with regards to weaning, but that is gonna take a chunk of time after his current last nap and Im guessing things will have to change then anyway! xx

 

[pinkyprincess]

Well he's due his next sleep at 4.15 If I got by the 1 hr 45 min rule (and he goes down) if I let him sleep no later than 5.15 he'll be due to go to bed at 7 and will probs be asleep by 7.30.

I've been talking to OH about weaning and dinner I have no idea how we'll do it!! I guess he'd have to have it about 5 but we wont be able to have it with him! Was gonna post a thread about 3 meals a day and how to fit them in!

 

[mum2b410]

I posted a thread about it when we got to that point- think its 'cant fit it all in' in the feeding and nutrition section. (sorry dont know how to post a link). Basically I did milk after breakfast and lunch and then a mid afternoon feed, nap, dinner and then bed. We dont have a lenghty bed time routine coz Ethan has baths in the day, so that helped us I guess! Remember that the 1hr 45 thing will start to stretch out as he gets a bit older and u will hopefully drop a nap (we went from 4 to 3 around 6 months i think) and that can help to. Its very hard trying to work it all out and fit naps in around meals and feeds and playtime- heaven forbid going out and doing anything!! U will figure it out tho hun, just takes a bit of trial and error xx

 

[mum2b410]

http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/feeding-nutrition/243423-cant-fit-all.html

Think I figured it out- hope the above link works! Might not be much help but maybe worth a look xx

 

[pinkyprincess]

Fab I've favourited it to read when wee mans in bed'

 

[Mrs N]

My lo has his tea at 5ish and works quite well although it wud be nice to have tea together I figure I can have a little snack at that time when he is older!! Our 'routine' is roughly wake at between 4.30am and 5.30 am (ouch) have a bottle when he wakes up, breakfast of porridge and fruit at 7, sleep from 8ish to 10ish, lunch and a bottle at 11.30ish, nap from 1ish to 1.30ish then bottle at 3, nap from 4 to 5, tea at about 5 then play bath bottle and bed at between 7.30 and 8.
Dont know if it is the right way round but it works for us!!
xxxx

 

[littlemiss83]

pinky i'm going thro exactly the same.

I'm following the 2 hour rule, awake for 2 sleep for 2, but LO has funny naps, sleeps 45min for 1st one, and sometimes 3 hours for the 2nd (always more than 2hrs) and for the final nap its a bloody nightmare. Its always around 3/4pm. And I also start bedtime around 5pm - bath, crawl around jammies ect. And I normally start that more or less straight after his last nap iykwim. But im the same, i'm always wondering.....do I follow the 2hr rule or do i follow the 6.30 rule? I'm same as you I NEED my night-time, got housework, dinner & older LO to sort out. So I decided to follow the 6.30 rule, so no matter when LO has last nap I put him down at 6.30 its hard coz sometimes he only wakes at 5pm & more or less straight bk to bed. but it works.

Oh and for the first wee while they have their dinner at 3/4pm. For months my schedule has been like this (since started weaning at 6 m/o)

6/7- wake
Breakfast & bottle
9 - nap
10- wake & play
11- lunch & bottle
12 - nap
2/3 - wake & play
3/4 - dinner & bottle
4ish - short nap
5 - ready for bed
6/6.30 - bottle & bed

We've always followed those times of naps since 6 months (he's now8) as in, the time we put him down at, but now he's older i think we'll need to re-asses altho it works ok

xxxxxxx

 

[l_maclean]

Just and idea, could you stretch him a little during the day - how do you think he'd cope with 2hrs, that would make his last nap a wee bit later, so shortening his awake time at night?? Xxx


On my iPhone - so cant see tickers

 

[pinkyprincess]

We've just found this out to be effective for his naps as he literally goes straight down to sleep which he's never done so i'd be scared to! Might do it in a couple of weeks when this is established iykwim! It's doing my head in having to constantly calculate the awkward hour and 45!!!

He had another sleep and I woke him up and hour and 45 before bedtime so fx let's see what happens!

 

[l_maclean]

Yeah, I wasn't really sure if that was a good idea or not tbh, xxx


On my iPhone - so cant see tickers

 

[pinkyprincess]

Grrrr why didn't mine come with instructions!!!

 

[pinkyprincess]

HE'S BLOODY SS HIMSELF!!!!

I fed him for nearly an hour he was pretty much asleep I moved and he woke up so I gave him a kiss and left him. 10 mins later he's asleep!!!

 

[Samsgirl]

yay....well done..

getting the daytime naps sorted has definitely started to make your life easier hasnt it x

 

[positivity :)]

More than anything I would say don't let them get over tired! Will has never been a problem due to too much sleep but we have had problems when he hasn't had enough sleep. Will 6.5 months old and he still needs a nap every 1-2 hours x

 

[jojo_2012]

If he's SS it might be risky trying to shake things up. I'd try and stretch out his naps a little longer in the day so he goes to bed a little later and wakes a bit later in the morning. Babies will be babies and it won't necessarily work.

Lewis has a nap at 6, dinner at 7 and bed at 9 just after Charlie so it's quiet. Then wakes up between 7.30 and 8.30 (and several times inbetween).

 

[mum2b410]

HE'S BLOODY SS HIMSELF!!!!

I fed him for nearly an hour he was pretty much asleep I moved and he woke up so I gave him a kiss and left him. 10 mins later he's asleep!!!

Fantastic that he ss last night hun! Mayb that last nap is key so that he isnt overtired at bedtime! Hope it continues xx