At my wits end...PLease Help!

Disneybaby2 · Dec 17, 2009 1:27PM

Hi all i know this is a very common question but i've searched other posts and just not got the answer (although there prob not only one answer)

Its about my LO's bedtime routine. She's now 3 and a half months and i've always demand fed her and she's now on the bottle. The problem is i can't get her to go to bed. At the moment her bedtime is almost 10pm!!! I feel like i've tried everything. I keep a routine where i give her a bath at 6:30pm every night and keep her calm.
I've tried rocking her to sleep but she only wakes up screaming 10 mins later. I've tried not letting her fall asleep after 5pm (although she sleeps badly in the day unless she's in her pram)
When she does go to sleep she sleeps brilliantly, only waking once or not at all in 12 hours. I've also tried starting each day at exactly 7am but she only eats when she wants so the 4 hr routine doesn't work either.

I'm lost, any suggestions welcome as i'm lost. She's a very happy baby, hardly cries except when i put her down in her cot (i can't leave her to cry it would break my heart)

Help me please!

Thanks in advance x

Laura x

littlerose · Dec 9, 2009 6:42PM

Hi Laura, so is she currently sleeping from 10pm-10am? if so it might be too much to try getting her up at 7am ... have you tried moving the time more gradually? my daughter used to go down at 9, when has gradually moved to 7. Wish she'd sleep for 12 hours though!

Helen

Roppa77 · Dec 11, 2009 6:30AM

Hi Laura

Jack is the same. He sleeps a good 10 hours but goes to bed between 9pm and 10pm. I would like him in bed by 8pm but I'm not worried as once he gets older, he'll sleep less through the day and get tired earlier. They are still little so try not to worry too much about rountine. I wont complain as my first baby never slept more than 3 hours at a time until he was about 3! She sounds like she's doing brilliantly for 3 1/2 months so I wouldn't worry too much about a bedtime yet. One thing I've learned with Jack is that it doesn't seem to matter if he's had an afternoon nap, he actually sleeps better. If they're too tired, sometimes they cant settle to sleep.

K x

Disneybaby2 · Dec 12, 2009 8:07AM

Hi ladies, thanks for the advice. I know she's doing brilliantly by sleeping so long in the night so I've really got nothing to complain about. Just got a little stressed as my hubby was away for a week and whenever i mention the time she goes to bed to people they look at me like i'm a bad mother!
Probably just being paranoid but it was a stressful and lonely week.
Anyhow, feeling a lot more relaxed now and so proud of my LO for how well she does already. Last night she went to bed at 8:45pm so we'll get there slowly.

Thanks for listening to my rant x

mummyGG · Dec 12, 2009 4:02PM

hey hun - i dont have any advice but Bebe sometimes goes down at 9.30pm...usually 8.30pm but if she has alot of sleeps in the day, she isnt tired at 8.30pm....dont you worry yourself...sounds like bubba is in a great routine! xx

LoobyLou_no3 · Dec 12, 2009 4:23PM

My first did this from about 5 weeks and eventually the time he went to bed just got earlier and earlier till he was doing 8 - 8 at about 5 months. I wouldn't worry at least she is a belting little sleeper x x x x

Roppa77 · Dec 13, 2009 4:17AM

Know what you mean about other people's expectations. Jack often has a sleep late afternoon (4-5pm) and if my MIL comes over about 4ish she's always saying "is it bath and bed time soon" and "tell mammy to put you in the bath now so you dont fall asleep and she can get you off the floor" but if he went to bed after his 6pm bottle then he'd be up at 4am! 8:45pm is fab and will have given you much more time to unwind before bed. I'm just going to try and get him a little earlier as the months go on and I'm sure he'll manange. Kirsten 8-8 is my ideal routine! Hope Jack manages that one...

I can also understand your stress if hubby's been away too. When my hubby is on nights and Jack doesn't go to bed until late, I feel like I have everything to do when he goes to bed! I keep reminding myself how good he is and that he could be awake every couple of hours like his big bro did...lol.

I'm sure they'll get there eventually x

lisao · Dec 17, 2009 1:27PM

wow, holly is rarely asleep by 11 and doesnt sleep at all in the day unless we go out in the car. Im jealous!!!!

At my wits end...PLease Help!

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