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Pre-bedtime Routine
Hi,
Can you ladies share which bedtime routine you put your babies on? What age did you start? I didn't know a thing about routines so I started when my son was 5 m.o. He is now 7 m.o and is doing great on it. Mines goes like this:
6:00pm - Dinner
7:00pm - Bath
7:30pm - Get him out of his bathtub. Gentle massage. Put on diaper and pijamas.
7:45-8:00pm - Bottle.......then to bed.
I always make sure to put him in his crib while he is falling asleep but not asleep so he can finish the process in his bed. At times I try to put him in his crib when he is sleepy and sometimes it works. Most of the time, however, it doesn't. But that's ok :-)
Can you ladies share which bedtime routine you put your babies on? What age did you start? I didn't know a thing about routines so I started when my son was 5 m.o. He is now 7 m.o and is doing great on it. Mines goes like this:
6:00pm - Dinner
7:00pm - Bath
7:30pm - Get him out of his bathtub. Gentle massage. Put on diaper and pijamas.
7:45-8:00pm - Bottle.......then to bed.
I always make sure to put him in his crib while he is falling asleep but not asleep so he can finish the process in his bed. At times I try to put him in his crib when he is sleepy and sometimes it works. Most of the time, however, it doesn't. But that's ok :-)
This is great.....starting pre_bedtime for baby! I think your schedule is right on........thanks for the help!
I lay down with my little one and breastfeed them before bed. They fall asleep and then that's it:) Good luck and keep us posted.
I'm glad I found this...I was wondering how in the world to get Aubyrana to bed with breast feeding her...I'm gonna start this schedule next week when she's seven months old, I started a schedule with DS at seven months and he seemed to get it and be ok with it then, so we'll see!
Sounds like a very similar schedule to mine, i started my daughter at 6 months it goes as follows 5-5.30 dinner
6-6.30 play then bath
7-7.30 bottle then bed
I actually did sleep school for 4 nights and they recommend dinner earlier so the little one can have time to play and digest their food i found because my daughter had very bad reflux this works well and i basically read a book say nigh nigh and let her fall asleep on her own by this stage she is so tired that within 15min she is asleep. I guess it depends on what suits you but i changed thinggs several times until now she sleeps through the night from 7-7 its a miracle !
6-6.30 play then bath
7-7.30 bottle then bed
I actually did sleep school for 4 nights and they recommend dinner earlier so the little one can have time to play and digest their food i found because my daughter had very bad reflux this works well and i basically read a book say nigh nigh and let her fall asleep on her own by this stage she is so tired that within 15min she is asleep. I guess it depends on what suits you but i changed thinggs several times until now she sleeps through the night from 7-7 its a miracle !
We literally have a late schedule. Something we have had all the time with both children. Bedtime can be at 11:30 on a work night or sometimes if we stay up late it is 1:30 or 2. I do need to mention I work at nights so we just kind of have free time after I get off of work late. So I guess it depends on the parents schedule what sleep schedule you have. Our kids have always been little night owls.
This sounds like our schedule too...pretty much same time frame and everything except for us like adgal, have quiet time and read a book after bath...he usually drinks a bottle while im reading and then its off to bed where he falls asleep by himself. We started this routine at about 6 months old and he's now 11 months! It seems to work well although we still have our ups and downs some nights like any family...
your schedule sounds great! keep it up!
your schedule sounds great! keep it up!
This sounds pretty close to what we do. I also started around 5 months - my son just turned 7 months.
8:00 - dinner
8:30 - bath, then lotion massage and pj's
9:00 - some quiet play time if there is time, usually not as he loves his bath and may not
be done and in pj's before 9:30
9:30 - we read the same 2 stories in the rocking chair - Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon
- at the end of Goodnight Moon, we "night night" everything in the room and then I
tell him "night night"
9:45 - I put music on and nurse him while rocking - he does not usually fall asleep and
after about 3 songs, I lay him down with his paci and he falls asleep on his own, but
if he falls asleep while nursing, I just transfer him
I know this is on the late side, but trust me, I have slowly been working him down from a midnight bedtime!!! In the last few days, he has not napped well and I moved the whole schedule up an hour and he is asleep by 9!!!
prettyKitty - you have been much more successful than me on the "laying down" while he is still awake but drowsy. I could not do that AT ALL before - my guy has a really hard time self-soothing and just could not do it. He finally stated taking a pacifier in the last month, which helps. He is only just now falling asleep on his own - I took the "baby steps" approach but boy is it nice now !!!!
It sounds like you have a great schedule - your little one is lucky!
8:00 - dinner
8:30 - bath, then lotion massage and pj's
9:00 - some quiet play time if there is time, usually not as he loves his bath and may not
be done and in pj's before 9:30
9:30 - we read the same 2 stories in the rocking chair - Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon
- at the end of Goodnight Moon, we "night night" everything in the room and then I
tell him "night night"
9:45 - I put music on and nurse him while rocking - he does not usually fall asleep and
after about 3 songs, I lay him down with his paci and he falls asleep on his own, but
if he falls asleep while nursing, I just transfer him
I know this is on the late side, but trust me, I have slowly been working him down from a midnight bedtime!!! In the last few days, he has not napped well and I moved the whole schedule up an hour and he is asleep by 9!!!
prettyKitty - you have been much more successful than me on the "laying down" while he is still awake but drowsy. I could not do that AT ALL before - my guy has a really hard time self-soothing and just could not do it. He finally stated taking a pacifier in the last month, which helps. He is only just now falling asleep on his own - I took the "baby steps" approach but boy is it nice now !!!!
It sounds like you have a great schedule - your little one is lucky!
That is exactly what I did, except I started later. I wish I had started at 5 months..smart lady!! The only thing I add in is that in between dinner and bath, it is quiet time in our house. No playing or tv on. We read a book or some other quiet activity. I find he is more relaxed at bedtime that way..not all riled up and excited. Way to go momma! I agree..you sound like a natural to me!
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