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Austin Babies
When to focus on sleep routines vs. guerrilla warfare?
I am wondering when we should start worrying about setting up good sleep routines/habits, instead of just doing whatever it takes to get any sleep we all can? When DS came home from the hospital, I could just put him in his crib for naps and walk away. Now, at 6 weeks, he fights sleep every time. We basically have to walk, jiggle, or rock him until his is asleep before we can put him down. The method I was using, from the Baby Whisperer, of holding him quietly until he is drowsy, then putting him down, does not work anymore. I guess I am reluctant to use a method that ends up in many trips back into his room right now, since we only get about 2.5 hours between feedings - we need that sleep time!
Are we setting ourselves up for problems later, or are we still at the point that we should just do what we need to get through? I am certainly hopeful that this straightens out some before I have to go back to work in August!
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Re: When to focus on sleep routines vs. guerrilla warfare?
Do what you need to right now. You can set up a routine, like giving a bath, reading a book, and all that, but just to what you need to for now. Around 4 months, babies can start picking up bad habits, but you don't need to worry about it before that (IMHO).
Too young to worry. Closer to 3-4 months you can start being more consistant. I mean, be as consistant as you can - "Go as you plan to go on" as they say. But for now, you do whatcha gotta?
We started a bedtime routine at 4 weeks. However, he's just starting to understand that bedtime routine = sleep. So you could start a bedtime routine just for consistency, but it is still going to take awhile before he understands what it means.
FWIW, DS is almost 13 weeks and I've never been able to put him down drowsy but awake and then have him fall asleep on his own. I thought we had a breakthrough yesterday, but I think it was just a fluke.
i agree with the others. eve is 9 weeks and i do put her down drowsy but awake within 2 hours of her last waking time and she naps for 1-2 hours every time. she and lily have almost the same exact sleeping habits so far!
some days if she gets a bit overtired, i need to walk or jiggle her to sleep before i lay her down. i'm willing to do whatever she needs me to do to get her to sleep b/c once they really start missing sleep is when it becomes a huge chore to get them to take good naps (at least in our experience)