Working moms - when is bed time?

Cjohn1211 · September 2011

We start our bedtime routine @ 6:30-7:00 depending on DS's mood. I start work next week and probably won't be getting home until 6pm or so. I am so upset that I'll only be getting an hour or so of time with my son but do not want to disturb his natural rythm.

Working mom's - when is bed time? Did you move it back so you could have more time with your LO?

buckin · September 2011

I hate to say this with you dreading it already but our bedtime actually moved UP when I went back to work because he only catnaps at Daycare (so he doesn't miss anything going on) so he's tired in the evening. Now that he's started on solids (rice cereal and we will be doing oatmeal this week) we start our routine around7:30 (or 7 if he seems really tired that day)....bath at 8, BF after bath and he's usually out cold by 8:30.

Depending on when your LO naps will depend on that evening schedule. He usually takes a nap between 3:30 and 5 (sometimes a 30 min sometimes over an hour) so he's always freshly awake when I pick him up from DC. Feed him and then we have a good two-3 hours where he wants to interact with us, play, etc.

He goes to sleep really easily though so I don't know how long your routine will be.

JulieBadulie · September 2011

Out litte guy goes to sleep pretty early. We start the bedtime routine at 5:30 or so and he is in bed by 6:15. Every other night he gets a bath, followed by changing into PJ's, reading one book, then nursing in rocker. Short and sweet. He wakes up once during the night and is up for the day between 5-6.

Cjohn1211 · September 2011

JulieBadulie:
Out litte guy goes to sleep pretty early. We start the bedtime routine at 5:30 or so and he is in bed by 6:15. Every other night he gets a bath, followed by changing into PJ's, reading one book, then nursing in rocker. Short and sweet. He wakes up once during the night and is up for the day between 5-6.

So.....what time do you get home from work? Do you feel it is enough time to see LO at night?

Cjohn1211 · September 2011

buckin:

I hate to say this with you dreading it already but our bedtime actually moved UP when I went back to work because he only catnaps at Daycare (so he doesn't miss anything going on) so he's tired in the evening. Now that he's started on solids (rice cereal and we will be doing oatmeal this week) we start our routine around7:30 (or 7 if he seems really tired that day)....bath at 8, BF after bath and he's usually out cold by 8:30.

Depending on when your LO naps will depend on that evening schedule. He usually takes a nap between 3:30 and 5 (sometimes a 30 min sometimes over an hour) so he's always freshly awake when I pick him up from DC. Feed him and then we have a good two-3 hours where he wants to interact with us, play, etc.

He goes to sleep really easily though so I don't know how long your routine will be.

Thanks for the good info! I guess it will have to be a big adjustment for us all.

JulieBadulie · September 2011

I don't feel like it is enough time to see him. I get home around 515-535. Still, that is when he wants to get to sleep for the night. We tried later, and it just leads to him waking up multiple times and having a difficult time during the day. We wish he would push it back even a half hour.

laurakaz13 · September 2011

We start around 6:30-7 as well and she's asleep by 7. I pick her up from daycare at 4, so we do get some time together. My H doesn't get home until around her bedtime some nights.

I know it's hard to not have time during the week with you LO, but I plan to keep this bedtime schedule the same. Her sleep and routine are really important to us.

kje120 · September 2011

We normally start his bedtime routine around 7:30 and he is generally in the crib by 8:30 or 9:00 at the latest. We didn't have to change his bedtime routine when I started back to work because fortunately daycare has been able to get him into a good napping schedule.

I understand you being upset, though. I know eventually he will probably start going to be earlier and it makes me sad to think I won't get much time with him during the week.

Temp246483875007510 · September 2011

I walk in the door at 5:15pm and I start getting him ready for a bath then. He is super fussy at night so I try to get him started early to avoid the crying. Then I will let him play if he seems happy. By 6:30pm he is usually eating and/or in the crib asleep. I definitely do not think its enough time to spend with him. But if I try to keep him up he just gets increasingly fussy. He will usually go down anywhere from 6:30-7:30pm (it used to be 7-8pm but I moved the time earlier because he was super fussy) and will sleep till 6am the next day and I leave for work at 8:10.

mesmom2011 · September 2011

I get home at 4. In the morning, part of our routine is spending time together (she sits in her bouncer and I talk to her while I am getting ready). Then, I nurse her and get her back to sleep (hopefully) before I leave her with her Daddy for the day. She is usually fussy when I get home (missing mama and not sleeping well all day). I try to put her down for a nap around 5. We start the bedtime routine around 7 or 7:30 depending on when she gets fussy. She is usually down for her longest stretch of sleep between 8:30 or 9:30. Because I BF, she spends part of the night co-sleeping (in our bed) and part of the night in her pack-n-play beside the bed. She nurses anywhere from 4-6 times per night so she and I often fall asleep between nursing sessions and she ends up sleeping with us for about half of the night. Between our morning time, afternoon/evening time and the co-sleeping, I feel like she gets enough Mama time, but I would love to have some more happy/play time with her. I guess that's what weekends are for.

missamelia5 · September 2011

I've been back at work for three weeks now, and to put it simply... it sucks. I have to wake her up at 7:15 and take her to the babysitter's house. I pick her up at 4:00 when I get off and we play until around 6 when she gets fussy. Then we take a walk and start the bath/bedtime routine by 7. She's usually sound asleep by 8 or 8:30. I know that's more time with her than some moms get, but I'm still having a really hard time with it. Good luck to you and your LO.

p1nklemonade · September 2011

9ish. she wakes up between 645-7 most mornings, and her napping varies. but generally we'll do bath around 8, then final bottle at 8:30. if she's rubbing her eyes and cranky, we'll start a bit earlier.

vigurl · September 2011

He gets his last bottle at 9 he is out cold by 9:30. He STTN until 8 when I change him and dress him and drop him off at DC. They give him his first bottle there b/c he is still sleep when I am dropping him off.

ksspiff · September 2011

we pick her up at 5 and commute the hour home together - and she sleeps most of the way. Our evenings are pretty short, a little play time, eating, sometimes a bath and usually in the crib by 7:15. Yes. it does suck. We live for the weekends!

2BlackCats · September 2011

DD goes to bed around 7:30/8 PM and I get home at 6:30.

She is just starting her cranky "i'm done with the day" mood at that time. I am not happy with the lack of time I have with her during the week but I do the best I can. I found that putting off dinner and taking her upstairs around 7 to read stories and start the bedtime routine works best. She is the calmest and at least our time together is quality time.

OpheliaChem · September 2011

DD has always gone to bed around 8pm even before I started back to work. She gets up at 5:30am so she is a sleepy baby by 7:30pm. On the weekends, she sleeps in and can stay up a little later at night. Maybe you can try to push her bedtime back a little at a time until you get to 7:30-8:00pm?

mari_gold · September 2011

Bedtime will probably move up a bit with daycare. It's not fun for parents, but an overtired baby is even less fun. Plus, what's more important - your baby getting the rest he/she needs or your wants?

Keep in mind this is only for a short time. Once they adjust to daycare and don't need as much sleep, the bedtime can be eased back.

JUSTBEYOURSELF · September 2011

I pick her up at 5:15 and she goes to bed around 7:30-8:30. It is tough but we try to make the best of the time from 5:15 till bed time.

laustin35 · September 2011

Why don't you try having his caretaker give him a later nap in the afternoon/early evening so you can have him up a little later?

I pick my daughter up from daycare around 4pm, and we usually start the bedtime routine at 7:30 and she's asleep by 8:15. She usually will nap sometime between 5:30-6:30, which gives me time to make dinner and spend time with DH. Then we get to play with the baby before she needs to go to bed. Of course I miss not being with her all day, but I really enjoy our evenings together

Angel0423 · September 2011

She takes her bedtime feed around 7:30-8.

mashley11 · September 2011

my LO usually gets sleepy around 730-745, and is out by 8 most nights. i feel your pain though...i get home around 6 and cherish every moment i have with him!

good luck!

enr05c · September 2011

When I went back to work I had this same fear. I would definitely go with your baby's natural rythm and soak up the minutes that you DO have with him. Enjoy all of the bedtime rituals and rock him a little longer before putting him in his bed.

However, when my son started in daycare, he wasnt sleeping very well during the day for naptimes, so he took a nap once he got home with my husband from 5-6. He wakes up right after I get home from work, eats, plays and then between 7:30- 8 is ready to start the night time routine. Its still not much time, but I do get some playtime and cuddle time before he gets sleepy so it works for us.

Good luck going back to work! I have been back for a month and it is still hard to leave my sweet baby!!!

taitai07 · September 2011

She is usually ready for bed by 9 or 9:30ish. We don't really have a bedtime routine...I get her in her jammies and feed her around 8:30, and she's usually ready to go to sleep when she's done eating. We didn't set her bedtime, I guess we're just lucky that she stays up a little later so we can spend time with her. I'm sure she'll eventually go to bed earlier.

mganthony · September 2011

Wow! Amazing maybe because my LO is just 11 weeks her bed time is around 10ish. I actually begin then so that she's going down around 11/12. She is just beginning to sleep about 5 hours, I'm assuming because I'm breastfeeding. To hear all the others say 5, 6, and 7, she's sometimes napping at that time. Interesting!

But I must admit I'm not working in the traditional sense.

SC1977 · September 2011

I'll be honest, I hardly see my baby during the week and it sucks.

I pick him up from daycare between 6 and 6:30 and bed time is anywhere between 7 and 8. His last daycare nap determines the exact bedtime. Last night he clonked out at the breast at 6:45 before I could even start his bedtime routine because his last nap at daycare ended at 4.

TheNewestMrsWilliams · September 2011

10:00

Last nap in daycare is 5-6. I pick her up at 6. Nurse her there. We get home at 7:30. She plays with daddy while I fix dinner. Eat dinner. Nurse. Play a bit. Bath at 9. Nurse again at 9:30 and she's usually in bed by 10. She'll sleep til 7:30-8. We keep the same routine on the weekends.

I've tried to put her down earlier but she fusses like crazy and wakes up all night, so this seems to work for us. Whatever works for you and your little one is the way to go.

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