daily schedule/routine.

Diana909 · December 2013

I'm a little bit of a schedule junkie and LO seems to be all over the place. I'm a SAHM and have been trying to get LO on a schedule but it never seems to work and then I feel like all I have done is try to get LO to nap or have been feeding LO all day. He will be consistent for a few days then all the sudden he either sleeps in or wakes late and then its out the window. The only thing consistent is he eats about 30oz a day and then 3 "meals" a day. I've googled and tried some but nothing seems to be working. He used to get up at 7:45-8 and now seems to be 7-7:30. He used to go to bed at 8pm and now seems to be 7-7:30. Usually has a good healthy 2hr nap in the middle of the day if I am running errands or out/about, but if we are home its only an hr or so. Any suggestions?

taraleanne · December 2013

Our LO's are almost the same age!

I've noticed alot of consistency if I wake him up the same time each day - that is, don't let him sleep in. When he wakes at 730, then it's very consistent than his nap has to be at 915, no protest. Even when he wakes at 715, the nap is at 915. The rest of the day is still a bit messy due to me not just sitting at home all day - I run errands and visit family and etc.. but it's also starting to come together in that 2nd and 3rd naps are approx the same time each day! If the morning nap is good then the rest of the day makes sense and I also start bed time at the same time every night. My LO also used to have the same wake up time and bedtime and recently pushed it back earlier too. So similar! If his 3rd nap sucks in the day, I will put him to bed at 630 and he will sleep in to the usual time too.

I woke him up only like 2 days and now I find he's waking up on his own- or is in a very light sleep anyway and just a little noise in the house and I can hear him cooing and "playing".

The reason why your LO is having a good nap in the middle of the day is because he's in motion, that's my guess. My LO will also nap longer in the car but I've read that the most restorative nap should be in their bed, falling asleep on their own. If you can get your LO to fall asleep independently, naps will get longer. This is also my own personal observation. Some of his naps are still only 45 m (particularly nap #3) but that's okay, cause he usually makes up for it later, or earlier and I feel like we're still working on naps, so to speak. I think that if you start waking LO at the same time each day, and watching for sleepy cues and starting your naptime routine before he gets overtired, you will notice as well that the naps will start to line up too. And of course, falling asleep independantly in their bed will also lead to longer naps. GL! I know how you feel

tig594 · December 2013

No offense but I think you should lighten up a little bit. He's a baby and doesn't understand time. Babies go through phases and aren't going to stick to a rigid schedule like you're wanting him to. You're his momma, not his drill sergeant. Relax and enjoy him because he won't be a your sweet cute little baby forever.

HML5382 · December 2013

I prefer a schedule too, and I find it is the most consistent when we start the day at about the same time each morning. I think the 3 things that really need to be consistent day to day to maintain a schedule are wake-up time, afternoon nap time, and bedtime. If I were you, I would start waking your baby up at the same time everyday and putting him down at the same time. He should be getting around 12 hours overnight, so if you pick 7:30 for wake-up time, I would have him in bed by 7:30 that night. Once that is consistent for a good week I bet you'll notice the naps starting to fall into place. Every kid is different but the average 6 month old takes an hour or so morning nap, a 1.5 hour afternoon nap, and a 45 min or less evening nap. At least according to the sleep books I have read, my favorite being "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child," that book is fantastic!

Our schedule is this: my toddler wakes at 7 usually and baby gets up at 7:30. Both my girls nap from 1-3 in the afternoon so I make a point to be home then. And then baby goes to bed between 7-7:30 and her sister between 7:30-8:00. Morning and early evening naps I'm more flexible with and those are our times to be on the go, but for us baby usually sleep from 9:30-10:30 and 4:45-5:15, and she often sleeps in the stroller, car-seat, or Ergo during those times so we can be out and about.

A schedule definitely isn't for everyone, but I personally love the predictability! It's great being able to plan our days knowing my kids will be well rested and happy for outings and it is my sanity saver to be able to count on those times when they'll be sleeping. Like right now to know I have the next hour and half to myself!! Good luck, I hope you find a schedule that works for you and your little guy!

=Lee=B · December 2013

The only thing we've kept "scheduled" here is that she goes down for naps 2hrs after last wake up and she eats every 2hrs. Both of these timings were set by her, meeting her very clear needs. So, our days do vary based on whether her nap was 1.5hrs or 2.5 hrs. But, in general it all follows the same pattern.

LisaLisa1980 · December 2013

tig594 said:
No offense but I think you should lighten up a little bit. He's a baby and doesn't understand time. Babies go through phases and aren't going to stick to a rigid schedule like you're wanting him to. You're his momma, not his drill sergeant. Relax and enjoy him because he won't be a your sweet cute little baby forever.

2nd

Pitterpatter44 · December 2013

Routine = good. Schedule for the sake of schedule = not so good. (I know that babies who go to daycare dont have this option, so not talking about that). Babies change constantly so when your LO is sleeping in later than last week, it's for a reason (just like when you do!). They need their sleep, sometimes more than they did the day before. I'm a very scheduled person who works out of my home, and I've had to learn to let go, and be thankful for the days that LO's routine matches up with my schedule, and not worry about the other days. The only thing that I have tried to keep constant is bedtime, and that is because LO pretty much demands it. Doesn't matter what happens during the day, she wants to be in bed by 730. Sonic she sleeps late, I know she needed it, and not because i put her to bed late.

Pearls+Oysters · December 2013

Schedules only work if you follow your baby's schedule. That's what a routine is for. I plan my cleaning, errands and classes around him, not the other way around, and we're pretty succesful (minus our sleep issues).

So I would suggest to let go for a week, and follow his cues. Then you can plan a bit more around him. You get structure, he gets his needs met, everybody wins.

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