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bedtime routine-when did you start?

ladylisaltladylisalt member
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months
I have been going with the flow with LO as far as her time to go to bed. Its been in a pattern of between 8-9:30 pm so thats what I go with. What age is recommended by sleep experts as far as starting to stick to a more consistent schedule? Or what have you found that works?
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Re: bedtime routine-when did you start?

  • jnnfrrose6jnnfrrose6 member
    Sleep "experts" are going to give you different answers based on their systems.

    For us, we started at around week 2-3 with a routine in the evenings to help DD learn the difference between going down for the night and a nap during the day.  Pretty basic, but we do the same thing every night (give or take a bath) to have consistency.  It's what works for us.
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  • WannaBmommaWannaBmomma member
    We kept our baby's schedule from he hospital and so far it has been pretty consistent. I bathe her and do her nighttime routine around 7 and she is normally out for the night around 7:30 or 8.
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  • jenn43jenn43 member
    We started a bedtime routine around 3 months.  Bathtime, lotion massage, pajamas, white noise, nursing, song, then bed.  Naptime routine is sleep-sack, white noise, nursing, song, then bed.  He didn't always go to bed right away, but now that he is 6 months old it works very well.
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  • nolemomma14nolemomma14 member
    We started a bedtime routine around 4 weeks. At first idk if it really meant anything to DS, but now at 4 months he goes down really easy for the night. He was going down around 7:30 before the time change. After the time change though he's dropped his late afternoon nap, and bedtime is closer to 6-6:30. Our routine is bath (if he gets one that night), lotion, pajamas, cuddling and books and then nurse. After nursing we put him down still awake in his crib.
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  • argonneargonne member

    As soon as we got home.  It was nothing strict, but usually started with a bath at 7ish, dressed, nurse, bed.  I learned the hard way with DS.  He didn't get a routine until about 6 months and it was difficult for him at times.

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  • TeacherVickyTeacherVicky member
    Sleep consultants will often suggest different things. They seem to all agree though that a baby's circadian rhythm establishes itself at 4m of age. Some will say to start a strict schedule then, others will say to start a schedule and allow for flexibility depending on quality of sleep. 

    I started a bedtime "routine" when LO's were a few weeks old. Bath, lotion, pj, nurse, bed. I found I was able to stick to an appropriate bedtime starting at around 3-4m of age. That's when they both started to go to bed earlier. With both of them, I started sticking to a schedule (while being flexible) at around 5-6m of age. However, having a predictable schedule/day fits my personality and I know many moms who just go with the flow and it works for them.
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  • ladylisaltladylisalt member
    Besides nolemama, do u ladies just put LO down drowsy, awake,asleep after your routine? As of now, I have to rock my DD in my arms or in Rock n play.
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  • yvanehtniojyvanehtnioj member
    We started a routine at around six weeks. It's very simple: bath, jammies, bottle. He is usually very relaxed or drowsy after this.

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    H e n r y  May 21, 2014

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  • jnnfrrose6jnnfrrose6 member
    ladylisalt said:
    Besides nolemama, do u ladies just put LO down drowsy, awake,asleep after your routine? As of now, I have to rock my DD in my arms or in Rock n play.
    9 times out of 10, she's awake.  I wouldn't even say drowsy.  I nurse before putting her down and burping usually wakes her up.  Sometimes she falls asleep on me, though, and doesn't really wake up from the burping.  She'll fuss when I put her down, but when the noise machine goes on, she tends to roll on her side and settle down.
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  • roxy531261roxy531261 member
    Honestly, one night I was just done with his 3 am dance party and put him in his pnp.  After about 10 minutes i looked in and he was asleep.  Also I got an amazing sound machine from BBBaby(it is portable, clips on to anything and was only $10 !!!)  and have been putting that on when I lay him down.  It is his cue to go to sleep, I also turn it on if i hear him fussing during the night, it has a 15 min timer.  He has been consistently sttn 10-12 hrs since 10 wks when I started using it. 
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  • PrimRoseMamaPrimRoseMama member
    We have always been very lenient & relaxed about bedtime routines. We give a bath around 8pm & both kids wind down to sleep between 8:30-10pm.

    Granted, they've always been night owls. However, DD started STTN all by herself at 3 months old when I stopped trying to force a schedule.

    DS has been the same, though he STTN at 6 months old.


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