How to introduce a sleep routine?

[saranga]

My son is 4 weeks old and all the books say to introduce a sleep routine (feed, bath, story, bed) at 6 weeks ish. At the moment he sleeps until about midday/1 ish, is awake in the afternoon, has a kip in the evening then is awake from 8 or 11 to about 3am. He's breastfed and feeds between 6 and 8, 10 and 2, mid afternoon, 5ish, then from 8 he's on and off till 3am. If I'm lucky, till 1am, but then he'll wake at 5.
So, seeing as he's awake from 8ish most evenings, how am I supposed to introduce a sleep routine? Or is this one if those things that will settle down in the next two weeks ish?

[CultureSucksDownWords]

I would wait until one naturally emerges, which may well be a while longer.

[MsPhoebeCaulfield]

I'd wait too, it's so much easier to go with the flow and see what routine will emerge (and then change to a new one overnight!) DD is 9mo and up by 7.30 at the latest every day. I remember the newborn days when we could laze around in bed together until lunch time fondly and wish I'd made the most of it

[saranga]

Ok. So a routine will emerge? Some sources say start trying a routine now and it's just impossible!

[callamia]

I wouldn't bother. He's still cluster-feeding, and that's fine - things will become a bit more 'routine' when that finishes. Babies change their routine a lot during the first year - don't worry about imposing one, just go with what they need.

[MsPhoebeCaulfield]

You can only do what feel best for you. Are you rested and able to sleep when he sleeps? If so I'd be tempted to go with the flow. I'm not sure that at 4 weeks a baby is able to tell night from day so it's just a cycle of sleep, eat, look at a few things and sleep again.

I was very much baby led (didn't read any books so didn't have a clue I was meant to put a routine in place!) and just responded to DD. We did quite quickly fall into her self-made routine where we'd put her in a sleep suit and blanket/swaddle for bed at 8-ish when she'd have a feed and fall asleep in our arms while we watched telly. Then we'd transfer her to the Moses basket and she'd leep the rest of the evening there until we went up to bed.

Four weeks is so young and I found when I tried to impose something on DD in terms of sleep we just got so stressed out it wasn't worth it. I've got friend though who did GF quite early on because they needed that routine for themselves. I've just remembered actually, I got an app for my phone that tracked sleep and feeds etc which was really useful as after a few days of logging, her routine emerged and I could plan when in the day I'd be able to have a shower! Maybe try this and go from there?

Sorry for the essay!

[notascooby007]

I started routine from day 1 not nessessarily to a specific time but the physical routine of bath bottle cuddle bed I did exactly the same in the same room each night.

All my dc have slept through (10-6ish without a feed/lift out of cot) from around 2-3 months don't know if it's down to the routine or just good luck

[CultureSucksDownWords]

Luck

Seriously, babies are all different so what works for some won't work for others. Try a routine if you like and see if it helps, but don't feel like you have to stick to it if it doesn't.