5 month old bedtime

[BreeVDKamp]

I have another thread in Sleep but this is a separate quick question!

What time does your 5mo go to sleep? DS has a hard time staying up later than 6.

Got up from last nap today at 3:30, I tried putting him back to sleep but he was wide awake. By 4 he was cranky and wanting to go back to sleep.

Ideally I start bath at 6 for him to be in bed at 7, as that way there is a slim chance DH will be home in time to do bottle and bed, but we also get a good chunk of baby-free evening. Also hopefully going to bed at 7 not 6 he'll wake up later in the mornings? [hopeful]

Any tips on how to get him on a later schedule and tide him over happily til 6? Currently last nap until bedtime is fraught!

Tonight he was asleep by 6:20. Thinking about it, it probably coincides with the clocks changing!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Could you try changing his naps by 15 mins a day until he goes to bed at the time you want?

[BreeVDKamp]

Well he doesn't have set nap times, e.g. today we got up at 9:30 so his naps would be at a different time to if we woke up at 7... But I could try going 2hrs between naps rather than 1.5hrs I guess! Good idea.

[OffMyAyersRocker]

I would get DH to walk dd around the house when she was like this. It was amazing how the most boring room in the house (the utility room for example! ) could hold her attention until it was time for bath, feed, sleep

[Artandco]

At 5 months they didn't have a bedtime really. We would try and settle around 9/9.30pm i suppose if we were home but just in living room with us. Then we would take to bed and feed again when we went at 11/12pm

Mine would have a nap later though
So wake 3.30pm for example from lunch nap, but would nap again say 5.30-6/6.30.

In our house we just aren't ready for bed at 6pm as Dh or I wouldn't be home until after that time. We then all eat around 7.30pm. So as babies from 6 months they did then also

[BreeVDKamp]

Up from lunchtime nap at 3:30!!! Mine was up from his afternoon nap (3rd nap) then ha. He's a catnapper!

[Fluffy24]

It's great having a sleepy baby but it's hard when you can't keep them up long enough to see dad!

DS is a big sleeper, 10mo now but since just weeks old he's been going to bed at about 6pm (just gets over tired if I try to keep him up and then, conversely, doesn't sleep so well or for as long).

Even now if he gets the chance he'll sleep from 6pm - 7am and have about 3 - 4 hours worth of naps during the day.

I really struggled to keep him up long enough to see dad. There have been nights when, if he hasn't napped so well for whatever reason, he's bathed and in bed by 5.30. We've worked really hard at getting plenty of naps in the afternoon, which has helped a bit.

Could you start a 5pm nap, since already sleepy at this time, and wake him at 5.30/6 with a view to being feed, bathed and back in bed by 7? I know many people would think that they'd not sleep well if they nap later, but I find that a late nap gives just enough energy to get through dinner successfully and sets him up for a more settled night!

[Fluffy24]

Should also say that at times, I assume big growth or development spurts, DS would happily nap for an hour, have 30 minutes of play, and then be ready for another nap - and so on throughout the afternoon. I'd be reluctant to stretch the interval between naps as if he gets more/over tired it might make things worse.

[Artandco]

Bree - by lunchtime nap I mean say 2-3.30pm not midday. They would nap in the morning also once maybe twice if up early.

But typical day would be:

8am wake
10am -1hr nap
2-3.30pm nap
5.30pm -1hr nap
9pm - nap in living room with us ( on floor or us/ sofa)
11pm semi wake them for last milk feed and take into bed with us

Usually slept through from 11.30 ish until 8am

[BreeVDKamp]

Art I see. Hmm, my DS can't go 4hrs between naps like yours - we got up at 7 and he's already back in bed!

Going to see if a 4:00ish nap helps today, despite always reading that will ruin bedtime. If it does then at least he'll hopefully be awake long enough to see DH (home about 8 on a good day)!

[BreeVDKamp]

Fluffy yes that's pretty much my DS too! I do think he's quite a good sleeper really - still never slept through though!

[Artandco]

They wouldn't go 4 hrs. 2.30-3 hrs usually. So 10am nap would mean they woke 11am or after, then back asleep by 2 so that's 3hrs top. 3.30-5.30 would be 2 hrs awake

A later nap will only 'ruin' bedtime if you want bedtime at 6pm. Having a later nap, more relaxed dinner and later bedtime is great imo and at that age can only be done with a later nap.

[BreeVDKamp]

Oh yeah, duh.

Yeah I'd like him to go to bed at 7 instead of 6. I need some time without him in the evenings and he evidently needs the sleep!

He slept for about 50 mins just now, I couldn't get him to go back to sleep, but now he's up he's tired again straight away. Whinging, rubbing eyes, doing his little tired noise etc. Don't know what to do :(

[BreeVDKamp]

Went down beautifully for first 2 naps, difficult to get him down for a nap at 3 which lasted 20 mins. Tried again at 4:30 which didn't work, then again at 5:00, was crying so much as he was so tired and he slept in my arms until 6 and is asleep in his cot still now - think he thinks he's down for the night agh! DH on his way home so will be back at 7 which is rare, so he can deal with bath and bed for once

[avocadoghost]

Mine doesn't have a bedtime as such. We used to get her ready for bed at 7 and she'd fall asleep any time between 7:30 and 9:00. Since clocks went back she's understandably been cranky earlier so generally get her ready for bed now at 6:30 or even 6:00.

She still goes off to sleep between 7:30 and 9:00! Then comes up to bed with me around 10 or 11.

Daytime naps are just as and when... Her first nap is usually two hours after she's woken for the day but even that's not certain (today it wasn't). Today she woke at 7:10 and didn't nap until 10 maybe, and even then not for very long.

She's very tired now though, currently nodding off mid-feed, and not in her pyjamas yet!