My baby is 7 months old. Previously had no real routine, exclusively breastfed until last month when she started solids. Now on 3 meals a day.
I'm trying to put her into a routine and have started a wind down at 7. I put her in a dark room with lullabies in background, put on her pyjamas and whisper etc. I want her to know that it's bedtime. I breastfeed to sleep but I'm going to work on her sleeping without breastfeeding in a few weeks once I've got the routine a bit more established. I've found a sleep training method that I feel OK with.
The new routine is going OK, albeit with several wake ups during the night but things are a bit more predictable for all of us. In order for this to work properly, she needs to be having a few good quality naps during the day. I also need her to do so, in order to get stuff done around the house.
I breastfeed her to sleep for her naps too and she falls asleep on the breast at the end of what I assume to be her wake window. I transfer her over to her pram/cot and she wakes up 10 minutes later. There are so many cons to this that I'm not sure where to start but basically she needs to nap for longer.
I know I am doing a million things wrong here. My older children were allowed to set their own sleep schedules because I didn't have to energy to implement them and it did not end well (me going back to work completely exhausted, never having me/adult time).
Help me! I'm particularly interested in any good scientific studies you have come across in relation to infant sleep. If you are worried that you are being too basic in your advice and are afraid of patronising me, don't be! I need 'an idiot's guide to baby's naps/night time sleep'.
Thanks