How early is to early for 5-6 month bedtime?

[FreelanceMama]

Hello,

My son is getting two decent naps a day now - 9am-ish and one after lunch - but he's really tired by about 5.30/6pm. Should I start his bedtime routine at 5pm so he's going down 6-6.30pm, or is that silly o'clock for a 5 1/2 month old breastfed baby?

Anyone had any success with early bedtimes? Cheers.

I'd say that if it works for you then do it. My DD was going to bed at 6.30-7pm and sleeping through at that age and still does at 18mo, but if she was really tired I would sometimes put her to bed earlier!

Definitely no harm in going for a 6pm bed time. Bring meal times forward to 4 or 4.30. Then its project bed time!

Thanks both of you. Good to know. I'm starting back to work (from home ) on Monday so really really need to get sleep cracked.

Go for it! My little guy was much the same and slept through. I would think as long as baby isn't waking at silly o clock am then everyone's happy

My DD is a similar age and usually has 3 naps during the day. Perhaps if he had another little nap he might not be as tired later on?

At that age we always did 3 naps a day
9ish 30min-1hr
1ish 2 hr nap
4.30 for half hour

Then 7pm bed
Meant that they don't wake so early the next day and that short later afternoon nap really kept then awake just that bit longer. Has just dropped at a year old and now only on 2 naps a day

Most children drop from 3 to 2 naps between 6 and 9 months, so you could definitely try a third nap. Children who only sleep for one sleep cycle at a time (30-45 mins) will probably need 4 naps.

This used to really worry me as ds used to go to bed at 5.45 until he was one. Then he suddenlly readjusted to 7pm and is still there at 2 ( sleeps thru to between 6 &7am). I'd just go with it. They all have different rhytms

Thanks. My HV suggested just two long naps when we were having trouble getting him to sleep during the day. But now he's sleeping better I might try the 3rd nap.

Sounds fine to me. It very much depends on your routine of course. If you want to lie in until 9am every day then it's daft, but as you're going back to work I guess you're going to have to get going at the crack of dawn anyway. It also gives you proper adult time in the evening.

I would also recommend the third nap and try for a 7pm bedtime, but it really does depend on what suits you and your baby, I'd say... Personally, DS kept the 3rd nap up until about 12 months, and then he was going 7pm - about 6am. How well does yours sleep during the night? So will he go down for his long stretch or right through from 6/6:30? If so then I think no harm in keeping that going with earlier bedtime...

He'll normally sleep until 6.30am or sometimes even 8.30am but is still waking for feeds in the night. His longest sleeps are a bit random. Either from bedtime e.g. 8pm, to 1am, or sometimes he wakes around 11pm and will sleep to 4am before waking for a feed. Think we'll stick with a 3rd nap depending on how the day's gone and try for 7pm bedtime.

Thanks for your advice everyone