parents of 5-6month olds,routine???

[SuperflousBuns]

Hi,I have a little girl of 23 weeks old and we are in nothing resembling a routine and as i'm now back at work,we really need to get something sorted,nothing too strict but someway of getting her down to sleep for around 8pm.
She was sleeping 9pm-8am with occasional 'pop her dummy back in' wake ups, but then she got croup and since then sleep patterns all over the place.
So if you have a baby of a similar age,what kind of routine are they in?and does anyone have any tips for me?Thank you

When DS was about 4-5 months I noticed that a flexible routine of sorts had emerged. Once I noticed it, I shaped it into something more regular.

He woke at 7ish, slept from around 9-10, then again from 12.30 to 1.30, and again from 4-5. Bedtime ritual included a bath at 7, feed him and settle for bed around 7.30 - 8pm. I didn't go by the clock, so these times could change half an hour in either direction.

He dropped the third nap at around 7 months and moved to an 11am nap and 4pm until 15 months. He's always slept 11 hours at night rather than 12. When he got older, I added a story before sleep time. Bedtime is now 8.30 because I can't do early mornings.

I find having a routine very useful but I think that's because I'm like that.

This is pretty much how I would like it,She sleeps until about 9am at the moment which of course means she goes down later,as much as i dont like the thought of waking her up,I might start waking her earlier in half hour increments until we get to the 7am mark.

Ours is similar, but I've always put DD (5 months) down earlier because she's completely zonked by 7 o'clock.

Our routine is...

Wakes at about 7am, nap from 9am to 9.45am(ish), nap from 12pm to 1/1.30pm, final nap at about 4pm for 30 mins. Bath at around 6pm, followed by massage, then feed at 6.30, asleep by 7pm.

She's not consistently sleeping through as such, because at the moment we have one wake up at about 5.30am. Easy to settle though (usually!) and then more often than not sleeps till 7.

I'd probably put her to bed earlier rather than waking her earlier. She'll probably start waking earlier naturally then. I always prefer to let sleeping babies lie, unless they're napping beyond 5 or 5.30.

5.30pm, that is.

DD is 5 months. She slipped into this routine by herself, we tried to just go with the flow and let her rule the roost for a few months and it has worked well. Fingers crossed she has slept for 11-12 hours each night for almost 2 months now

Wakes any time after 8am, feeds at 8.30am, sleeps at 10am until 11am. Feeds at 12pm, sleeps at 1pm until 3pm. Feeds at 3.30pm, sleeps from 4.30pm until 6pm. Feeds at 7pm, goes to bed between 7.30-8.30pm. She then sleeps through the night, only stirring if she has lost her dummy.

This is all give or take half an hour or so. Her routine completely changes if we're out though as she is far too distracted to nap for longer than half an hour.

All sounds good will maybe let sleeping babies lie over the next couple of weeks and see how she gets on.
Will start her on solids soon so maybe a breakfast, lunch, dinner structure will help!
Thanks for your replies
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