Sleep in a large family

[Zola78]

I had my 3rd child 11 weeks ago tomorrow. It's been pretty hectic!! My first 2 had a very good routine for day time naps but I am struggling to get my 3rd into a good pattern because of the other children's activities. He's either asleep in his car seat, the double buggy or , ocassionally in his cot. He refuses to go to sleep on his own and I'm still rocking him. When he is asleep he seems to catnap.

How did you get subsequent children into a good rountine in the daytime or am I being ambitious trying to achieve such a thing now?

snap!

he's started to sleep properly, through the night at 13mo.

good luck!

Please someone offer some advice? He's been particularly miserable today!!

my 3rd is and was the same although she now settles of a night ok but in the daytime ~I just left her to it as she was never going to happily go for a nap.

snap here too!

He is nearly 11 months now, still rocked to sleep at night and sleeps "anywhere" during the day. He has always slept "anywhere" for about an hour in the morning and in the afternoon though so we are quite lucky.

I am now expecting no. 4 so I really need to get the rocking to sleep at night sorted - good luck!

i never had a daytime nap routine for nos 3,4 and 5,just a bedtime routine from birth which involved being put down at 7.30 pm.i didnt see the point in trying to get them to sleep during the day because of school runs etc,i just let them sleep in the pushchair or whatever.

The Dream Machine saved me when I had my last 2 with just 13 months between them. Brilliant device..rocks the pram, double or triple and works!!!

Ditto!

Similar to Divastrop. If they were tired during the day, they fell asleep in pushchair. Better if where they fell asleep was portable due to school runs and other stuff. I never bothered with any of them trying to get them off to sleep in the day in their cot.
In the early weeks/months I just followed their lead. If they needed soothing off to sleep, that's what I did. Most of the time they'd nod off in the pushchair while we were out and about.
They did fall into their own kind of routine as time went on.

I built their daytime sleep routine around everything else. For example has nursery pick up at 12 so made their nap time in the car seat around then every day. Morning nap in the pushchair on the school run etc etc

Dream Machine? Am off to google...

I wanted to add that we were the same from DB#3. They just nap in pram or carseat around the big kids' routine. I felt really guilty with DB#4 because I was programmed to think that it was better to sleep in heir bed but it rarely ever happens for her during he day.

She is so portable that her nickname is the suitcase... If she is tired, she falls asleep wherever whenever. Who could ask for more in a fourth child?

Thanks for all the advice. I was starting to feel extremely guilty but what can you do. For now I will just try and develop a strong bedtime routine.

i do have tight routine at bed time
think the reason i have had so many is that they are all good sleepers

routine routine routine. controlled crying is a must have you tried watching supernany

zola
agree with diva and juule
for me bedtime was sacrosanct - with 3 4 and 5

daytime naps had no be forgone in its favour! rocking is a mistake i made with no 2 but never again

i can put a baby in crib and let it cry to sleep and have done !

are things any better?

Miss PaulaYates, things are sort of getting better. I've just started trying to put him down after his bathtime feed. We'll give it a few days!!! Hopfully he'll learn to put himself to sleep and then he can hopefully stop catnapping. I'll send a progress reportin a few days

I don't know what you're talking about
They are all in varying stages of a viie cough/cold/ virus thing. They are playing pass the bug baton.
One week into the easter hols and we have not left the house once and there is no end in sight

Sleep - what's that!

I BF my third until she was almost 3 by way of compensation if you like for being lugged around here there and everywhere, also so i got some quality time with her after the others had gone to bed, otherwise the poor kid would never have been picked up.

Hello,
I got a really good baby carrier and just wore DD2 all the time and slept with her in with me. That way I had a very happy, contented baby and hands free to have a lovely time with my other three children.

I have never worried much about routines and love having my babies close to me.

What bface said.

i go with the flow in the daytime - let them catnap where they can. but definately have a rigid bedtime - DS5 is usually ready to go (and waiting hopefully with his blanket at the bottom of the stairs) by about 6.30pm all children usually in bed by 8pm. I need the break!

I have bookmarked dream machine for number 4. Brilliant! Thanks.

I would recommend getting DC used to a comforter such as a teddy or blanket. THat will then help them know it is time to sleep wherever they are. It has worked for me

My son is 4 and goes to school in Sept and he will only go to sleep with me. He will not settle with anybody else or by himself. It is very difficult. I have tried everything!!