How strict are you with your babies bedtime?

[Letsbeginatthebeginning]

DD (9mo) is still awake after a topsy turvy day where she refused a morning nap, took a 2 hour afternoon nap 1-3. Usually we have 2 naps of 45 -90 mins but the timings vary greatly and bedtime is anytime between 6 and 9.

She keeps sitting up in her cot (new trick) and driving us mad with angry tears then "singing". Rather than continue with this (I don't want to do CC) I get her up. I know its "wrong" but I feel so is lying in a darkened room and listening to a baby cry/watching a baby sit up on repeat and getting my eyes stratched out if I try to cuddle her to wind her down. (We do bath/boob/book/bed) I want to see my DP!

Just wondered does everyone elses baby go to sleep at 7 on the dot or do other people have these bedtime battles? Until 6 mo she went to bed at 6 on the dot (rubbish napper)

Am I going to have a toddler who runs me ragged until midnight if I don't sort this out now?

DS (17 months) goes to bed at 7.15 (give or take ten minutes either way).

This has been the case since day 3!

I would def start getting into a gentle routine asap, pick a time that suits you (preferably before 8 I suggest) and go for it.

Good luck

Ds 22 mo goes to bed between 9 and 10 because I couldn't face the battle of wills that seems so prominent. I know this sounds late but I come from a family where we simply did not have a bedtime routine, we just went to bed when we were tired (my mum is Czech).

Ds sleeps until about 8 am and he signals when he wants to go to bed. We really love spending our evenings with him although I appreciate that this does not suit everyone.

both DS and DD (2y and 7m) go at 7pm. I would suggest trying to regulate the naps a bit more. 9m is maybe a bit young for CC which we did do with our DS when he was about 18m and started waking at 3am but how about the rapid return thing where you go in, settle them and go, the go back within 10-15 secs of them crying and doing it all again. Had a friend who did this with some success. The key is to keep count of the times you do it because the first few nights will be awful but will dramatically reduce within 1-2 nights and if you keep count you can easily tell if its working. Its sort of CC but without the leaving them bit