Do you encourage a sleep routine?

[sharond101]

My LO is 13weeks and since 5 weeks old we have encouraged him to stay awake in the evening so to sleep longer over night. We stimulate him from around 7pm by playing,singing, undressing him if necessary, bathing him then feeding him before nursing to sleep. This has worked successfully in that he sleeps through from around 10/10.30pm to 8/8.30am. He has recently been getting very tired in the evening though and although we are persisting in stimulating him, bathing him etc to keep him awake I wonder if he wants to go to bed earlier. He did go to sleep earlier the other night and woke up at 4.30am for a feed. Do/did you encourage a routine like this or would you let them sleep in the evening regardless?

hi, babies that young really shouldn't be going that long without a feed and the whole getting up in the middle of the night thing is really just part of the deal with a young baby (bear in mind most "sleep through" anywhere from 3m to 1-3 years in worst cases). I would bath and feed and put to sleep at 7pm. Have a nice evening with your partner (remember that?) then at whatever time baby wakes, feed them in quietly, in the dark and straight back into the moses basket, cot whatever. Its not fair to keep him awake when he wants to be asleep at this age and for that long. When he's a older you can start manipulating timings a bit more to suit you (believe me, I did and still do) but this young, you really have to follow them

We did but noticed at 7pm she would scream. Then putting her to bed was hard as she was overtired. She gets dreamfed at 10pm when we go to bed and gets up for food twice after that. But she is much easier to put to bed and seems happier during the day.

My 16 week old has a 7.30 bedtime and has since 10 weeks. There's no way he old stay awake that long & it would be hell on earth keeping him awake! I quite enjoy my evenings once he's in bed. It means I can cook, go to the gym or whatever. He does tend to wake once in he night but it's a quick 15mn feed then straight back down. I think it's easier to get an earlier bedtime established now than when they're a bit older and more aware.