When is it too late to introduce a sleep routine?

[Pocket1]

DD is 14 weeks. We have a bedtime routine (feed, play, bath, story) and make sure she has plenty of daytime naps...

... But she is always cuddled, rocked and nursed to sleep.

My goal is to be able to put her down awake (sleepy maybe) and for her to fall asleep herself. And ultimately to sleep through the night. I don't want to be rocking her to sleep in a years time.

But I don't want to do cc or CIO.

What can we do to get better at this? And when is it too late to change bad habits?

TIA

Have you tried putting lo down when sleepy rather than rocking to sleep? What happens? I tried it and she self-settled straight away (completely different story in the day of course!) and has done ever since. Try it, see what happens - do leave the room though but wait outside the door so you can go back if any whimpering turns into crying.

14 weeks is too little for sleep training IMO. But there are things you can do towards the goal of getting them down awake.

I'd very much recommend the No Cry Sleep Solution

Ds is 6mo and has always been BF'd or held to sleep. Recently, we've been allowing him to settle himself if he wakes through the night, only helping pop his dummy back in or flip him back on his back.

Tonight for the first time he wouldn't fall asleep on the boob, was wide awake, smiling, looking around, pulling his dummy out and playing with it so I popped him straight in his cot. He immediately rolled on to his side (favourite sleeping position) and began to fall asleep There was still some grumbles and whines but he nodded off all by himself!!

I had visions cuddling DS as a teenager to sleep

I think any younger is too young to introduce any sort of sleep training.

Is it ever too late? I guess it depends on the child, but we didn't start a routine until DD was around 4/5 months. She was BF to sleep until she was 12 months old and has never had a problem going to sleep.

I don't think it's ever too late to change sleeping patterns.
If you want to be able to put your dd down awake, could you try rocking/cuddling until she's sleepy, then put her down into a warm basket/bed, maybe with a dummy and a teddy/blankie that smells of you? And then, if that works, when she wakes in the night, listen out for the type of cry: at night we used to leave our dc if they were only stretching and stirring and went in only when they actually started crying.

I second the No Cry Sleep Solution! She has separate sections for pre and post 4 months, so you are still (just) in the early days!

Also, you're never too late to start a sleep routine - I bet that most adults could do with a revamp too

Thank you. Really reassuring to know I've got plenty of time. Whilst its good to have some familiarity/patterns, ie daytime naps, bath before bed, etc, it does feel too early to be strict about it in anyway. DD is still v little as you all point out

Loads of great ideas and I really appreciate your sound and proven advice. Thanks again