Can anyone help with my routine. Think I've got it wrong

[WantToMoveNorth]

I think I need help with routine timings

I don't think I've got it right. My baby can self settle, but about 25% of the time she can't & just screams. I think it's because I've not got the timings right (ie she's overtired). She's 7 months old. This is a usual day:

• 5:30- 6am gets up
• milk as soon as she's up
• 7:30am porridge
• 8:30am put down for a nap. Has about 45 mins (would prefer her to have 90 mins but this is very hit & miss)
• 10:30am bottle
• 12pm lunch
• 12:30pm nap. Can last anywhere between 45 mins & 2hr 15mins (mainly 45 mins)
• 3:30pm bottle
• 4:00pm nap in pushchair if didn't have a long lunchtime nap
• 5:15pm dinner
• 6:45pm bed & bottle

Because she can self settle & I know can sleep longer than 45 mins (but mostly doesn't) I feel I've got the routine wrong. I'm struggling a lot & the health visitor is coming on Tuesday to help me. I know she's going to recommend some type of sleep training- but I don't think that's the answer.

Just want to add she has an older sister & a twin sister (who's much better a sleeping) & doesn't sleep that well in the pushchair. So being flexible is also very hard.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks

To be honest it looks fine ,she seems to be in a good sleep routine although getting up a bit early, that looks to be where she is losing sleep. 45mins after lunch is fine, that is one sleep cycle. Which sleeps is she not settling by herself, is it all of them or just proper bed time,?

I think hv will say it is a good routine you have

agree with the poster above who said that at 7mo most babies will start to need a nap after being awake for 2 hours ish....it normally means at least 3, if not 4 naps per day. In fact, at 7mo my DS was doing exactly that: 4 x 45 minute naps per day (i remember specifically cos we went on holiday to greece when he turned 7mo and every day was spent walking him around in the buggy or returning to the hotel room every 2 hours so he could have his 40 winks!).

so if your LO is up at 0530/0600 then you should probably try her first nap at 0800, 0830....then assuming she sleeps for 45 minutes each time, the rest of her naps for the day will be at roughly: 11.15, 2pm, 4.30pm ish. Awake for 2 hours in between each one iyswim? Maybe try that and see if it works?

Don;t get hung up on trying to make her have longer naps....frequent short naps are very common at this age. It was around 8 or 9mo when my DS started regularly having one long nap in the afternoon (90 min, bliss!) and one short nap in the morning (45 mins still)....but he just did this himself, i didnt have to 'train' him in any way.

At that age I got a bit tough on the 45 min waking - at lunchtime nap I would just go in do pick up put down ie cuddle then back in the cot ... Or let ds cry a bit but go in and out and say back to sleep . Or do lots of shhhh and keep the room dark.. He started going back to sleep and soon stopped the 45 min thing ... It's boring to do though !

Agree though that they naturally sleep longer at naps as thy get a bit older ....

5.30 is very early to get up! Ideally, you want her to get up at 7, so try and start the bottle at 7pm and get her into bed for 7.30pm then she should get up later.

I think just 2 45min naps all day is certainly not enough sleep for her. Her naps should be longer, the theory is daytime sleep breeds nightime sleep. I also agree that she shouldn't be going longer than 2 hours/2hrs30min before a nap. If she's put down at 12.30 and you say she's only having 45 mins that means she's getting up at 1.15 and then no nap till bedtime - she must be knackered!

This is my routine for DS2 who is 6mo if it helps. It's not down to my hard work btw, I followed the book The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan for my first and he is a fantastic sleeper, sleeping though from 4months.

7am - wake. Milk

8am - Breakfast.

9am - Nap till 11am.

11am - Milk.

12pm - Lunch.

1.30 - Nap till 3.30.

3.30 - Milk.

5.30 - Nap if tired (no longer than 30mins)

6.00 - Dinner.

6.30, Bath

7pm - Milk.

7.30 - Bed.

I should add that when he's awake I get him to 'exercise' as much as possible, rolling around, lots of interaction and stimulation so when he does go down, he is very tired.

Also, take your cues from her; does she rub her eyes a lot and grizzle? If so, she's telling you she's ready for her nap.

Thanks so much for all your replies.

I shall try putting her down for a nap after being awake for 2 hrs & see how that goes. I have previously tried to bring forward the 2nd nap to about 11am. However as I have to get my 2 yr old from nursery, this nap has to be in the pushchair & only lasts 45 mins (they only sleep when in constant motion- so I can't bring them into house without them waking). I've heard that they get the most benefit from naps that are more than 1 sleep cycle long & usually the lunchtime nap is where I have the most success of them sleeping longer than 45 mins. Should I not worry too much about that at the moment?

She always settles well at bedtime, it's only the naps where I have the problem. There's no pattern to it that I can see, although I get so stressed about their naps I find it hard to think properly!

If she has a rubbish lunchtime nap, I do try to give her another later in the afternoon, but that's still only 3 x 45 mins which I know isn't enough, but after all the settling problems I often can't fit any more in! I do look for sleep cues but sometimes she seems tired 30 mins after waking up and I have found if I put her for a nap too early (say 1.5 hrs after the last nap) she gets hysterical and won't settle. That's why I'm getting myself into such a muddle- I never know if she's too tired or not tired enough!

I know they get up too early, I'd love to change that. I've tried moving their first nap to 9 to try & encourage them to wake later, but I feel that it only adds to their over tiredness.

Thanks for the recommendation for the Baby Sleep Site, I've had a quick look through and I'm about to have a longer look.

Thanks again

i think babies are like adults, different personalities, need different responses. she's 7mo, if she needs you she needs you. it won't last for long, just go with it for now.