My DS is almost 15 weeks old and is generally a contented little thing but thinking about routine seems to stress me out no end. Should I let me dictate his own routine (will this actually happen without some help?) or should I be dictating a routine for him? I've tried Gina Ford mantra for a bit but couldn't get him to follow the timings without causing a lot of stress for both of us!). Have more recently been watching him to see if he's tired/ hungry at certain times each day so that I can try to get him down for a nap in advance of these to prevent him getting overtired and cranky but doesn't always seem to be the same day to day.
One thing I've noticed is that he struggles with waking after a sleep cycle (particularly in the evenings) and often finding that he doesn't settle until 8.30pm. Also, during the day if he wakes after a sleep cycle and I get him up, he gets cranky if he's not had enough sleep. I sometimes leave him to see if he'll go back off but never quite sure whether he's crying because he wants to get up or if it's because he wants to go back to sleep! Does anyone have a rule for this?
He's also been waking at 5.30am consistently the last few nights (previously was going through the night) and at 7am when I wake him to feed, he's too tired and wants to go back to sleep until 8.30! If this is the routine he wants to adopt (i.e. sleep 8.30-8.30) when do you reckon I should try to fit in the feeds?? He feeds generally 3.5-4hrs apart and is now bottle fed.
HELP! Someone please give me a routine to try! Am finding it difficult not having one!