For those with routines...

[bobblehead]

if you always get your baby up at say 7am, do you still do this if you've had a bad night? Or if you lose say an hours sleep do you let them (and you!) sleep in? This is what I find I tend to do and wondered if it might be a mistake?

Also, any opinions on whats better late in the day if tired (baby tired that is, goes without saying I am!)- a nap then later bed time or early bedtime?

Dd is 8.5 months btw and sleeping can be a bit hit and miss. I know some babies just aren't good at the sleep thing but would like to optomise what I can!

Ooh, I want to know the answer to these too!

My two were/are very good sleepers-followed gina ford loosely (now ducking for cover) found that as long as they had a really decent afternoon nap they would make it until 6.30-7pm. I have to say that I never woke either of my children in the morning! if they wanted a lie in they got it-but that didn't really affect how they slept for the rest of that day/night
good luck

Glad I'm not alone! Sometimes feel everyone else has this sleep thing cracked! Dd is wrapped in a snowsuit in her carseat for a nap right now. Finally fell asleep after madly swinging it round room for 10 mins but now wondering if sleeping this late (is 4.30pm here) will make night bad again!

wouldn't let her go beyond 5pm or you could have a lively one on your hands later!!!!!

Why are babies so difficult?! Last night couldn't get her down as she was overtired, so had bad night, resulting in overtired baby today. Now finally having over due nap so will now not be tired at bedtime!!! How did those of you with routines get them to oblige?

or is the answer alot of hard work

mine just fell into the routine-otherwise not sure that I would have persevered!anything for an easy life.
I wonder if the timing of meals is the key-breakfast 7.30, lunch 12pm, tea 5pm. hope you had a good night!

Was woken at 2am by a very snotty baby, so think maybe things have got a bit worse cos she was coming down with something (which would also explain bad eating yesterday!).

Perhaps I should try being more consistant with food times, but I find that tends to get messed up by sleep e.g the morning nap takes so long to finally happen, its past lunchtime or generally she is too tired to eat much.

I follow gina also, just the eat & sleep times and it's brilliant. If it's been a bad night thats acctually the best opportunity to get the routine going. Set the alarm for 7am and get the baby up. It feels like absolute torture! but I've found when dd is tired after a bad night she responds better to the routine than if I let her sleep half the day cos then we're battling to get her down later when she's wide awake!

7am on the dot sets us up for a good day and I get my 2 hours of ME time between 12 and 2 when dd sleeps!

Also bobblehead, if your dd is 8.5 months she shouldn't sleep after 4pm if you want her to go down at 7pm and sleep thru.
What times does she nap in the day?

Bedtime is the same time regardless of lie ins, nap times etc. I Try to restrict lie ins to weekends, though. I Also try to keep nap times to the same time, but its no biggy if they nap later in the day - they still go to bed at the same time. Sometimes dd1 (2.4) will be awake singing to herself in bed for an hour and a half or more, but she is happy and secure because this has always been her routine (to go to bed awake, at the same time, after bath/milk/story) dd2 (6 months) also seems happy with this routine.

Totally agree with jiminycricket, my dd is 9months and the same, she knows when happens at bedtime and naptime will often lie there playing for ages quite happy before sucking her thumb and dropping off. She's never known any different, play, bath, pyjamas, bottle, bed at 7pm every day.

Usually bedtime is 7 give or take 1/2 hour- even with a nap late on she is still tired by then! We have a good routine of bath, feed bed and usually its the one time she goes down really well. She then sleeps until 10ish then starts waking every 2 hours for a feed. Usually feeds 10mins then straight back down and up for the day 6.30-7am.
Naps are usually way too short- she wakes up still tired but will fight every step of the way to be up and playing, so then is tired again very soon after. Then the whole cycle starts again resulting in an overtired baby by bedtime.

Some days things just seem to run smoothly and she eats well, naps better or is not bothered by the short naps and other days its a constant battle between us. Tbh, the best days are the ones when we are out and about and busy as she is so interested she doesn't realise she's tired and will crash out in the car on the way home. I am also less bothered as she isn't as moany with lots to keep her busy. Would love ant tips to get her to sleep through that don't involve CC if anyone has them!!!!