what are we doing wrong? why is bedtime so difficult? (6mo)

[rhetorician]

DD2 is 6 months, not a terrible sleeper, not a terrible sleeper. But we are having hell and all difficulty getting her to go to bed. She naps fine in the day (2 x 1.5hr naps today), woke from last at 3.30, just started putting her to bed around 7. It's 8.15 and she is still awake. Last night she finally went around 9.30. She has started on solids, is bf. She's a happy, lively, cheeky baby. This has been happening since we came back from holiday (she was going down no problem there around 7.30/8). My DP (who is doing the feeding) is about to lose her mind, I think. Any ideas why this is happening? Why won't she settle? She usually wakes for one feed in the night, but goes back to sleep fairly easily.

sorry that should say 'not a great sleeper, not a terrible sleeper'

Is she tired when you are putting her down? Or is she over tired?

One thing we found with DD was it was hell putting her to bed when she was either too awake and alert, or too over tired and grumpy. Am not sure what your nighttime routine is but stuff that will relax her will make all the difference. HUbby used to wonder why after tickling her for 30 minutes she did not want to sleep!

It could be that she just needs a little time to readjust after coming back from your hols.

Hope it sorts itself out soon. Don't let it send you too crazy

She wakes once and then goes back to sleep? Sounds like a great sleeper to me. Sorry, not helping.

Just persevere with the 7pm bed time and hope it's just the holiday disruption and she'll settle back down?

Push it back to 8pm then gradually make it earlier in small increments?

Assume you're doing calm soothing routine-ish things from about 6 if you're aiming for bed by 7.

Erm I have no idea what I'm doing here. DS is 4 and still doesn't sleep but then he does have autism

yes, I wonder if she needs to go earlier - I seem to recall this vaguely with dd1. Naps today were 2 hours after wake-up and then 3 after that. Bedtime was 4 after last wake-up, so maybe that's just too long. DP fed her around 6 and thinks she would have gone then. Honestly, getting it right is harder than chess.

we don't really have much in the way of bedtime routine - it's probably all a bit too exciting - dd1 rushing in and out etc...I suspect it's holiday/teeth/development (she is desperate to move and scoots backwards across the room using her legs) and that it will pass.

schobe - that sounds rough - and puts it all into perspective. I hope things improve for you soon. Thank you for taking the trouble to respond.

I just wanted to say I sympathize/ empathise. DD is 21 months, went to bed beautifully from 9 weeks to 13 months, then we had Sleep Hell for 6 months (I was pg with the dts) , and then it was perfect again for 2 months, now, I hate to say it, all gone A over T again... No change to the routine bar age appropriate ie teeth brushing, etc

When it got better it did so overnight with the same consistent routine though some jigging around with naps etc. I think if you've got a routine in place that worked previously I'd stick with it and maybe just look at timings of naps and bed *

*disclaimer: my 21 month old and both 10 week old dts are awake now while I shush and pat and cross fingers DD drops off so clearly I am no guru :)

Oh thank goodness, DT1 gave in, one down, two to go

I have a 6 month old who goes to bed at 6pm, all mine have done. He is bf and wakes around 11pm for his last feed then sleeps till 7am. Maybe she is overtired and needs to go to bed earlier?

yes, I think earlier is the way to go...just that lately if she goes early it's like she treats it as another nap - wakes up after 45 mins and wants to play

Oops sorry I didn't mean to do the competitive thing. Just nobody had answered so I thought I'd cast my mind back to DD and give answering a bash.

Agree about making 2nd nap a bit later so not such a big gap until bed time. Good luck!

god no, schobe who on earth would want to compete over who has the worst sleeper! just sorry is all...