Please help with our routine.

[sharond101]

DS 8mo has been unsettled for a few weeks with regards to sleep. A few weeks ago he was seeping from 8.30pm until 8am without waking in the night, taking 3 naps in the daytime, usually around 10-10.45am, 1.30-2.30pm and 4.30-5pm. Around Christmas he has spaced out his naps in such a way as he cannot fit three in and resultantly is exhausted and cranky by 6.15pm. He is waking in the night at least once and often waking early. I am exhasted! Last night he went to bed at 8.10pm, woke at 1.15am until 2.25am tgen woke at 6.50am. I brought him into bed with me and he went back to sleep until 8.10am, napped at 10.45-11.30 then from 1.50pm until 2.40pm. He was grumpy and tired by 6.20pm. I am scared to bed him too early for fear of him waking real early, am I doing it all wrong? He feeds to sleep which is another problem in itself.

I would try an earlier bedtime. I have just posted on another thread bemoaning our 8/9mo and their crap sleep but this is the routine that i stick to as best i can and it tends to work. DS can sleep through, but is unreliable with it and has been ill for three weeks which has cocked it all up!
7am - wake up
9.15 - nap 45 mins
12.45 - nap 1 hr 15 mins
5.30 - bath
6pm - bed

Basically at this age according to the books they need 14/15 hours sleep per 24 hours. I like his early bedtime as it means that as I occasionally work in the evenings I can put him to bed and it is easier for babysitters/DH to look after him if he's already asleep.

I treat all wakings before 6am as night wakings, so darkness etc. if he wakes at 6, I leave him chatting to himself until 6.30 at the earliest.

Thank you teacher. I am desperate. He was up four times last night after going to bed at 8.20pm.