Help with 10 month old bed time

[MrsNPattz]

So, I guess you could say we have taken the 'relaxed approach' when it comes to our little boy - we have not really had a bed time routine as such, and just put him to bed when he has fallen asleep. However, this is getting later and later and recently has still been wide awake at 9:30 which is not ideal. I just don't know how to change things. We feed (bf) or rock to sleep (he can't self settle), and co sleep (he still wakes in the night - that's the next issue!!). Any advice? I'm really not keen on trying controlled crying. Thanks.

It depends on when he naps really. Ideally you want him to nap in the morning then again in the afternoon waking 3-4 hours before putting him down in bed.
At 10mo my DS did,

7.30am - wake
10am-11am nap
2pm-3pm nap
7.30pm - bedtime

He slept all night with the odd wake up and some early mornings (current issue!)

Maybe try and establish a routine, e.g bath, milk, story then bed. Then maybe consider gradual retreat? This doesn't have to involve crying but worked wonders for us in getting fed to sleep DS to self settle.

start by moving his bedtime half an hour earlier for 3 days then another half an hour earlier until hes going to sleep at 7:30ish (presuming that is roughly time you want him to sleep. ) Therefore on day 1 I would make sure he woke from his last nap no later than 4pm. then at 8pm ish take him upstairs for bath, story, then feed to sleep. Obviously over time you may want to break the feeding to sleep but I personally would work on the getting him to sleep earlier first.

Thanks for your replies! We are off ok holiday in a week and a half so implementing a routine will have to wait til after then otherwise all our hard work will go to pot while we are away!! Going to try getting up at a consistently early time this week though to see if that helps - urgh, wish me luck!!