How soon (and how) to start a sleep routine?

[MegBusset]

DS is 3.5 weeks and has a basic night-time routine - he goes to bed when we do (around 11pm), falls asleep after a feed, wakes for one or two feeds then refuses to settle after about 5.30/6.30am. During the day he spends a lot of time asleep, either cuddled up to me after a feed, or in his pram after a walk. (These are the only two ways to get him to sleep so far. Occasionally if he's asleep on me I can put him down in his pram and he'll carry on napping, but mostly this wakes him up and he won't settle again until fed or taken for a walk.)

Obviously at some point I would like him to have more structured naps in his pram or cot during the day, and go to bed in his crib earlier in the evening. But when should I try to tackle these? Is it far too early to be worrying about it yet, and if so when is the right time? And where do I start?

FAR too early. He'll probably fall into some sort of routine in a few weeks/months.

But for now, enjoy the milky smell, the contented full-tummied sighs, the little warm body cuddled up to you, his favourite person in the world, and enjoy being the centre of his universe.

Hmmmm

Well it'sa while ago for me but IIRC with DD especially (my 2nd) she was very keen to go to bed early. We were keeping her up beyond DS1's bedtime but she just screamed - so we started putting her down 7pm to bed. Of course she woke up (tho she did sleep thru very early) but it was a good way to go on and got her into better sleeping habits as a baby that DS1.

So I say, what's wrong with trying that now? You can start a routine of bath, milk, cuddles, songs or story, then put him down. Will he settle when you do this?

I would also try to avoid him sleeping too much in the day if poss - th emore he is awake in the day, the more alert at night, So if he wakes when you put him down, fine, give him something to look at (the washing machine in spin cycle will do) and keep him awake and alert for a while.

Give it a go anyway, worth a try eh?

Oh there you go Hunker disagree with me completely

Actually I agree about the milky snuggliness. But I don't see what's wrong with a bedtime routine, as long as you don't expect them to go to bed and want to stay there for 12 hrs lol.

I'm with Hunker
It's a baby not a clockwork toy

Yeah, don't worry about routines for now- plenty of time for that.
Just learn to feed him lying downa dn then it doesn't amtter if he's asleep or feeding, you'll still be dozing

just hold him and enjoy this bit. most little babies really don't want to be lying in a cold pram/cot/basket..they want to be snuggled up with a nice warm parent.
And why not?

he'll pick his own routine and then you can twiddle with it a bit if necessary, but mostly they do pretty much the same thing .
I would really not agree with the thought that you should try and keep him awake more during the day at this age- he really jusst needs to get over being born and sleep and feed.

Ah well I'm outvoted then.

It's obviously too long since I had one this tiny and I've forgotten all about it.

Hunker/Moondog - please don't get me wrong, I'm not a routine freak at all - just (like all first-time mums, I suspect) want to do the right thing for my DS, and make sure I'm not setting myself up for a nightmare time further down the line!

Clary - he is starting to get more awake during the day, he doesn't automatically fall asleep after every feed, so when he's awake we usually pop him in his vibrating chair and chat / play / wave his toy giraffe at him. Hopefully this will gradually lead to more sleep at nights.

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