How do I create a relaxing bedtime routine?

[melfi]

I have a 9 month old daughter who doesnt sleep. She goes to sleep no problem but doesnt STAY asleep. And when she wakes up sha cannot settle herself even though she falls asleep in her cot on her own.

I have read lots of different sleep solutions, and one of the things that features in alot of them is a relaxing pre bedtime routine. But how the heck do you create one.

I close the curtains and have lullabys playing after her bath, but she screams the place down whilst getting dried and then thrusts about whilst I try some baby massage and then screams again whilst getting dressed for bed.

Finally, when she has her jammies on I will try cuddling up and reading to her but she just moans to get down on the floor to crawl and practice standing up.

How can I get her to wind down a little when all she wants to do it stand up and cruise??

Any ideas?

I had this prob when dd was similar age started bathing feedind ready break, then reading her story letting her down to play crawl quietly then when she was tired she would come for cuddle and fall asleep! hope this helps her routine has changed now but that temporarily did the job!

sometimes it can work to follow her lead. dd used to get so wound up during her bath a bedtime, we moved it to the morning for a while. the bath got her in such a state it took ages to bring her back down and relaxed enough to go to sleep.

have you tried books?, from your description it sounds like she's looking for things that engage her. try some books with lots of textures in for her to feel, lift the flaps etc, and read to her maybe. ds started having a short bedtime story quite young.

Does she get cold coming out of the bath?
Try putting towel and pjs in airing cupboard beforehand.

When does she wake from her nap? maybe it needs to be moved back a little?

If she screams and thrusts about during massage, perhaps she is not keen on it at that time of day. Try it at a time of day when she is at her calmest, after a few attempts she will soon get the connection between mbeing calm and the massage!

Try lying on the floor with her when you have story time, she may enjoy the game of you being smoewhere different and take more notice in the story!

The main advice is to keep at it, follow the routine and she will get the message!!

Thanks for your replys.

I should have mentioned that I have been doing this bedtime routine since she was 3 months old. It has only been since she has been able to move around independantly that it has become like this.

I guess what i am asking is how do you chill a baby out that doesnt want to read, massage, cuddle, sing?? I have tried all these things but all she wants to crawl, climb and cruise!!

can't she cruise around her cot? what about getting a night light and some fabric books and leaving the room? would she scream the place down?

i used to let my dd chill by crawling cruising quietly playing with a selection of quiet toys then when she was ready she would come for cuddle and go to sleep so no fighting! this didnt last long she started taking her soft bodied doll to bed!

I used to burn lavender oil in a burner in ds's room just before bed time. Just a couple of drops but it helped to relax him (and me). I think books are a really important part of bedtime too.

My ds is and was like this, think baths sometimes stimulate rather than relax. (w/o nappies they are freer and can move more easlily so they love to do it) this is no bad thing though it just means you have to move bathtime a bit earlier and then allow some time for what we used to call "naked play" . We actually read books that encourage this ("where the wild things" are-having a wild rumpus etc.)
After about 15 mins of this the novelty wears off and you can then read a book that calms and do the rest of a calming routine, perhaps ending with a bottle/b-f to music?
good luck and remember children like yours will keep you fit and strong