Starting a sleep routine

[Jauralane]

My wee one is 8 weeks, 4 weeks corrected.

At the moment she is generally awake until about midnight and we get up about 8am (she wakes every 2-3 hours for a feed). She'll usually have a few short naps in the evening and goes into her witching hour around 10pm.

For naps she will only sleep on me, same with bedtime-she'll have to fall asleep in my arms before I put her down.

I know she's too small for a proper routine but it would be good to try and get a loose structure to the day. For example I like the idea of a bedtime routine (bath, massage, book) but it seems a bit lost if she doesn't sleep properly for a few more hours.

Has anyone got any advice/ tips to start to work towards a bedtime?

Bumping for you as I’d also like some tips

I started on a routine the day my babies came home. It was looser during the day, but I got the baby up at 7am (even if it meant waking him, though generally he was awake earlier), usual stuff then probably had a nap about 10 or so. We were most likely out of the house so this could be in the pushchair. Nap for up 1 1/2 hours, at that point I’d wake him. Lunch, playmat blah blah then another nap about 3ish in travel cot downstairs as couldn’t be bothered going up two flights to his room. Again 1 1/2 max. I’d start the evening routine about 7. Bath, story, feed, bed. Have to say I was a stickler for putting him down awake. If he fussed I’d go in sit a bit give him a stroke then out. I would avoid picking him up unless really crying. Then before I went to bed I’d pick him up and give him a sleepy feed. He might wake at 3 for another. Repeat!
I admit my son was a good sleeper. Was that the routine or just the way he was? Limiting length of daytime naps made him sleep better at night.
My daughter had reflux and seemed to be crying or nursing for first few weeks! But I still kept to same routine, even though she was a much fussier baby. There was many nights when as soon as I’d put her to bed she’d go bing wide awake and cry and I’d pick her up if she really wouldn’t settle, but I just persevered, I did not take her back downstairs. Cuddle then back into cot even if it took a couple hours of this to get her to sleep properly. It took three months for her to finally get the routine down - her digestion had matured so reflux ended and she discovered her thumb!
I really think the routine is key and not being afraid to wake them. I also rarely let my baby sleep on me - if they did I’d gently put them in the cot. After all it was the time I could get stuff done! Having a set routine meant I could plan things.
I did once babysit a two year old who had no routine at all, though I didn’t know this. I just did the same as with mine, though a bit later in the evening. When her parents came home they asked where the child was and I just looked at them surprised as it was midnight - I said she was asleep in bed of course! They couldn’t believe it. I think because I expected her to go to bed at 8 and was firm with her in terms of not letting her get up and go downstairs, she did it.

Mine decided his bedtime was 7-8pm at about 10wo (he would sleep deeply for a couple of hours from that time, rather than what was obviously napping, and it was nothing to do with anything I had done), so we slowly started introducing other bedtime things (bath etc) over time. Stories took a bit longer to introduce because he found them a bit too stimulating at first! He refused to sleep anywhere except on us or cosleeping until he was about 4mo and even then not for long. I used a sling and managed to get things done. From about 7mo he would reliably go into a cot for good long naps. Despite the same routine day in day out since then he has only recently started sleeping long chunks at night in his own cot at 13mo, but anyone with a “good” sleeper will want to claim it’s because of something they have done, and everyone with a “poor” sleeper will want to claim it’s not their fault. So do what you feel works for your baby and family and don’t worry that whatever you’re doing now will have such a dramatic impact on the way they are as a toddler, or even in a couple of months’ time. In your shoes I might pre-empt the 10pm witching hour with a bath if she enjoys the water