Putting babies to bed at 'baby bedtime' instead of 'adult bedtime'

[Tinkjon]

DS is 3 weeks old. At the moment he settles fairly easily when we put him to bed with us, at 11pm, and then he has 2 feeds in the night until he wakes at about 6-7am. He's not easy to settle for a nap during the day, only during the 11pm-5am slot. So, I'm now wondering about putting him to bed earlier, say closer to 7 or 8pm, to try and start getting him used to a bedtime routine (I know he's still too young to have a routine but I'm just thinking about working towards one). BUT, does this mean that he'll likely have his 'easy to settle' period earlier, from 8pm to 2am, as that's all he can manage of sleep time, or could he sleep from 8pm and still sleep from 11pm-5am? In other words, do babies often have a set period of time for a longish stretch of sleep and that's the same amount of hours whatever time you start it? All babies are different of course and I know the only way to find out is to try it, but I just wondered if anyone had any experience of this?

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

He'll be doing something different in 2 weeks anyway

I put my baby to bed around 7pm from about 8 weeks or so. They can usually do a 10-12 hour stretch once they get their night/day sorted. I started moving it back slowly once he started sleeping till 10 in the mornings!

That's a huge generalisation scarybee, and there are hundreds of us on here who would have to disagree based on our own experience.

I would agree with colditz tinkjon, in that if it's working at the moment, I wouldn't try and change things yet. 3 weeks is really very early to be worrying about bedtimes.

I stared a routine at 1 week, bedtime was 7pm, feed at 11pm and another during the night, then wake at 7am. Then from 6 weeks slept through, but kept the dream feed at 11pm. Ds2 did the same but they were VERY different babies. It depends what you want, my dh and I really enjoyed having our evenings together. There will always be someone who disagrees with what your doing ime

Yeah sorry - when I say a 10-12 hour stretch I don't mean without waking up of course!

I really need the evenings to myself - I'm a single mum and I just don't get a break otherwise so I worked really hard to get him in a routine early.

But all babies are different

We were about 3 weeks when we started a 'baby bedtime' routine. It took her a few weeks to realise that it was bedtime (!!) so we had to take turns shhing/cuddling from 7 30 to 8 30/9pm each night. We then did another feed about 11pm and then she woke around 3 30am for a feed. TBH, in the end it worked brillaintly. She got the idea that it was bedtime so went to sleep reasonably quickly after bath and 7pm feed, we did a dreamfeed at 1030/11pm and went to bed, and then she would wake later and later in the night, until eventually she slept through until 7am. WE kept thew dreamfeed until 51/2 months because we were scared of breaking a system that worked.

I realise all babies are different, but give it a try. It may take a bit of perserverence, but it is nice to have a couple of hours with dp. We never left her to cry, but she did not get taken out of the room once she was put down, and the lights were kept low. The phrase I used to use, was 'boring her to sleep' if thats what it took!

Good luck. HTH

PS: I was exc bf if that helps

Leave him to decide for himself

Thanks everybody! Notyummy, I'm liking your routine, that sounds ideal for us. Might try that soon. Part of the problem is not wanting to put him in his room upstairs just yet. I'm not actually a 1st-time mum but I still don't have the confidence to not have him near me just yet Well I might try putting him down earlier and see what happens then - it certainly seems like some babies can sleep for 12 hours then (with feeds in that time, as scarybee says!) I agree with what people have said about 'if it ain't broke', but he's sleeping all morning at the moment so it seems as if his body clock could do with putting back a few hours - I'd rather he sleep from 7-7, than from 11-11

This is waht we did/do if it helps -

DD did her longest stetch from about 11 too so we would keep her up. In hindsight I would have tried to bring it forward earlier. Not sure if 3 weeks is too early as my DD had not really sussed out day and night until about 5 weeks (I think!)

A good bedtime routine can start at any age though and you can use a shortened version for naps - we do play on bed, get dressed, sing a song then into sleeping bag and into Nursery where I BF her and then put her down. We bath her every other night as she has eczema and was told not to bath all the time.

At nap times I cut out the getting changed bit and just take off her trousers or tights so she is not too hot but otherwise we do the same thing.

HTH