Bedtime for 6 month old. Please help!

[Bee406]

Hi! We as a family have a ridiculously late bedtime. I'm a night owl and so is my husband and I really hate mornings. I just need my baby to be asleep around midnight, she's 6 months old and sleeps around 2 am or so. She's not a bad sleeper thank god! Once she's down at 2 3 am I wake up once around 830 to 9 30 for a bottle and then she's down again till about 1 30 or so. Any tips on getting her to sleep around midnight? She used to do this but her bedtime just kept getting pushed further and further and I was at a point where she was sleeping longer stretches so I didn't want to mess with that. But being up till 3 am everyday is beginning to wind me down. What should I do? Wake her up a bit earlier each day so she goes down sooner? I can't be putting her to bed at 7 pm and be up at 7 am as that does not work for us as a family. So midnight is my goal. She naps fairly well during the day mostly. Please help! Thank you!

You need to wake her earlier. If you want her away to bed by midnight, you need to have her up about 11am I reckon.

When does she have her last nap of the evening? You need to have a good couple of hours between the last nap and bed time. Personally I wouldn't let her sleep later than 9pm if she is napping then.

Hi, some days she won't nap after 9 pm. But some days she will take a short nap around 10 or so. I try and avoid this but sometimes she just falls asleep and I desperately need a break. You're right, I need to be more strict about this. And start waking her up at 11 am as well. Going to try that next week! Thank you for your reply @Flowerclock

Is she going to be going to any childcare at all? This could pose quite a tricky problem.

@OhToBeASeahorse hi, i'm on mat leave till shes 13-14 months, and we have support at home so she won't be going to childcare everyday at 7 8 am if that is what you're asking. Do you have any other suggestions?

I can't be putting her to bed at 7 pm and be up at 7 am as that does not work for us as a family.

So she's going to bed at midnight? Because you like to stay up? What are you doing at night? It is it be because you want to have a lie in in the morning?? Imo that's far too late - it's not about what time you like to go to bed and get up in the morning but what's best for your child? I'd start bed time routine earlier - fair enough if 7 is too early for you but start at 9pm

Ridiculously selfish in terms of her future. At some point she will need to be going to bed at a reasonable time - fix it now and adjust your life style. Parenting isn't about making your kid fit around you, it's about supporting their needs. Are you going to have a 2,3,4 year old staying up to midnight? Crazy

Once she's down at 2 3 am I wake up once around 830 to 9 30 for a bottle and then she's down again till about 1 30 or so.

So she's sleeping until 130 pm in the afternoon??
This is ridiculous

You're going to struggle OP as a baby has a natural circadian rhythm that means somewhere between 6:30-8:30 tends to be an optimal bedtime in terms of getting/staying asleep and also in terms of your child's development.

You need to work with this if you want to see long stretches of sleep that will benefit baby's development. We aren't nocturnal creatures and a 24-hour circadian cycle based on daylight means a midnight bedtime isn't appropriate for a baby. You might have trained your body to stay up late, but it isn't optimal for a baby at all (or you, as a matter of fact but of course that's your call).

When you have a baby, your life changes dramatically. That includes sleep. You need to adjust your expectations massively and get up in the morning like everyone else.

She will need to get up and go to school at some point. It’s going to be easier to get her into a normal routine now rather than after 4/5 years of staying up until after midnight.

This can't be a serious post? We all know the optimal sleep routine is 7-7. Your routine is absurd and extremely selfish but ultimately unsustainable, so change it now before it becomes a long term problem for your child.

Yes I would suggest you accept your baby isnt a bat and let her sleep when people do.

This is absurd!

What is her bedtime routine ? Bath , bottle bed ? You need to bring this forward each day until it's at a reasonable time

I'm def with all the PP that her current bedtime is absurd ( sorry OP) she's going to have to go to school one day and be up for 7am and whilst that might seem like a long way off to you now surely it's better to be in a proper normal routine from the start? Also what happens when you want to start doing things with her during the day like farm trips or soft play?

Gosh, I thought my little one was bad going to sleep anywhere between 9 and 11 (she's 22 months). The lack of night time grown up time (just watching what I want would be nice) is killing me! I'm not too much help as I obviously haven't fixed it for us, but when we are at work and getting up regularly at an earlier time (6.30!!! Urghhh) it tends to naturally bring that bedtime towards the earlier end of her range. I know it's not what you want but could you start waking her up half an hour earlier each day (or half an hour every other day) until you are getting her up at 9/10? Then is less of a shock to the system for you all. It also means you get some evening time and can do normal child things in the day which otherwise she is going to miss out on very soon! Hope you get it sorted.

If you really can't stand getting up that early every day you will have to alternate with her dad but you will be missing a lot!

If your baby is sleeping till 13:30 everyday you'll be missing out on any activities during the day you want to go to. Baby classes tend to be all in the morning. Swimming, music, sign, gym Tots, whatever, all generally in the A.M.

Will you be going back to work? If so, even if part time will you need childcare? This will be based around the school and working day. And the routine in the childcare setting won't be arrive at 8am and back to sleep till 13:30.

Have you started weaning? What times will your baby have their 3 meals a day?