Bedtime with 4 month old/Time with DH

[LittleCrow]

My 4 month old has been sleeping really well. He has a bottle at 7.30 and by 8.30pm latest is asleep for the night, next wake is around 1am and then wakes up once more for a feed during the night. I bf and I feel that sleep is wonderful considering I was told to wake him every 3 hours until recently.

However, I have to go to bed with him at 7.30pm as I follow the Lullaby Trust advice. I have to stay with him for two reasons, he suffers from reflux where he wakes up gagging on sick and I'm co-sleeping to keep an eye on him.

It's Christmas though and I'd like to relax with DH and watch some TV after the eldest is in bed.

Do/did any of you still pop your 4 month old in a Moses basket downstairs until you went to bed? We have an area of the living room I could put him in so I could keep an eye on him but it's a bit quieter too.

Yes our DS - now four months - has always started the night in a Moses basket downstairs. We turn down noise and lights but mainly to enforce a night/day divide as he seems happy to sleep through noise.

Now we’re finally past the 11pm bedtime and wailing preamble, the routine is he goes to sleep downstairs, I go off to bed about an hour later, and DP brings him upstairs when he finally goes to bed.

I thought most people did this? I never went upstairs with mine at 7pm, just let them sleep downstairs and then take them up when you do.

I wish I hadn't done this kind of thing!

One day isn't going to do much, I think you deserve to enjoy Christmas! Do it.

But if I were you I wouldn't make a habit of it just in case your baby happens to be a sensitive sleeper. My baby slept really well until four months and then he started waking more and more frequently and eventually we sleep trained him. The sleep training went from a relaxed schedule where we'd do things like go out for dinner and let him sleep in the pram, or let him sleep in the bassinet while we watched TV, to a strict bedtime and naptime routine.

It might seem too strict to be sending him for naps and bed after particular times awake, but he went from horrendous sleeper back to sleeping overnight without waking. If I had another I would not be having them in the bassinet while we watch TV once they've passed 3 months. They'll be in the room sleeping with a baby monitor and regular checking from me.

You might be lucky, your baby might be one of these people who is a great sleeper regardless. But if it turns out you have a sensitive baby who won't sleep with light and sound in the background then I know I prefer being able to sleep overnight to being able to watch TV.

For a couple of hours we use the monitor and go downstairs with him in his cot in our room. Then sleep next to him all night when we go to bed.

Yep ours still sleeps downstairs until we go up at 5.5 months, will be putting her upstairs in her own room at 6 months