5/6 months old routine

[Picahu]

Hi all - happy new year.
New year, new routine?
So, my lo is 5 months old - we don't really have a routine as such.. I guess we get up usually around 8, little singing, feed, 9/9.30 sometimes a walk, sometimes the gym - sometimes baby sleeps. 10.30 Home and feed and tummy time, read.. 12 -3 flexible feed & nap (depending on indoor or outdoor chores) pick up other child (5) from school, all play / sing.. the evening then is usually feeding / napping. First child (5) goes upstairs for bedtime routine around 7.30 and is done by around 8.30.. the baby usually falls asleep and suckles for rest of evening. I usually complete my bedtime routine and take baby to bed between 10/10.30 and she goes down in crib around 11. She sleeps until around 7/8 and wakes once usually around 3/4am for a nappy change and quick feed... Sometimes doesn't wake up and sleeps though till around 6, then feeds and sleeps again.

I guess my question is do I need to cement more of a routine now she is getting older (I've heard around 6 months) ...? I'm just not sure I want to go to bed with baby at 7, as some baby routines suggest, as I wouldn't see my husband or have any evening at all. Sometimes we eat after 5 year old is in bed as well ...

Anyone in similar situation, have any advice? Or reassurance?

Sorry for the long post and thank you :)

Our baby is 4 months and we have a bedtime routine that we’ve been doing since she was about 8 weeks old - massage, bath, bottle, bed between 6:30-7pm. We put her to bed in our room with the monitor on and I head downstairs for an hour or two to eat dinner/watch tv etc. Not for everyone I know but it’s saved my sanity having an hour or two to sort the house and eat without a baby attached to me.

Given how good the nights are, I really wouldn’t worry about a set routine: we’ve never had a set routine for ours shes 14 months. You might find baby shows they want an earlier bedtime at some point, or needs a distinct awake period before bedtime. It is advised to be in the same room as them anyway til 6 months, but after thst you could try putting baby to bed earlier so you can have a break in the evening

At 6 months you’d be able to put her to bed in her cot and leave her whilst you go downstairs, so maybe start then? Bedtime routine then cot 7-8pm.

5/6 months is still relatively early for a full 8 to 8 bedtime, but establishing bedtime routines at any age doesn't do any harm. At 5/6 months ours was sleeping through the night but only from between 10-11PM, same as yours. A few months later that bedtime was gradually pushed back and now will sleep a full 12 or even 13 hours with a bedtime between 7-8.

Best advice is move the time back gradually and go at the baby's pace. Graduated extinction sleep training worked well for us with a max time of 10 mins. After 10 mins they were either asleep or it was clear they were too distressed to sleep so it was reset, back downstairs, then try again when they showed their sleep cues, which was normally only 10-15 mins later.