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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

bedtime question

5 replies

redtabby · 25/01/2010 13:22

Hi, this is not strictly a weaning question, more a sleep question, but DS is nearly 8 months and getting the hang of weaning too, and this is where I hang out the most, and I didn't know where else it would fit!

My parents recently came to stay for a few weeks (live in another country) to see their new grandson, and commented that he doesn't seem to have a "normal" bedtime. I got thinking about it and looked at some other people's routines on mumsnet, and realised we are raher different to many other people in that our baby goes to bed rather late (around 10 or 10.30pm). He just is not sleepy till then, and if we put him in his bed earlier, he does not like it and protests.

He has a supper at about 7 and then loves to hang out with all of us in the lounge, playing with us, listening to people chatting, and after we have finished our supper, around 10, I take him up to bed, give him a big milk feed, and off to sleep he goes. About half the time he then sleeps through until about 7 or 8 am (bliss) or sometimes wakes for quick 3 or 4am feed.

Are we doing something very wrong that will set him up for not having a proper bedtime in years to come? I am sure some real routine devotees will say I'm all wrong. What do people think? I have started to feel a bit worried now!

OP posts:
babber · 25/01/2010 13:56

Hey - if your boy is sleeping throughtill 7 or 8 am then i'd say you're doing brilliantly! I guess there are no rules set in stone about this and if he's happy and sleeping well, and you don't mind him being up till then, then why worry? my DS goes to bed at 7pm ish, by which time he is getting very tired... but he will wake at least once before i go to bed, and then inevitably ends up in bed with us at some point when he wakes again... I would LOVE to sleep till 7am, even with a 3 am feed!

BertieBotts · 25/01/2010 14:07

If it is working for you, don't change it. I too had people telling me I "needed" to put my DS to bed earlier and ever since I tried to "fix" this I have had no end of trouble with him sleeping. Leave it as it is, unless you want him to go to bed earlier, then you can change it if you want to - I finally managed to sort DS' sleep out in the end but it has taken months and months.

Apparently it's mainly only the UK that insists on a 7pm bedtime for little babies, other countries are confused by it

redtabby · 25/01/2010 15:31

Thanks for the reassurance, we are perfectly happy as things are at the moment, and baby seems happy too. I am at work full time so am more than pleased to see more of him in the evenings and not to have to wake up at the crack of dawn in the mornings! It is just that other people seem to think babies should be tucked up by 7pm!

OP posts:
babber · 25/01/2010 21:39

its made me think i might even try and make bedtime later... or is that asking for trouble????

HaveToWearHeels · 25/01/2010 21:53

If it works stick with it, DS will soon tell you if he wants things to change. Our DD is ready for bed between 7-8 so we take her up when she starts to get grizzly, routine is always the same just might be at slightly different times.

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