Sleep Routine

I completely agree with Cara! The Baby Wise series are wonderful books and those who critisize them have usually only heard bad rumors from others who haven't read them or misunderstand them. My babies have both slept through the night in their own cribs by 2 months and followed a predictable ROUTINE, of playitme, naps and feedings- not a ridgid schedule. I always knew what my babies needed and never had to guess with naps or bottles that they would only drink a couple ounces of. I had a great first year with my children thanks to these books!

Hi! Just a quick note to tell you what saved me! The book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child" has worked for me EVERY TIME! Hope it helps, good luck!

I always find that a baby tells you what it needs. And that that is the best schedule to follow, when she is hungary feed her, when she is sleepy help her get to sleep ect, as she/he gets older they will find a more consistant shedule of course once teething starts that can get out of whack, listen to her cues she/he is your best teacher.

Every baby is unique in his needs. Scheduling does not work for every family. My best suggestion would be that you check out the book NIGHTTIME PARENTING by Dr. Sears. This book offers wonderful information on ways to meet your baby's needs while respecting your own sleep needs.

L.

Your baby will help you establish the best routine. :)

Please do not follow the advise of Ezzo. That program has been linked to babies being hospitalized, dehydrated and diagnosed with Failure to Thrive. See http://www.ezzo.info/index.htm and http://www.fresnofamily.com/ap/ezzo.htm for more information.

I'm on baby #4 (8 months old now) and would be happy to share our routine if you want to write me. All babies are so different, and their routines change over and over through the first year. I can certainly tell you what we do if it will help though. :)

With both my kids I used the every three hour schedule and stuck to it. They would get up around 6..get fed...go back down for a nap at 9am, wake up around noon, go back down about 3, and then be in bed for the night at 7pm. It worked great and at 3.5 and 1.5 they go to bed at 7:30 every night with no fights. You have to stick to it tho, trying to mix itup or keep them up past their sleepy time will only make them cranky and not want to go to bed. I found that out the hard way :)

I have a 5 month old and at 4 months we were just started to get on schedule. I have 2 older kids, so we need to be flexible, but here it goes.
Wake up around 7 and nurse. He gets tired in about 2 or 2 1/2 hours - nap - about an hour. Wake up and nurse, up again for a couple of hours seems to sleep around 11 or 12. Wake up and nurse, eats lunch around 2:30, sleeps again around 4:30. Nurse when up, dinner around 6:30 or 7, bed time around 8 or 8:30. He wakes once or twice a night. I only nurse in the evening every 4 hours. If he wakes up sooner I rub his head, give him a pacifier and put his mobile on so he can fall back asleep on his own. I usually nurse to put him down but it's not a full feeding - just to soothe him. Not a good habit, but it works.

Try writing the day down. You'll find a pattern. At the first yawn, I know my son is ready for nap so I then go for that. I think around 6 months things will get even more predictable. He's eating about 4 -6 tablespoons of food (cereal with a fruit or veggie mixed with breast milk or formula) and he really likes that and it helps him feel satisfied and sleep. I follow the "EASY" schedule. Baby Eats, has Activity, Sleeps, and You have time for yourself. It works for me.

M.,
I know this can be a tough time. It can be confusing at first. I will give you what guidance I can but you need to use everyone’s advise and take what feels right from each, turning it into your own =). Every baby and family is different.
~ It is about time to start having your baby sleep in a crib if they aren't already.
Step one to that is to have a crib right near your bed and put your baby in when they go to sleep. As soon as you hear them cry, pick them up and give them love, nursing them until they go back to sleep. The best way to make you r baby fall back to sleep is to not make any noise at all. Do not talk or sing just gently rock and nurse. Also lightly rub their back while your nursing. By doing this every time they wake up you will give them a since of security as they know even though they are not right next to mom she shows up immediately after they cry so they eventually get used to sleeping in the crib. The first couple of days are the hardest for both of you and then it gets much easier. Soon you can move the crib into another room with a baby monitor. You can then get up and go to their room to soothe them back to sleep.
~Other tips~
Always keep an eye on baby's diaper. You do not want for them to get a rash. So change the diaper even if its just a little wet. No one likes to sit in pee =).
Wash hands and face through out the day to keep baby clean and get them used to feeling clean. If they are used to it they crave it and will not fuss about being cleaned when they get older.
Keep areas clean and organised, like changing table (should have a diaper trash next to it). Babys toys should be organised afteryou play. Let baby help. rinse and pu dirty dishes in dish washer right away. Put dirty clothes in hamper right away. Keeping up with your mess will help you in the long run!

~Daily Schedule:
Wake up- Around 8:am. Wake up when you want to not when baby wants you to. For example if baby cries too early than nurse them back to sleep like you would at night and wake up when you are ready. As you are going to need energy all day it is important that you get your sleep. Keep curtains closed until you are ready to wake up so baby does not see light.

*8:30 I like to feed when they are still in PJs so that if they get messy with breakfast it can be washed off in bath. You are probably still nursing. This is not as messy as when they start eating baby food but still nice to clean after words.
Make sure you feed in or near the kitchen so you can eat too. This will also help the baby recognize that the kitchen is where they get food.

*9:15 After breakfast get in the bath with baby. This way you can wash yourself and baby at the same time. Relax with baby in the warm water.

*10:00 Now we get dressed. Sometimes it's fun to let the baby see a couple of different outfits to see what color they are attracted too for the day. I cannot remember when they start to see in color but it is right around 4-6 months I think. They only see in black and white at first and that is why they love crazy black and white patterns.
You can now bring baby in your room so you can pick out your clothes. Its safest to put them in a car seat or walker when you are changing so they don’t roll off the bed or something. Make sure you face where you are so baby can see you and doesn't feel abandoned. You should be able to get things done if baby can always see you. Talk to your baby like as if he/she were an adult. This helps them to learn words faster and keeps their mind on you so they do not start crying.

*11:00 Another feeding for baby and healthy snack for mom.

*11:30 Next you could have playtime. I personally like to get out of the house so I pack lunch and my diaper bag and go for a walk out doors. You will have to bundle up this time of year but you can walk to shops and go inside or to a restaurant for lunch. Just get yourself out and moving. Your baby will appreciate all the sights and smells of the outdoors too. Usually they fall to sleep on the walk or are soothed and just watch all the new sights. Whenever you stop somewhere get them out of the stroller so they can move their bodies around and meet people. Later this will be a good time for you to go to the gym and baby will be in day care at gym but baby is to young for that now.
If you do not go outside do some baby games or give them a toy to examine. You can do baby exercises by letting them grab your fingers and pull themselves up, or lightly pushing against their legs while they push back. This helps them use the muscles they really want to use to start crawling and walking.
7. 1:-2:Your baby usually lets you know when they are hungry for lunch but try to keep a schedule. They will usually fall to sleep with lunch so make sure you feed them lunch when you are ready for them to nap. Don't let baby nap for more than 2 hours.
8. 3:-4: After nap time you can play again or watch a baby Einstein video. Lay out a big, soft blanket for baby to lay and move around on. Cuddle, read stories, sing to baby, etc.
9. 5:-6: Get baby in PJ's and wash face and hands from the day. Dad should be home soon and he will play with baby.
10. 7:-8: Slowly wind down usually cuddling and cooing. Put baby to sleep with last feeding.
Now you and your husband can have dinner and talk to each other about your days =).

I have two books for you that will give you a good idea of what is a "normal" routine without being too rigid.
One is the Baby Whisperer, which emphasizes the importance of routine while being gentle and respectful.
The other is Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. I didn't discover this till my third baby and it continues to help me. This will help you figure out how much sleep, when sleep should occur, at what age your child will drop naps, etc.
Even though each child is unique it is really nice to have some guidelines. With my first we were just sort of flailing about, trying everything and not sure what he needed!

I tell everyone to read "The No Cry Sleep Solution"
It has schedules and everything!

There are two great books called "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp and "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. These books really helped me when I was a new mom!

I suggest reading BabyWise By Gary Izzo (I think thats how you spell his last name). He gives flexible schedule ideas...and it helps with getting the baby to sleep through the night. I used it and my daughter started to sleep through the night at 2 months! It's been great! My daughter is thriving AND her docter always talks about how smart and healthy she is...she is always alert and such a happy girl! Read all the books you want and take some and leave some of the information you get.

~Nat

My children are four and nine, but I found so much value in the Ezzo material. "Babywise" helped me to find peace and routine, plus a great parenting foundation. Doing what makes you at peace is the best answer.

IF you are breastfeeding go find the book BabyWise. It worked like a charm with our oldest child and she is a very well adjusted, loving, happy, 3 and a half year old. The general idea is to start the day with the morning feeding (depending on where your child is at at the moment) somewhere between 5-8 am feeding them then keep them awake for 30 mins or so to an hour and then put them down for a nap. The next feeding should be 2.5 to 3.5 hours after the beginning of the last feeding. For instance my new baby is on a general schedule of 7:30am feeding wake time, nap, and feed again between 10am -11am wake and nap. The order of the feeding, wake and nap time is part of why this works so well. Do this same cycle for all of the feedings except the night feedings (just diaper and back to bed). You have 7-8 feedings in a 24 hour period at least. If your baby still feeds throughout the night it will probably take at least a week to get the general 2.5-3.5 hour schedule and then your baby should go a longer stretch at night. My daughter was sleeping 8 hours a night by six weeks old. Which I had to have since I was going back to school. She has been an excellent sleeper since and has made transitions between crib, toddler bed to regular bed just fine and doesn't have major issues sleeping other places either.

It's great because the schedule is led by you and your baby together so if you have Dr.s apt or something you just adjust one feeding so it is earlier or later. Also when they go longer at night you have the opportunity to pump excess milk after they eat in the morning and store it so you and husband can go on a date etc. I am freezing milk so we can go on our 5 year anniversary trip.

Where your baby is 4 months old you will have some re-training to do for yourself and for them but I promise it is worth it!

When my son was about 2 months old we started with a bed time at night. I would put him to sleep at about 7:00 p.m. every night.When I would put him to sleep I would give him a bottle with a couple extra ounces and let him have what he wanted of it. He would wake me up every 3 to 4 hours to let me know when he was hungry. During the day when he woke up we did play/exercise time. I would let him sleep when he wanted to (about every 3 to 4 hours). As he got older I stuck to the roultine of bedtime every night at 7:00 p.m. and he would sleep through the night.Once he was about 2 yrs I had to change the bedtime to 8:30 because he would not go to sleep or he would wake up at 5:00 a.m. Now that he will be 5 yrs in April his bedtime is 9:00 p.m. and it works with our schedule. I have to get him up at 6:30 a.m.

I think that you shcould try out a couple of different times for you to see what will work for you and your child. Also, once he was about 2 yrs old I would not let him take a nap past 2:00 p.m. or he would not sleep during the night.

I hope this helps you out. I know that it has worked for me and I usually have no problems with him now that he is older with going to bed (no fights, sleeps great, and is very rested the next morning).

Good luck and hope you find something that works for you!

T. P

Personally I don't believe in a real "routine" for a baby so young. Mine sleeps and eats when she needs to and I try to be flexible. By the time baby is 6 or 8 months, s/he will probably have a bit of a routine, napping a couple of times a day and such, but things can always disrupt a routine, such as teething or growth spurts. As long as your baby is getting enough to eat, wetting and pooping, and sleeping enough total hours, it will be fine. I recommend The Baby Book by Dr. William Sears if you want good advice for lots of baby issues that you may encounter over the first two years.

I disagree with one of the other responses. I've followed (for the most part) the "Becoming Babywise" method, by Gary Ezzo. It does take some common sense, but it's been amazing for our family which just was blessed by our 5th child a few months ago. All of my children have slept through the night and been on a predictable, flexible schedule since they were 8 or 9 weeks old. With this large of a family I can't imagine not getting the sleep I need! And I don't think I can attribute their wonderful sleeping habits to "luck". Im the kind of person that really likes routine, and I've found my children to be similar. Bedtime and naptime are never a battle time because they expect it. Most people who are critical of the Ezzos haven't actually read the book for themselves - just criticisms of it. Check it out for yourself.

I am a big believer in not having a schedule. My daughter is 9 months old and I have a wonderful time with her not worrying about being stuck to a certain schedule. Over time she has been able to develop naturally what works for both of us. For example, I am not a morning person at all, so we get up for the day around 9am, have breakfast about 10am, she doesn't nap much but when she does it's usually around noon and then 4pm and then gets tired around 8-9pm. I nurse on demand (always have) and she's a wonderful,happy, well adjusted child. Don't worry so much about what things say to do. Your intuition is the best predictor about what works best for your baby! Good luck to both of you.

Hi M.,

I have a 8 month old girl and a 19 month old boy. The 8 month old's schedule is that she gets up around 8 am in the morning, and then is back in bed for a morning nap around 9:30 or 10. Then depending on how long her morning nap is she is up for 2-3 hours and then is taking her afternoon nap. I have always been consistant with her schedule and she is a VERY happy baby. At 4 months probably being up for around 2 hours at a time is plenty. Infants need more sleep than probably most of them get. Best of luck to you!

For both my babies, I adopted a "go with the flow" routine for nursing, napping and bedtime, and it worked out well for me. I was a SAHM who rarely needed to be anywhere at a certain time. I didn't start routines with them until they were toddlers, when they seemed to need some structure - around pre-school.

As babies, both my kids took several naps during the day and slept through the night at very young ages; however my son slept twice as long as my daughter (and still needs extra sleep!).

I think nap time, for the most part depends on the child and how much sleep they need on any given day -- especially at such a young age. If you're not fighting constant irritability that you think is caused by lack of sleep on the baby's part, whatever you are doing is probably right for your baby.

If you have late naps leading to late nights, just cut the late nap short. I found with my daughter that trying to skip it all together would not only make her cranky, but would seem to create a second wind that would keep her up a little later anyway. This was when she was a toddler.

Is there a particular reason you're wanting to put your baby on a routine? Work schedules, bottle-feeding, late-nights or not sleeping through the night?

Hi,
I found this great link for you that might help you out, but just remember, every baby is different and whatever you decide to do just do it consistantly. My son used to take a nap from 9-11 and then from 1-3 and I would put him to bed around 9 at night. Anyways, try out the link and hopefully you will find some good advice.
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/growth/sleep/sleep47m.html

Not really an exact routine but some pointers that helped us. Always lay the baby down awake!!! They will learn to put themselves to sleep again alone at night. We had great luck with a mobile. We layed our kids down and turned that on for something to ease them to sleep.
I have found with both my kids at that age a good first nap is about an hour after they get up in the morning. It may not be real long but they seem to need that extra booster in the morning. Then they are good for awhile. I usually then lay them down again either later in the morning and then either later in the afternoon or if they skip another rest in the morning shortly after lunch.
We have a 14 month old and she goes to bed between 6:30 and 7. This is early for most kids probably but she is ready and sleeps 12 hours. Most probably should be down between 7-9 depending on your schedules. That is another thing. THey will adjust to whatever your schedule is. SO make their schedule something that works in your house.

Good luck!!

Most babies around this age need about 15 hrs of sleep and are probably taking 2-3 naps each day (averaging 2-3 hrs total). As I recall with my kids at this age, they typically went to bed between 8-9 pm, waking at 6-7 am, napping around 8-9, 1-2 and a small cat nap in the evening around 4-5. Some days they skipped that third nap, so bedtime just got moved up a bit.

I always found that tracking their eating and sleeping for a week or helped me figure out what they were nataurally doing and then set a schedule by that. Here's a handy chart and instructions: http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-track-your-babys-sleep...

I think babies do better when they are on a routine and I think you'll find it easier for you, too.