Our baby is 8 weeks old today. I'm wondering... If she goes to bed really late at about 1:30am and sleeps until the morning, should we try to get her to sleep earlier or will she begin to sleep earlier on her own?
It may possibly sound like she has her days and nights mixed up. You shouldn't stay up with her until 1:30 am. If you feel comfortable even around 9:30-10 place her in the crib and let nature take its course. My pediatrician always told me to feed the baby as they get hungry so I never did the three to four hour schedule. Good Luck you must be tired.
Is this schedule bothering you? If it is ok with you, let her go to sleep and wake up when she wants to. You are lucky that she is sleeping for a good stretch! Don't really worry and experiment with an earlier time. Don't be surprised if she wakes up at 3 or 4 if you try to get her to bed earlier.
Dear NB
My kids usually slept at that age from around 11 - 5 or 6 so it is really not that far off. She is still young to expect a set schedule. You can begin starting a bedtime routine with her and eventually she should begin sleeping longer hours. I would try to do bath at around 7 or 8 and then get her in bed she will probably wake for a night time feeding and then eventually give up the night time feedings when she is ready. If this schedule is working for you then there really is no right or wrong. I am not an night owl so I had a hard enough time staying up until 11 it really is up to you. But if you need to get her in earlier I would try a routine that is consistent every night eventually she will know the difference between day and night time. At my daycare I have babies that are around eight or nine weeks sleeping most of the night so all babies are different. Good luck and happy holidays.
I think this is the age when you can start to really impact their future sleep schedule! At this point with my son, we started making the room dark between 7:00-8:00. He was done with his bath and was all cuddly. I nursed and soothed him until he was asleep, even if it took quite a while. By 3 months he was always ready to sleep by 8, and by by 4 months he was going to bed before 7! It doesn't just "happen," but you can encourage it with a clear bedtime routine every night. Also, watch her closely for sleepy cues. (This will get WAY easier in the next month or so!) When I would miss my son's first signs of sleepiness (usually around 5:30-6:00), then I sometimes missed the bedtime window! Ugh- then he'd be up another few hours!
BTW, it sounds like she's a good sleeper already! Lucky mama! :)
My son is six weeks and sleeping midnight until five or six. This works for me for now because it allows my husband (who works late) to see our son when he gets home at night. This also means that my son and I are sleeping for the same hours, which is helpful to my sleeping pattern. My plan is to shift is schedule as he gets older.
Does his sleep schedule work for you? If so, I would fix it when you need to and not before then.
I don't think she will spontaneously change her sleeping schedule, though, I think you have to help her by adjusting her nap times so that she is tired earlier.
Both my kids were ready for sleep schedules by 12 weeks. This was also about the age they started definite morning/afternoon nap schedules. They were both screaming to go to bed about 7. I wouldn't let this habit stay much longer. She's getting to the age where her sleep habits now will effect her sleep habits later. At 4 and 16 mos my kids are usually in bed and asleep by 8 (we let them stay up a little later on the weekends). Pay more attention to her napping. If she goes for a nap early in the evening change that to bed time. And when she wakes up few hours later to eat, keep her room dark (I always kept a night light), and give her the bottle/nurse in her room. When she's done return her to the crib. I would also start a definite bed time routine. Bath... book... bottle... bed, kind of thing. I also play soft music in my kids rooms. This helps set the mood for sleep. Now if my daughter wakes at night (16 mos old) I give her back her binky and turn on her music and she's right back to sleep. The same with my son (4, minus the binky). This also works for my daughters naps. She knows that when her music gets turned on it's time to sleep.
yes - for sure she needs to go to bed earlier than that. do yourself a huge favor and get the book- healthy sleep habits, happy baby. it was the single most important book i ever read and makes a lot of sense. your child should go to bed around 8 pm- no one tell you this until you talk to other moms. your child needs to sleep less during the day and more at night. good luck. i am a teacher too and this book is straightforward so it will be a big help.
I'm not an expert, but 8 weeks old sounds very young to me. I don't think letting her sleep these hours will be a problem. Babies are very adaptable, especially in the first half of the first year--my son breastfed on demand, so his schedule was often crazy, and not always predictable. That makes it hard in some ways, but easier in others. Personally, the thought of having a "schedule" stressed me out--there wasn't much more I felt I could handle. I'm a big believer in doing what works, especially for those first 6 months or so.
Hi im Bell, i first want to say congrads on the nee baby. they r a blessing. mom i suggest that u incorpotate some routine while the baby is still younge. with my son i would give him a bath and put him in his crib and leave him with soothing music. i played the music every time i put him to sleep, so he became accustomed to the schedule with the music. i kept him on this schedule and now he is 17 months old and he sleeps at 8 and wakes at 7 every night. and eventually he no longer needed the music all it takes is a warm bath a good night 5 minute book and he goes to sleep independantly, but a routine schedule from now will help not just u but def ur baby. good luck mom and enjoy ur new baby
