Bedtime Routines?

When do our little ones start noticing routine? We follow a routine every day, but of course our LO doesn’t know that. We just aim to go upstairs, dim lights, projector, bottle & cuddles and put her down in nxt2me to settle. (Every other night is bath) We have been lucky that she will lay down and after 20mins sometimes sooner she goes to sleep on her own in the nxt2me. But sometimes she does need to be held to sleep. She doesn’t sleep all night. We get a 4ish hour stint which will be followed by 2.5ish or just under after that. She’s usual asleep by 20:30. Latest 20:45.’ She is 8 weeks. Naps we just do throughout the day and are usually contact naps as she’s not as good of a sleeper in the day unless on me or transferred to Moses basket once in deep sleep.

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I think it's advised to introduce a schedule with set timings for naps etc around 3/4 months but routines like you're currently doing, basically whenever, just don't expect too much from her whilst she's this young. Our LO is 11 weeks and we're much the same, very flexible with feeds/naps during the day but our evening routine is the same very night and he seems to recognise the change, ie will happily put himself to sleep and sleeps for about 7 hours, followed by about 3 hours. In the daytime that would NEVER happen 😂😂

She's still a little young to notice a routine but it's good that you've got one. About 4 months their circadian rhythm has developed enough to differentiate between day and night. Sounds like you're doing all the right things for a nice calm bed time, but 8.30 is pretty early so you may want to adjust that over time unless she does really well with it. Also normal to not sleep through the night for a long time so don't worry on that front.

My little girl is only 7 weeks, days are a free for all with pretty much only contact naps or naps in the car. But I started a night time routine week one of being home. Starting a 6pm of feed, tummy time/ play time, and book while I make and eat dinner, naked time and bath time, then a feed at 8pm with cuddles before being put down in bed. She puts herself to sleep within 10 minutes of laying down without fussing. She sleeps until around 4am and wakes again at 7ish. She has done for probably 5 weeks now I don't think we give bubs enough credit, the only times she will fuss before going to sleep are when I've changed or skipped something or if we are running late from our routine.

Amazing - thank you everyone! Daytime I am free for all as well! As many naps as she wants & where she wants. We just do the bedtime as seems to work for her but equally if she was stressed we’d be loose on it at her age as we know she’s so small. But I massively appreciate the responses for daytime naps from 3/4 months! Thank you again! Xxx

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