I just joined the group and am glad to hear I'm not the only one confused about sleeping schedules. I have a 2 week old child and wondered when I could get him on a schedule. He's very erratic right now, sleeps for hours one day then is up for hours the next. I look forward to the day when I can plan enough time to drink a cup of tea. Thanks also for the advice on not letting him sleep in the living room with us. I'll be sending him to his crib from now on!

From 0 to 2 wks, babies are extremely erratic and need to eat andsleep whenever THEY want. At about 3 wks you can start a routine!! Basically the routine that i wrote down in the discussion "Sleeping and Schedules" is the best that I have found in the 13 years of being a nanny and now with my own son! If he does act like he wants to be fed, and it is 30 min befor the 3 hr block, try to play and entertain him. Try making him wait until the 30 min is over, than feed him! Especially in the middle of the nite, try patting his tummy and SHHHSSSSHING him to promote his sleeping longer streches in the evening, after 30 min, if he is not asleep, go ahead and feed him. What this does, is gets him on a routine of sleeping longer at nite, than his normal 2 hr naps during the day. I hope this advice helps!

now is the time to make a schedule for ur baby but only make it if u plan to keep it i say this cuz me and my husband put my baby on a schedule when she was first born she had a bath at 7 feed her every 2 hrs. then every 3 hrs. like the dr said to but then came a time that we wanted to hangout with our friends and it turned 7:00 and she new it and she screamed so hard til we got her home and gave her a bath and it was like that everyday til we could break her of that schedule although i know how good it was to have her on that kind of a schedule it was still very hard. i just think that all moms should keep this in mind b4 they have to go through what we did i love her and she is still on a schedule but its just less tight as it was then lol

I was able to get my daughter on a schedule at about six weeks. I started a bedtime routine with her and she slept about 4 to 5 hours. Breast fed babies will be hungrier. I found it very helpful and today at 13 months she sleeps a full nightfrom 8 to 8. Naps and bedtime are very important for new moms. While we love them we also need our rest.

I was able to get my daughter on a schedule at about six weeks. I started a bedtime routine with her and she slept about 4 to 5 hours. Breast fed babies will be hungrier. I found it very helpful and today at 13 months she sleeps a full nightfrom 8 to 8. Naps and bedtime are very important for new moms. While we love them we also need our rest.

Jennifer, how many times was your daughter typically waking up when she was 6 months old?  What time do you think is a good time to put baby to bed?  Thanks!  Also, has anyone had problems with rice cereal/oatmeal?

Jennifer, how many times was your daughter typically waking up when she was 6 months old?  What time do you think is a good time to put baby to bed?  Thanks!  Also, has anyone had problems with rice cereal/oatmeal?

Jennifer, how many times was your daughter typically waking up when she was 6 months old?  What time do you think is a good time to put baby to bed?  Thanks!  Also, has anyone had problems with rice cereal/oatmeal?

I have been having really big sleep challenges as well.  My 7 month old strictly breastfeeds, doesn't like the bottle or formula and doesn't take a pacifier so it's just me!!  At 2 months we moved him from his bassinet to his crib and he actually did really well.  Re: naps I made the mistake of letting him nap on our bed, but now were trying to get him used to sleeping and napping in his crib only and he's not having it!  He is used to eating/being soothed by nursing then I put him down.  He usually wakes up within 30 min to an hour after this and will not go back down.  I have read a lot and have been advised to let him cry and he will figure out how to put himself to sleep, but after a few days this doesn't seem to be working and letting him cry for a long period of time is so difficult!!  I've also been told to just do what works best for him to sleep but that is either in our bed or me holding him.  I feel like it's been hard to choose a path and stick with it and it's getting exhausting for all of us.

I think breastfed babies and sleep can be especially challenging because you want to make sure they are fed and once they are they just want to be held and soothed.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Erin

Nicole,

I put her to bed at about 10 in the very beginning she would sleep through unti lbetween 4 to 5 without waking up in the crib in her room. Then I would feed her and she would normally go back to sleep for a hour in the bassinet in our room.Breastfedbabies will wake up more often. Formula fills their tummy for longer periods of time. It was more difficult for me putting her in her own room at night than it was for her. As she got older and atemoreshe would gradually sleep longer and longer. I feed her diner at 7:30 then bath and story with last bottle in her room. She is usually in her bed by about 8 to 8:15. She sleeps through until about 8. There is the actually cry becuase she lost a binky then she goes right back to sleep.

Schedules are so important and the earlier you start the better, I think. Kids and parents alike form bad habits early on as well. My husband and I have stuck by a tight schedule the entire three years my son has been around and despite that it doesn't allow us much freedom/spontaniety, we always know exactly what time he will go to sleep and about what time he will wake up as well as know when he takes his nap. He fights us less I think because of it too. He just expects it. Good luck!!

there is a great book called 12 Hours of Sleep by 12 Weeks Old by Suzy Giordano...it has a realistic approach to getting babies into a good sleep schedule....it also doesn't suggest letting baby cry for long stretches of time, (which I like a lot)....