Bedtime Help!
We need help! My baby's bedtime has been around 8pm for quite a while now, give or take an hour depending on different circumstances. He got very sick a month ago, and ever since then his attitude has completely changed. He used to let us put him down and walk away easily (as long as he truly was tired enough), but especially the past few nights he will just scream and cry!! I don't know what to do. I hate leaving him in there...but sometimes he just doesn't need anything and me going in makes it 10x worse. We recheck everything of course...thirsty, hungry, diaper, etc.
I'm pregnant and take sleeping pills so if his dad isn't feeling up to getting the baby I either have to be a zombie for him or lay there listening to him cry which absolutely breaks my heart.
The longest I'll leave him to cry is 30 minutes..if he hasn't settled I go in. Even though that feels like torture.
Bath time has become very exciting and fun instead of relaxing, so I don't know what else to do to really settle him down before bed anymore.
Sorry this is so long. Would appreciate any advice.
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Rocking, singing.... Other methods to settle a kid down
Is he active during the day? Does he get time outside to help with day night cycle?
What we found to help is putting everything on a schedule has really helped the nighttime struggle, day naps , eating, and pretty much anything we can plan besides when he wakes up. Then building a routine to go with everything, like a bedtime story.
We've also started using a bear that plays lullabies and that seems to help.
Obviously this is just what works for us but maybe some of it could help y'all. Wishing you the best !
he hates being held/rocked or anything like that.
Yes we usually get out during the day too.
what schedule works for you? That's something I'm trying to work out but struggling with a lot
Play a lot? Play to sleep? Let him play some more until he's more drowsy?
7 or 8- Wake up time varies
Independent play for an hour after wake up, then play together until 9
9- breakfast
10-first nap or 11 if he woke up late, two hours after wake time. We use blackout curtains, white noise, lullaby bear, and offer 8oz milk. I hold him until he's mostly asleep then lay him down. I'm pregnant so I nap with him hehe but before it'd be like an hour now it's more like 2 hours
11 or 12- We play together, I try to get some outdoor time in.
1-lunch
2- second nap if he woke up at 11 and 3 if he woke up at 12. Try for 3 hours after wake up but needs to be down at the latest 3. same sleep set up . This is feel like is out key, we don't let him sleep past 430 either way.
4-430- Family play time
530-start cooking
6-dinner at least for the baby
730-bath with dad, then we get him dressed and read a story together. Same sleep routine, unfortunately it does take longer 🥴
So AM wake time is 2 hours
Midday is 3
PM is 3 or 4
Sometimes my son just doesn't want to sleep. But on those trecherous nights... My son loves to rough house and it helps him get the last of energy out before bed. My goal is to make him laugh as much as possible. Tickling, holding upside down, doing anything and everything to burn the energy. Then after he's all out of energy I let him play in his room that has his swing and toys in it. He will climb in the swing to tell me when he's done playing and I get his milk out and pop him in with milk and watch until he sleeps. After he's asleep for about 10 I move him to his crib.
that looks pretty reasonable! Might try that with my 14 month old ( aside from the milk in ounces part.... He's not really drinking whole milk....) and he seems to be more of a one nap, but it tends to vary based on things
my son set the loose schedule for it, we just solidified what seemed to work! He does appear to be transitioning to one long nap since I've been sleeping with him but I'm hanging on the best I can by making sure he's been up for 2 hours and not too much longer!
I also want to say that we DEFINITELY live that 80/20 life. We do this MOST days but I'm not stressing at a late lunch out about nap time or if we go to the pool and miss naps completely. I will stress out at a later dinner though hahah
I feel that. We keep late nights so.etimes as a family, so I try to at least have us have dinner earlier than 8 pm if at all possible
Could it be that his wake windows are changing already? Maybe he is overtired or under tired by 8pm? Is your baby 13-14 months old? Typical wake windows are 3-4 hours but it can vary baby to baby and maybe he’s ready for longer wake times?
I think baby sleep is the hardest thing to figure out since becoming a mom!! I’m giving advice based on what I’ve heard not experienced because we struggle with sleep all the time too.
yes I definitely think it's because his wake windows are changing. But they are so inconsistent is the problem! I'm just struggling to figure it out lately.
And he just turned 15 months :)
I used to track my son’s sleep on huckleberry because it would tell me the “sweet spot” time for his next nap or sleep based on age and however many naps your baby takes. I stopped tracking in the Spring since my son’s wake windows haven’t really changed since then. But may start up again as he gets older.
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