What time do you put your babe to bed?

[Tway]

After 10 months, we've come to realize that DD won't go down without a good, long struggle if we try to get her to sleep before 9. It seems so late (my sis and I had a 7:30 bedtime till we were 10!), and it kind of eats into our evenings.

Then again, nothing messes up an evening like shushing and nursing and rocking and fuming for an hour.

DD is up between 8:30 and 9:30 most mornings (with a few wakeups at night and frequent restless nights), and takes 2 X 40-minute naps a day. I don't know if that has anything to do with her 9:00 bedtime... ?

When do your babes go to bed? How did you figure out a bedtime, and did you maneuver anything to make it earlier? Any reflections or thoughts?

TIA!

[Alisse]

Sleep: 9-10pm
Wake: 7:30sih
Naps: 2-3times a day, 45mins each.

My husband also thinks that our 11month old should be sleeping earlier. We may try to start his bedtime routine earlier in the near future.

[simplified]

There's quite a big difference between the sleep needs of an infant and a school age kid. I'm sure you weren't napping then either. If she's napping then of course she would go to bed later than if she wasn't napping. But I wouldn't take away her naps at this age for the sake of an earlier bedtime.

I think the schedule you posted sounds very reasonable. It sounds just about what my little ones do. I like peaceful evenings, so I wouldn't battle at all for bedtime. If 9pm is when her body is naturally tired, go with it. It will change again come winter when it's darker and she's older and maybe switches to one nap.

You said it eats into your evening...welcome to parenthood.

[candelaria80]

Our LO's natural bedtime was between 6:30 and 7:30 from about 2 months, but around 7 months we got off track and she began going to bed anywhere between 8:30 and 10:00...this wasn't working for DH and I! Just recently we started making an effort to work our way back to the 7:00 - 7:30 bedtime. We developed a better nighttime routine and everyone is a lot happier.

We started turning off the TV/music at 5:30 for quiet play and dinner, 6:30 bath time, then books and singing, then nurse to sleep by around 7:30. At first we thought it took up too much time, but now that we have gotten into it it is so nice to have quiet time to ourselves at the end of the night. DD seems much better rested and still sleeps until 7 every morning. Of course some nights are better than others, but for the most part it works out.

[Honey693]

My DD has always gone to bed between 11pm-2am. From birth to now (22 months) that's been her schedule. She'll occasionally fall asleep at 9-10pm, but usually only if she's sick or we had to get up realllly early. If we try to put her to bed earlier it just ends up with lots of crying and frustration on both sides.

[Altair]

At 16 months now we're at:
7-8PM bedtime
wake up to nurse at 6AM
wake up for day at 8AM

nap for 1-2 hours at 12 or 1

This has been pretty consistent once we started a loose schedule (which REALLY improved his sleep and temperment), at 10-12 months it was more like

7PM bedtime
12PM wake to nurse
5AM wake to nurse
9AM awake for day
1 PM nap for 1.5 hours

but this took some patience on our part helping him sleep longer stretches because he was up every single hour his entire life until we did some gentle nightweaning (every 5 hours from about 10-11 months) and gentle NCSS strategies that involved slowly weaning away our intense help falling asleep each time.

[kdescalzi]

Your lo's schedule souds great to me!!. If she goes to sleep easily at 9pm or so then she is naturally ready for bed at this time. Go with it...the less struggle, the better. Unfortunately, you lo will take all your free time...I know it is hard to let go but it is for such a short period if your life. Follow your dc's lead and one day soon you will have your evenings to yourself again. I have a 15mo old and wish I had your sleep schedule.

[Tway]

Thanks, all! I keep reading how babies need early bedtimes and DD used to go down earlier, but the struggle to get it back on track is just not worth it right now. We've seen a slow and steady improvement in her sleep since she was born, although she's still a frequent waker and a very light sleeper.

Anyhow, good to know we're not outside the norm.

[Strong Mama]

Both my boys went to sleep no later than 6 30pm until they were 4. They woke at 6am no matter what their bedtime was. They were just more cranky if I tried to keep them up later, since they were wired to wake early I guess. They napped a lot. Both boys napped until they were 5 years old. My youngest at age 2 was napping for 3 hours from 12-3 and asleep by 7pm.
They also STTN at 3 months,waking only when sick or teething. I have been blessed.

[OdinsMommy0409]

DS's bedtime changes depending on the time of year. He naturally goes to bed earlier in the winter months and later in the summer months, but he also adjust his wake times somewhat as well.

In general, his bedtime varies an hour on average. In other words, he currently goes to bed between 7:45 and 8:45. It really depends on his day and his nap. He takes one nap a day for 2-3 hours.

During the daylight savings switch ups, I usually spend the previous two weeks slowly trying to get him towards the earlier or later bedtime. I'll do 5 minute increment changes in when I start his bedtime routine over the two weeks.

[bella99]

At 10 months, my daughter was going down at 7:30 and waking for the day between 7:30 and 8 in the morning with one nighttime wake-up to nurse. She would take two naps, one for 1.5 to 2 hours in the morning and then 1-1.5 hours in the afternoon.

Now, at 21 months, she sleeps 8-8 with no wake-ups and one nap from 12:30-2:30 (or 3).

She's a good sleeper, takes after me

[CI Mama]

My DD is almost 2, and she's always gone to bed at 8:00 pm or later. During the summer when it's still light out until 9:00 pm, we really can't get her to sleep until dark.

She's also been through phases (like now) where she doesn't fall asleep until 9:30 or later most of the time. An 8:30-9:00 bedtime is PERFECT for us. I'm hoping as the days get shorter, we'll get back into that routine.

[Tway]

She went down like a charm at 9 again tonight. Why didn't we figure this out sooner?

DH is studying and I'm on the computer, so I guess we still have a little time to ourselves. We've also decided on a family walk after supper, so we have a few extra hours to spend together, which is nice.

Oh, how much easier it is just to follow baby's cues! Now if only I could get her to sleep a little longer at night, but I guess that'll come in its own good time.

[texmati]

somehwere between 8-12pm.

[cristeen]

Bedtime is 8 for my almost 11 mo. He gets up between 6 and 7 if im lucky. 2 naps during the day, 2hrs 15 and 1 hr. If he misses a nap or gets woken early then i try to get him down closer to 7:30. But we just had blackout shades installed in his bedroom and hes been fighting sleep a lot less.