What's your night time routine?

[triskelion]

I'm cosleeping with my 10 week old. She definitely knows the difference between night and day and really only wakes at night to eat. She normally goes down anywhere from 6 to 8 pm and is out until 5-7 am, waking a couple times to eat. I'd like to start getting her into a nighttime routine but am having a hard time figuring out what to do since we cosleep and she goes to sleep so early. Right now, she sleeps on DH on the couch in front of the tv until we go up to bed but I'm pretty uncomfortable with the idea of her being in front of the tv while she's trying to sleep. On the other hand, our grownup time alone in the evening is important to us and I don't particularly like the idea of her sleeping upstairs (in the crib or co-sleeper) by herself while we hang out downstairs since she is so young. She also doesn't like the co-sleeper and only tolerates the crib minimally. At this age, what does a bedtime routine look like for you other cosleeping families? We have a baby monitor that DH encourages me to use but she just seems so little to be alone by herself up there!

[katelove]

At that age we would keep her with us, either on one of our chests or on the lounge next to us (sometimes she preferred that if it was really hot). We watch "TV" on DHs laptop using headphones and would position a pillow or wrap so she wasn't disturbed by the flickering of the screen.

ETA - we didn't really have much of a routine at that age. She'd go to sleep around 6-8pmish and we'd usually go to bed with her when she woke at 10-11pm for her next feed.

[BrennaRawks]

I know what I do may look a little different, if only because dh works 3rd shift and leaves around 8pm for work.

I get my older boys off to bed around 7:30pm. Dd will fall asleep around 9ish. I put her in her bouncy seat so I can have some quiet time/get some picking up done/etc. I typically wake her around 11pm for a feed and then we both go upstairs to bed. Dh wakes me up when he gets home around 6am.

I don't have too much of an issue with her being downstairs with me while I'm watching tv because I am just not ready to put her upstairs alone.

[D_McG]

At that age they were in the swing or on us until bedtime. At 3 and 6 mos (different for each child) they started to need quiet/dark for sleep so we moved them to our bed (well, mattress on the ground with a bedrail) at around 7pm. I like my kids on a 7-7 schedule. Gives us a nice break in the evenings.

[carmen358]

Ditto that we didn't have a strict routine at that age. Around 5 or 6 months DD seemed more in need of a routine (ie needed to have a quiet dark space to sleep).

[triskelion]

Interesting replies! I'm happy to hear that so many of you didn't really have a routine this early...I think I want a routine more than she needs one, TBH. I love that she is so small now but a part of me is also looking forward to getting beyond the newborn days. I also feel guilty that she's always with us with the tv on because I grew up without a tv and worry that she's so little and in front of the tv several hours a day (even if she's asleep for most of it)...but on the other hand, DH and I really enjoy tv in the evenings and don't have the energy or concentration for our other hobbies at the end of the day. 

[D_McG]

I really wouldn't worry about the TV!