does anyone have any advice for scheduling? I've heard so many different things ideas on how to go about getting baby on a cocisitant schedule, of course part of the problkem i'm having is that I"M not a very scheduled person myself, but i'm finding that i think my baby will work better with one... she's sleeping now finally(i just got her down around 7am (she'd been up since 3:30am, and had gone to sleep proir to that around 6pm of course before that she had been awake since 9:30am with only the occational 30 minute nap... )now if i could just about KEEP her on that schedule it would be almost ideal...since her dad gets home at 3am that gives them some time to play and spend baby and daddy time together, and me to either get some things done around the house or take another nap before my husband goes to bed. -currently tired-N.
My son is 14 now. When he was a baby I let him sleep and awaken when he wanted to. Eventually they will get on regular schedule. I never woke him up to feed him but let him get up when he was hungry. he slept when he was tired.Their bodies know what to do.
I agree that babies need schedules......I read the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and used it to get my son on a schedule. It was not rigid and there were many ideas that could work. I also found it to be be "kind" whereas some of the books I read were harsh and not warm and fuzzy. This book worked for me and my son has had healthy sleeping habits since he was about 10 weeks old.....he just turned 2!
Good Luck!
M.
its very hard to get ur kids on schedules especially when ur not on one, however, kids like being on a schedule.... they want to know what comes next, just be repetitive, she will learn it, and eventually it will come naturally to her. good luck!
How old is she? My daughter had day/night confusion for the first three months of her life...it was awful! Also, she seemed to be awake all the time and only napped in 20 minute increments! But when the three month mark came she turned into the "perfect" baby, sleeping for 5-8 hours a night, taking 3-4 naps a day, I could actually PLAN things!
Here's what I think: the reflux is playing a big part in her not having a schedule. She can't sleep well because of the reflux and that is "throwing off the works." Also, I wouldn't advise you to WANT her to be awake at 3 am, no matter that that's when your husband is home, because ultimately in a few months you won't want that for her. In my experience (degree in Early Childhood Ed. 10+ years working with children, mainly infants, and mom of one 5 year old girl) by the time a baby is about 6 months old they should be on a general schedule. Trying to get them on one before they are ready will only make you frustrated. Most babies develop some sort of schedule around these basic parameters: waking in the morning sometime between 6-8 am, napping in the late morning, napping in the mid to late afternoon, maybe catnapping in the early evening, and going to bed somewhere between 7-10 pm and sleeping pretty much through the night, possibly waking for a brief feeding then going right back to sleep.
I just talked to my sister yesterday, she has a 6 month old and is having some trouble with feeding and I told her this: it seems like it's never going to end but just remember that in 6 months your baby will be 1 year old and all of this will be a distant memory. Do what you can to get through it, try to watch your baby for cues so you can get her on a schedule, and just remember that babies change quickly. Just when you think you have a schedule or pattern, she will change it! Good luck, let me know if you need any more help, keep us posted!
hey N. I also have had that problem when she was 5 months finally her schedule became more consistent, but usually I kept her active through out the day so at night she would be very tired.....you know stoller walks, and playing weird items they find amazing such as keys( oh and those baby swings too).......but i strongly recommend in investing in videos...baby einsteins they are very educational and keep them occupied so maybe you can get a sketch in ....I am also an artist by the way well I hope I helped a little bit
babies and children need schedules. If you dont take control you may have a child who is out of control and it will be more work for you later in her life. I do know that you should never play with a baby in the middle of the night as your baby's dad is doing. that will rienforce waking up every night. here is what you do to schedule your babies sleep.
keep baby up every night until 12 pm. feed and change just before. if baby wakes up, let say it's 3pm, you can check on her but do not pick her up, play with her of feed her. she may cry but wait until 3:30 to go to her. you will see she will then start to wake up at 3:30. Then when she does wake up at 3:30, do not go to her until 4 and do the same thing over the next couple of weeks until she wakes up at 6 am. Then when she is consistently sleeping 12-6, start putting her to bed at 11:30, then to 11 then to 10:30. I continued doing this and at 3 months my daughter started sleeping 8pm until 8 am. It works. This comes from the book, "How to get your baby to sleep through the night". Mine in now 15 and a great sleeper!!
hello N.! Just to give you an idea what I did for my boy who turned out to be a wonderful sleeper...We had a bedtime routine in mind and did it everynight without exception. we started this when he was ready to take a bath (after his cord came off etc). It consisted of this, 9pm rolled around the lights were starting to dim, into the tub for some warm water splash and play, into jammies, a book (it's never too early to start reading bedtime stories) and, then he nursed or had his evening bottle then INTO BED! was the same night after night and at 3 weeks we was sleeping from 10pm until about 5am when he would get up to be changed and fed then he went back to bed until 9am. The key is consistancey.
I also agree with the writer that mentioned the 3 am awake time. You don't want this. It's your duty and it's the time to start teaching her the difference between night and day. As for her sleeping issue. I think it has a little something to do with the reflux. As her doctor if giving her a pinch of baking soda in about an ounce of water would be ok. it helped when i was a kid and had cronic reflux.
my baby is 3 months old and is sleeping through the night night now but we still have some trouble with scheduling in the day. One thing taht helped me was lavender bubble bath and after the bath use lavender baby oil in gel form. Rub the gel in your hands you can feel it warm and give your baby a nice gentle massage for a couple of min. you might enjoy it more than your baby with 15 min your baby will be sound asleep. Also swadiling your baby in a recieving blanket helps. baby mozart and the bear that makes womb sounds if al else fails.Oh the baby swing was my best investment yet!
how old is she? i had no schedule for my baby in the begining eithor. i finally got her to sleep during the night, but it took some time. first i tired her out during the day (no matter how much sleep either of us got the previous day/ngt), so when night time came, & i put her down, she would be tired enough 2 sleep. if she fell asleep early (after 2-3am etc), i'd wake her up around 8-9am (even if we slept only a few hrs) so that when nap time came (mid day) she'd be wanting to go to sleep. depending on the day/how much sleep she had/how tired she is i still range her nap time from 1hr to 2 & 1/2 hrs so when bed time finally comes she'll go. it also helped to have a seperate room 4 her (so she won't see us awake).
