Question
At what age does a "bedtime" come into play?
I have a 3 mos old who goes to bed appx 10-30, and sleeps til 5:00 ish, then back down by 6:ish til 8 am...just wondering when a real bedtime starts?
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5 Answers
NOW! Or at least, that's what my ped. has always told me. It's better to keep your schedule close to the same times every day (feeding, naps, play, etc.) so that way your child will learn a pattern and when they are older, they are already accustomed to a bedtime and other routines. This worked well with my son. My daughter was a different story, but now that she's almost 3, she is better at a routine.
Hope that helps you! You're so lucky to have a 3 month old to sleep good like that. When my daughter was 3 months old I thought I was never going to get any sleep!
Tracy Mommy to Rebecca 3/04 and Brandon 8/05
~ Tracy ~Mommy to Rebecca (3/29/04) and Brandon (8/25/05) and wife to Randy (8/29/98)
That really is fortunate that your child is already sleeping through the night. My son, Matthias, was the same way. My husband and I work at home, so we let our baby set his own schedule until more recently. He's about 2 years old now, and I've started making 9:00 his bedtime (I know that's later than a lot of parents would advise, but no one in my house is a morning person). Something to keep open about is that your baby's sleeping habits may shift over the next several months, and just as you get settled into the schedule, the baby's sleeping schedule may change a little on you. If you've got a job, however, and need your baby to keep this schedule, then repetition is the key. No promises, of course, but that's your best bet.
We had twins, so setting a routine early in their life was crucial for our sanity! They got up at the same time everyday (mostly), nap, ate, bedtime, etc.--same time day in & day out. They turned out to be wonderful sleepers! At bedtime, they went to bed--no questions, no fussing.
Now we have a 13 mo. old son, who's schedule isn't so strict. Sometimes Mommy goes back to sleep after sending the girls off to school--until the little guy wakes up. Once a couple weeks ago it was 12:30pm!!! I almost had a heart attack! Granted, I didn't get him to bed until about 11:00pm the night before (which NEVER would have happened when the girls were little).
However, he still pretty much sticks to a schedule & I've found that he actually prefers it that way. When it's time for bed, it's time for bed. He can be fussing up a storm, while being held, cuddled & rocked & then immediately quiet down when put in his crib.
I don't necessarily think there is any specific time that a baby needs to be in bed. More important is the number of hours of sleep he/she gets. Just keep in mind, if your baby gets into a late-night bedtime ritual, it will have to be gradually adjusted as he gets older & closer to preschool/school-age.
But it has more been dictated by him - he gets cranky in the evenings. We set his bedtime at 8 p.m. and it has worked like a charm. He takes a bath at 7:30, then takes his last bottle and drifts off pretty easily around 8. If we keep him up later he gets pretty angry!
keep it at eight start now i wont give a huge answer as to why but if this is your only child if you plan on having more sticking to a bedtime gets everything done more organized and its easier