# what time does your baby go to sleep?



## coloradomama1 (Dec 31, 2006)

now that it's light out later, i'm finding that it seems SO early to be putting my little one (8 months) down at 6:30/7:00. she takes about an hour morning nap and a afternoon nap that's rarely 2 hours, usually waking up about 2 or 2:30. i've always been a big believer in early bedtimes and partially credit her good sleep to her mellow disposition. even when we she was only taking 20 minute naps, my saving grace was her early bedtime and therefore she never melted down or had problems at night.

i start her tub and the rest of the routine at 5:30 and we're in bed nursing by 6:15 or so and she's usually asleep shortly after. she sleeps really well, only waking up at 4-5 for an early morning snack. the 6:30 bedtime works out well since i leave her and start to make dinner right away followed by some outdoor work if it's still light out. gardening is a favorite hobby for me (and meditative to boot) and i love this time outside with no distractions...is there a way to put her down a little later, eat dinner and still get some outside time?

i vividly remember going to bed when i was little (5-6) when it was still light out and secretly hating my parents for it, am i projecting?


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## joyfilledmomma (Mar 14, 2006)

if your baby is sleeping and happy going to bed this early like you describe then i'd stick with it. i don't know how old she is, but if she's still a baby (or even a toddler) i doubt that she's secretly hating you for putting her to bed while it's light outside.









my dd is in bed by 7:30 because that's what works for her at almost 16 months old. i am happy with the early bedtime because she was a night owl till she was about 9 months old and i was exhausted by the time she was ready for bed at 10 or 11pm. imo it's all about what works for your baby and it sounds like you've figured it out so just stick with it!


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## eli's mama (Jan 8, 2005)

I was just commenting on this tonight, my kids (3yo & 6 months old) are in bed at 7 and usually sleeping by 7:30. We nurse and read stories and talk until everyone is snoozing. most of the time I am sleeping first.








We had a tough time of it when we switched the clocks at first so we just adjusted to when they seemed to get sleepy and eventually it came back to the 7ish routine. And I was commenting to DH that it's funny how much the kids seem to enjoy going to bed. I can remember hating my parents for the early bedtime to, but my kids are just giddy about it. go figure!


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## mommytomahmoud (Jan 8, 2007)

my son goes to bed at 10pm or 11pm depending when he had his nap and for how long some times i can get him to bed at 8pm which is very rare

ayah


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## coloradomama1 (Dec 31, 2006)

i would hope that she can't secretly hate me yet...







, it's just that maybe i'm sad that she's going to bed when there seems to be so much daytime left? she goes down easily most nights and if not, i will play or read with her a while longer until she seems sleepy and put her back down.

those of you that do 7 or 7:30, do you eat dinner before or after?


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

I've never tried putting kids to bed that early, but if it's working and she's happy, I'd stick with it.


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## Phoebe (Jun 12, 2003)

5 month old goes to sleep at 6:30ish every night. Of course he has to nurse in my lap until 8-8:30 and then he can be on his own for a while. My 3 year old is asleep by 7-7:30 every night


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## snhbfpin2006 (Jun 13, 2006)

My 7 month old goes to bed about 7:30 to 8 p.m. We live in Colorado too and it is still light at that time, and yes, we are also struggling with when we should get dinner ready to make it all work. My son is gone from me all day though and I don't even get to see him until about 6:45 p.m., so we try to keep him up until as close to 8 as we can.

We tried having my DH make dinner while I nurse the baby to sleep, and that works fairly wel. We are also now trying to make dinner and have the baby eat his dinner with us, which actually seems to keep him more interested in eating.

Since you love gardening (me too!), maybe try to take the baby out in the yard with you when it's warm enough. I'm sure babies enjoy the fresh air and outdoors as much as we do.

Good luck!


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mommytomahmoud* 
my son goes to bed at 10pm or 11pm depending when he had his nap and for how long some times i can get him to bed at 8pm which is very rare

ayah

Yep, same here. But our baby sleeps until around 9 or so in the morning usually, so the schedule works out fine for me.

I think if your child is happy, sleeping, and you're okay with it, I wouldn't worry about the bedtime. I think my child is not the norm -- most babies go to bed really early. I've just got a little nightowl on my hands.


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## eli's mama (Jan 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *coloradomama1* 

those of you that do 7 or 7:30, do you eat dinner before or after?


we do dinner before. around 5 or 6. DH usually gets home around 5ish so I try to eat around then.


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## jocmtl (Nov 13, 2002)

We're trying to get ds to bed a bit earlier. Right now, he's in his room by 8:00, but it can take him 40 minutes to get to sleep, so that is too late, in my book. We've been trying to get him to sleep earlier but it's kind of a battle and we're tired of the battle!

That said, it is still light out when we start the routine, and I turn down all the blinds and the lights to help out.

I do remember resenting being in bed so early, but I must have been six or seven at the time. Our godson, who is in kindergarten, goes to bed at 6:30 every night. He just crashes out and sleeps til 6:30 the next day, and his moms swear he's still tired.

It seems to me like you've found a sleep schedule that really works for your little one. Stick with it until she starts to actually complain! Besides, every book I've read on sleep swears by an early bed time. So lucky you!


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## Emilie (Dec 23, 2003)

Go to bed? They are supposed to do that??????
lol!
Good for you for finding time to garden alone- it sounds angelic! whatever works for you!!!
remember next summer to go watch the stars, moon and fireflies though!
em


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## scoopmuckanddizzy (Apr 11, 2007)

We put our 6 month old down at 7pm each night, and have been since she was 6 weeks old. Now, we know without even looking at a clock when 7pm rolls around...she gets fussy and is ready to go to bed! This is a HUGE change from our first child who got to go to bed late...around 9 or 10pm, which was brutal for my husband and I as he (our first) fought going to sleep every night. We weren't strict enough with his bed time and we paid dearly for it in health and our relationship and personal sanity. I think it IS natural for a child to go to bed between 6:30-7:30pm and I think we need to respect their natural rythyms and keep them in a consistent routine. Your child is waaaaay too young to resent you for putting her to bed while it is still light out. Enjoy the peace and quiet and know in your heart you are doing what is best for her little body and mind.


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## Genesis (Jan 8, 2007)

My 5 month old ds goes to bed around 9pm every night and wakes up around 9am every morning (waking up a few times in the night to nurse), and he takes a 1 hour nap in the morning and a 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon and sometimes a half hour nap in the evening. Our schedule seems much different than most of the pp's, does anyone have a schedule like my ds? (I do think I am going to start putting him down at 8pm or so now though, because that's when he seems to be getting sleepy lately)


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## ATruck (Mar 6, 2006)

Natural Mommy-- that is very similar to my 5 month old's "schedule". She goes to bed around 9 (as early as 8:30, sometimes 9:30 or 10) and wakes around 8 (as early as 7:30, as late as 9), waking 2-4(?) times to nurse.

Her naps are more irregular than you describe, but pretty similar. She tends to still have catnaps in the sling.

These are the times she seemed to come up with, but they do work well for us. I will be bummed if she starts going to bed at 6! (we don't have to be anywhere in the morning)


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## THBVsMommy (Mar 13, 2007)

before the time change ds was going to bed religiously at 7:30 PM. now it's anywhere between 8:30 [if i'm lucky] & 10 PM. i can't complain too much as i can't remember the last time he woke before 7:30 AM. now, if only i would go to bed the same time..


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## mommy2AandZ (Feb 12, 2007)

Both of mine always go to bed early. Depending on the day, sometimes as early at 6pm. Espesicially the baby. She still takes two naps and needs to go to sleep 3 hours after waking from the second nap. I have found if I try to push a later bedtime when they aren't ready, it is just more fighting bedtime, and a more restless night.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

All three of mine were very late nighters - they didn't go down until between 9 and midnight, depending on their day. We never used clocks, it was when they were tired (I'm not tired the same time, so I knew they wouldnt' be)....


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## Jenlaana (Oct 28, 2005)

My DD is a bit older, 18 mos, and she eats dinner with us. There's just no way that I could feed us all and get her to bed that early, because DH doesnt get home until 5:30 or 6, and he generally helps w/ dinner or takes care of babe while I get dinner ready. Our evening schedule is making dinner at 5 or 5:30, bath right after, and bedtime at 8pm. Sometimes DD doesnt get down till 9 but its never any later than that. We're at a point now though that I just give DD a bottle and lay her down and she goes to sleep (either in her bed in our room, or in our bed, depending on how fussy she is and how determined she is to go to sleep - she sleeps better in our bed, but sometimes we like to have it to ourselves for a bit







)


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

No way would ANY of my kids tolerate that early of a bedtime...but, if it works...cool!







Mine go to bed whenever.


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## lurve (May 5, 2006)

i used to put my DD down later but then i started noticing the sleep cues and that the last part of her night was filled with crankiness. i feel bad because most times during the week hubby won't even see her awake. but she needs her sleep. so she usually is asleep by 6. and yeah i feel bad about the lighteness but i have blackout shades and i know she is much happier this way!


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## 4Marmalade (May 4, 2004)

Both of our dc's have early bedtimes. Usually in bed by 6:30-7pm and asleep within 10 minutes. They've always wanted/needed an early bedtime. I love the evenings free and tolerate the early mornings (5:30am







). Once in a while I wish they went to bed a bit later so we could enjoy a few more evening activities. Stuff like going to a friends for dinner, swimming at the pool, etc... But we've never been able to alter their internal clocks.


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## calidarling (Jul 14, 2006)

Ds goes down at a different time every night, we just follow his cues. Some days he is down for the night at nine and others not until midnight. At his age a schedule seems like it would be a waste of effort for us.


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