[~Supernova~]

Ok...we aren't really routine kind of people, but it's becoming clear that DS prefers it. No matter how late his last nap, or last meal, he still wants to sleep at the same time, eat at the same time etc etc. He has also turned from a crappy sleeper to well...a nightmare lol.

Previously he would have dinner at around 4 or 4.30 (have tried to push it later but he gets cranky).
DH would get home and have a play with him.
He'd have a piece of fruit.
A shower.
Some playtime with his sister.
Then bed at around 6/6.30.

So we have started trying to do it this way:

Dinner at 4/4.30
DH gets home and has a play with him.
Piece of fruit.
Shower.
Play with sister while DH and I have a coffee/wine/whatever.
Quiet playtime with DH and I.
Read a book.
Goodnights and cuddles with sister.
Bedtime at 6/6.30

Same order every day.

I don't really know what else to add to enforce that "this is bedtime". I thought of a massage, but this kid can't sit still for more than 30 seconds. The book reading is very interesting lol.

Any ideas???

FWIW he co sleeps (which we want to change) and we cuddle him to sleep still. We briefly attempted CC but he doesn't have any kind of "whingy crying" it's just immediate hysteria and vomit inducing screaming

[Corella]

So you have a routine and a child who clearly needs it and you want... What precisely? I'm not sure what the problem is.

[minidiamond]

What age ?

I got a second hand suggested routine from a friend who employed a mother care nurse. I think you need to consider the rest of the day's routine as well. That said, I sometimes have issues filling the time between dinner and bedtime but I'd start the quiet time later perhaps ? This is what we do anyway, there's a routine of sorts before this but just to cover our arvo:

4.30pm dinner then sits in chair if he'll do it, plays with DH etc
5.30pm a little walk or more playing
5.45pm feed one side (BF)
6pm nappy off time, rolls around on floor
6.30pm bathtime
massage/cuddles/jarmies
feed other side
book
quiet song & cuddles
bed

Maybe move the shower further down so that relaxes him and he goes into quiet mode from there, rather than play with sister etc.

Good luck !

[axiomae]

I'm not really sure what you're asking here... ?

[live_love_laugh]

So what is the actual issue, we won't sleep at 6:30pm? Or won't stay asleep long enough? Or what?

[Jenflea]

i need a bit more info about the whole day, ie what time is lunch and does he have an afternoon snack?
To me dinner at 4.30 and then only fruit until breakfast isn't enough food. Does he get milk at night?
What about his sleep is nightmare? Night waking? not sleeping in own bed?

To stop the cosleeping, start by getting him to nap in his cot then work on nighttime maybe.
My daughter is nearly 3 and we still sit next to the cot for a few minutes (getting shorter as she gets older thank god lol) while she slowly gets off to sleep.
I don't think you can stick a co sleeper into a cot and then walk out, of course he'll scream. You need to do it gradually as he feels more and more comfortable.

[Miss Kiwi]

If he has become a nightmare sleeper that could also be due to his daytime sleep routine. What is his daytime routine as you haven't mentioned it?

From reading your post the times you are now doing things don't seem much different to what you were doing?

Sorry no advice on the cosleeping:(

[~Supernova~]

He has problems going to sleep, and staying asleep.

I'm just after advice on what things to add into the routine, if any.

Lunch can be anytime, it depends when he naps :S But he grazes throughout the day anyway. There is always an afternoon snack at 2/2.30.

His entire sleep is a nightmare. From going to sleep, to staying asleep, to night wakings.

Have tried naps in the day in his cot, they last 20 minutes tops.

As for milk, he has refused bottles and cups of milk since about 8mths. We feed him a bottle when he is asleep. Could be anything from 80 to 150ml.

ETA I don't stick him in the cot and walk out. The very second you put him in there, even sitting next to it and singing/shushing/rubbing his back, he is standing up and hysterical.

Daytime naps, we tell him it's sleepytime, we make a bottle (which he doesn't drink until he is asleep, but won't sleep unless it's there) and lay down and go to sleep.

This post has been edited by Mareek: 19/02/2013, 08:50 PM

[Jenflea]

How about cheese or yoghurt before bed to help keep him full and give some dairy and protein?
How old is he? About 1?
I went through a stage of needing to resettle my daughter for her day naps too, lasted a few months, now she sleeps 2 hours without trouble in the afternoon. I took it as an opportunity to nap with her
Have you tried cuddling him till ALMOST asleep then putting him in his cot and sitting with him patting till he falls asleep?
That worked for us( for my husband more than me actually).

[~Supernova~]

How about cheese or yoghurt before bed to help keep him full and give some dairy and protein?
How old is he? About 1?
I went through a stage of needing to resettle my daughter for her day naps too, lasted a few months, now she sleeps 2 hours without trouble in the afternoon. I took it as an opportunity to nap with her
Have you tried cuddling him till ALMOST asleep then putting him in his cot and sitting with him patting till he falls asleep?
That worked for us( for my husband more than me actually).

Yep, tried that. Still hysterical

He has yoghurt for morning tea...fruit isn't the only thing he eats after dinner. He will usually have either some cheese, or some of DD's dinner too. Food is definitely not the issue, he eats heaps.