Different schedules every day

[vadensmommy]

What are you doing for the wind down?

[emz1907]

Its hard as due to his reflux we end up winding down with him over my shoulder to keep him upright after his feed. We go into the bedroom, I tell him softly its sleepy time. I swaddle him and sit with him upright for a few minutes, sometimes patting his back and shhhing. It depends on his mood. I lay him down and tuck him in, sometimes if he looks like he wants his dummy I pop that in. Sometimes if he's still fussing I will sit and shhh and stroke him. I sometimes end up picking him back up several times as he gets reflux/wind pain or just crys. Other times I can put him straight down and walk away and he falls asleep instantly. Its never the same, thats probably the problem. At bedtime I also put his lullably on.

[vadensmommy]

Consistency is important, although small variations aren't going to kill the deal.  Like if you turn the light off then swaddle, or vice-versa, isn't going to mess everything up.  You might consider adding the lullaby cd to all sleep times while you are sitting with him swaddled over your shoulder.  A word of caution: I wouldn't let the cd continue to play once you've put him down in the crib because it could become a prop - he would have to have the music on every time he woke in order to go BACK to sleep.  You don't want to be having to turn on cd all hours of the night everytime he comes out of deeper sleep cycle.  Just a thought!!

[MJMom]

Couldn't have said it better than vadensmommy on the wind down!

And exactly... I wouldn't wake him up to keep a strict 3 hr EASY.  If there is a range for every EASY cycle, that is OK!