We started routines and PU/PD + Shush Pat with my nearly 5 month old two weeks ago. His reflux medication had finally started to work and this was the first time we felt he was settled enough (and finally having some day sleeps!) to start creating some structure. We have had great success, particularly during the day - we no longer have to bounce on the fitball (!) and have increasingly less screaming before the shush pat can start. He doesn't like the sitting part of Tracy's wind down, so we just put him in his sleeping bag, pull down the blinds and put on his lullabies then have a cuddle and into bed.
At night though, it's a different story. We have had the same bedtime routine since he was tiny but it always seems to take him about 40-50 mins to wind down regardless of how we do things. What I can't figure out is whether he just needs that time in his cot to wind down and I should therefore get him into bed earlier to allow for it, or if there's something we're doing that is stimulating him too much late in the day. Of course being spirited, he has never 'just dozed off', we always have to work at it and before we started PU/PD he had always been almost asleep in our arms before going into the cot. So I know he has some learning to do but really want to help him get there!
Our current bedtime routine is:
5.30 bottle followed by 20 mins upright
Bath (which really seems to stimulate him, he kicks and splashes constantly)
Massage
Story
Bed (he will then kick and fuss in his cot for up to 50 mins, not screaming very often now but just getting frustrated or playing - or sometimes I think he needs another burp too. We go in every 10 mins or so to try and calm him but it's not until he finally cracks it that we can get him into that staring mode and know he's on his way out. He has very subtle tired signs and even when he fusses through the stories so he's obviously tired, it will still take him the same amount of time to get to sleep)
We are always aiming for 7pm bed but it's often almost 8pm by the time he's down.
As the bath seems to stimulate him, should I try the bath first followed by bottle, stories then bed? I was just trying to leave as much time between the feed and bed as possible because of his reflux. Here is the rest of his daytime schedule.
7am bottle (he has just started solids too)
8.15-8.30 - bed (I cannot seem to get him to 9am no matter what I do!) Usually around 1.5hrs if I'm lucky!
11am bottle/some solids
11.30-12pm - bed 1-2 hours
3pm bottle/some solids
4-4.30 - nap 30-45 mins
5.30 bottle
He has been waking for a nightfeed between 2-4.30 and drinks the whole thing in about 10 minutes, which is why we started him on solids - and last night he slept through until 6am so I've no idea what's going to happen next
Any thoughts on this would be so appreciated, we've come such a long way but would love to solve this next little part of the mystery!
