night time

[meltown]

my 9 week old hasbeen sleeping through the night since birth.  he has been on some form of EASY since birth Also.  He doesn't do dream feeds at this point.  I am wondering if I am putting him to bed to late or if it's ok.  I am putting him to bed at about 10:00-10:30.  I feed him at 9:00 and then it is bath and bed.  he sleeps until about 6-6:45 am when he wakes feeds and goes right back to sleep until 8:30-9:00.  Is this normal for this age?  I am noticing on the Easy scheduals posted on the Easy forum that most are going to bed at 7:30-8.  should I be putting him down earlier and dream feeding him?

[deemum]

i'm not very experienced but i would think this seems alittle late for your lo, he might do better going down earlier with a df at around 10. whats his daytime sleep like? colud you post his routine?
Dee

[* Paula *]

I would aim for a 7:00pm / 7:30 pm bedtime.  With a clusterfeed after the cat nap and then again after the bath.

HTH's

Paula x

[mom-2-3]

Hi,

Your lo is in bed for about 10 or 11 hrs with 1 feed.  If you put him to bed earlier, he will probably still sleep for the 10/11 hrs w/ 1 feed.  Although this will shift his 1 feed to sometime during the night, so your idea of "sleeping through the night" will go away.  But you'll later appreciate having your evenings free.

Normal sleep cycles if a bedtime was around 7, would be an awakening around 1/2 and another around 4/5.  They drop the 1/2 feed first and then later on the 4/5.  With a wake up time around 7.

Heidi

[meltown]

I am sort of cluster feeding but I do the last 2 feeds 2 hours apart.  If I have an 8-8:30 bed time how should I do the cluster feeds?  should I do them at 3:30-4, 5:30-6, and 7:30-8? or shoudl I only do the last 2 5:30-6, and 7:30-8? 

I am realizuing that what I thoguht was right was not so I am having to revamp his whole schedual.  I am working on it now and I want to post it when I am done.  so I could see if I have it right.  but I will do that when I am done.

[mom-2-3]

Hey Melissa,

Try aiming for a 7ish bedtime.  If you want to cluster feed, then feedings would probably be at 7, 10, 1, 3, 5, and bedtime.  or you could just do a regular 3 hr schedule, 7, 10, 1, 4, bedtime.  I never cluster fed or did a dream feed and my ds adapted to his routine, and sleeping from 6/6:30 until 7 around 3.5 mths.

Good luck, Heidi

[* Paula *]

Hi Melissa,

If you were going to put your lo to bed at around 7ish and wanted to cluster feed, I would do the first one around 5 and then again just before bed.

Paula x

[meltown]

Why is the 7 pm bed time so important?  I am just curious.  I am not a morning person so I was thinking that I would like to get up at 8 which is why I was thinking an 8 bed time.  but if it makes a difference to have a earlier one I will try to do it.  he is on a 2 1/2 hour schedual for feeding right now but sometimes seems to be abe to go 2 hours and 45 minutes. should I do 2 1/2 or 3?    and  cluster feeds is the way to plan it?

[catz]

I think the main reason for the 7pm bedtime is so that you and hubby have time together and I find with my LO that he gets niggly in the  late afternoons so by 7pm he is ready to pass out.  I bath him between 5.30 and 6 and feed him at 6.30 then off to bed.
When he is older it will probably be a relief to get him into bed by 7.
Those are my thoughts

[yaya]

couldnt agree more!!

[meltown]

My husband works in the evenings.  he doesn't get off until 10:00 pm.  My mom brought up a good point of when they turn 5 and start going to school they will need to be up by 7 or 7:30 so if That will be needed in the future I should maybe start it now.  I was wondering because you change your schedual so much between now and then if that should be something I consider.  because if not then I think I would rather have him in bed by 7:30 or 8:00.  just for my sanity!=o)  but if I should consider it, I will try to do it because I want him to not have a problem later on.

[* Paula *]

Melissa,

Getting them to bed by 7 /7:30 helps them get into a good routine for when they are older, and also at the age that they are now, they do start getting really tired by this time.  It is also great as it gives you some time to relax with your feet up before going to bed.

Setting that bedtime now will definitely help when your lo is older.  My DS is 16 months now, and has even pulled his bedtime foward himself and is asleep by 6:30 / 6:45.

I would definitely suggest cluster feeding as it helps them tank up and they will not wake up hungry before the dreamfeed.  You can always clusterfeed at around 5ish and then have a bath as your A time and then bed by 7 / 7:30.

HTH's

Paula x