sleep routines for a 2 month old

Janine - posted on 12/27/2010

I will hun! goood luck! x

Crystal - posted on 12/24/2010

thank you janine. thats actually what im trying. so wish me luck

Janine - posted on 12/24/2010

Hey my son was 9 weeks old when he was in a routine! 10pm till 10am sleep!.. I started off byt bathing him about 9.30pm with warm water and johnsons lavender bath stuff... and after that i would cream him in lavender lotion. Straight after his bath id dress him n then give him a bottle n he would go straight off to sleep then!... i tryed to stop him napping from 7.30pm so he would be tierd when going to bed... from then hes slept brilliant! xxx hope this helps!

Crystal - posted on 12/22/2010

yes Renae that would be great

Renae - posted on 12/21/2010

I'm guessing your question is to me... I'm a sleep consultant and I specialise in infants and young toddlers. If it would be helpful I can email you some "normal day schedules" for the various age groups 0-3 so you can see what works for most babies and what to expect as your baby grows. Just msg me if your interested. :)

Crystal - posted on 12/21/2010

are you a teacher of some sort?

Renae - posted on 12/21/2010

PS should also have included tired signs, here they are:

The tired signs for newborns which almost all babies do:
• Jerky movements - look for a “hook punch” with a clenched fist
• Pulling at or scratching ears (some babies scratch behind their ear or their head)
• Difficulty focusing, looking “through” you or appearing to stare at nothing (you find yourself trying to figure out what the baby is looking at), some babies even go cross-eyed.
• Fussiness (e.g. when a usually favourite toy only amuses them for a brief moment)
• Difficulty calming down
• Crying when put down or “being clingy”
The tired signs for newborns that some babies do:
• Sucking on hand or fingers for comfort
• A distinct frown that only appears when they are tired
• Clenching fists
• A cry that sounds like a growl
• Arching their back

The tired signs for older babies include the same signs as newborn, as well as:
• Constant grizzling or whining
• Constantly demanding your attention
• Easily bored with toys
• Fussy with food
• Clumsiness
• Sucking thumb or fingers

The signs of overtiredness in newborns are:
• Laughing very easily at small things
• Being far more easily excitable than normal
• Yawning, always put a baby to bed straight away if you see a yawn
• Crying and unable to settle

The signs of overtiredness in older babies include the same signs as newborn, as well as:
• Rubbing eyes
• Throwing tantrums

Renae - posted on 12/21/2010

Crystal at 2 months your main focus should be on awake time rather than naps. Also remember that until they are around 9 months old, napping needs to change every couple of months, so many mums get disheartened by the fact that just as they get a routine working, it has to change.

Here are the awake and nap times for the next few years:

Newborn 0-12 weeks: Should not be awake for more than 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3-6 months: Can stay awake for 1 to 2 hours (usually only 40 minutes after first waking in the morning).
6-9 months: Need 3 naps per day and can stay awake for 2 to 3 hours.
9-12 months: Need 2 naps per day and can stay awake for 3 to 4 hours.
12-18 months: Transition to 1 nap per day usually begins by 16 months.
18 months to 3 years: 1 nap per day. Most toddlers stop napping by the time they are 3.

Night waking:

0-12 weeks: Feeds every 3-4 hours all day and all night.
8-14 weeks: Begins to show understanding of difference between day and night. Drops one feed in the early hours of the morning and sleeps a continuous stretch of at least 5 hours inclusive of midnight to 5am.
By 6 months: May sleep a continuous stretch of up to 8 hours without waking and crying, some babies are still sleeping only 5 hours.
50% of babies need at least one night feed until they are 12 months old.
75% of babies will sleep through the night before 6 months, when they are physiologically and developmentally ready, regardless of anything the parents do or don't do.

If you would like more info I am happy to send you my handouts from my new baby info session.

Crystal - posted on 12/21/2010

i was thinking that too, that he shouldn't still be up at 11pm. but if hes not tired i cant make him sleep. thank you for the help. we're trying out a routine but the sleep part will come later

Lydia - posted on 12/21/2010

my daughter started having a bedtime and predictable naptimes around 6 months. however I went with the flow and still do, but I established a routine early (feed, bath, cuddles, bed). I learned to read her cues so most of the time I could already early see when she'd go to sleep... but sometimes she surprised me and stayed up 2 hours longer... but who cares, just go with the flow. If she'd do that I just take her out of the bed and let her play some more until she's tired and than cuddle some more and off she went to the land of dreams. Don't stress to much about bedtime now, I had a time when I thought she should go to sleep at 7 but she didn't so I tried the whole night to put her to sleep which was stressful. I figured if I just let her be and try later again it's much more relaxed for all of us. I mean imagine, you're not tired but somebody trying to force you to fall asleep... won't work.

Crystal - posted on 12/20/2010

thank you very much for all the ideas. they really did help.. its a new week so we're gonna try tonight and see what happens

Danielle - posted on 12/20/2010

2 months is still pretty touch and go. But you can certainly begin a routine to get your baby on the right track. My daughter is almost 4 months old and I've been doing the same routine since she was 6 weeks old. She's just actually starting to sleep through now. My son, I began a routine with around 2 months old and he didn't sleep through until he was 10.5 months old. So as you can see, it's really up to your baby.

8pm - bath, baby massage, pajamas.
9pm - bottle, cuddles, rocking chair, put to bed awake but drowsy. I use the shh-pat method. You can google it, it is very helpful.

SAME TIME EVERY NIGHT. Sometimes she's asleep in 10 minutes, sometimes it takes almost an hour. I keep a fan running for some white noise. She sleeps until around 6am, gets up for a bottle, and then goes back to sleep until around 8:30am-9am. The most important part about a routine is sticking to it and remaining consistent.

Liz - posted on 12/20/2010

We have bedside subdued lighting in our room (we have his moses basket in with us at the moment) and a small lamp in what will be his room where the changing gear is.Once he is changed (which we only do if its necessary) and ready to feed, I tend to turn the lights off again and feed him in the near dark (I leave the bedroom door open so the hall light comes through a bit). The other thing we have just started doing is a bath/bottle or breast/bed routine at the same time each night. (we decided on 9pm). Then he goes down into his basket awake or asleep and we don't pick him up again, just rock the basket gently if he cries. Unless of course he is obviously distressed, but mostly he goes off to sleep within half an hour now.

Crystal - posted on 12/20/2010

what do you do if he wakes up during the night, for light i mean? do you just put on a lamp?

Liz - posted on 12/20/2010

My baby is the same age and I agree, its difficult yet to get a proper routine - the only thing we really do is keep the difference between night and day obvious - he is always in a light, bright room during the day, with people coming and going and normal daytime noises, the tv etc. At night we keep him very quiet in a darkened room, and only change or cuddle when necessary, keeping voice contact to a minimum. He is definitely starting to sleep better for longer periods at night, but has different naps during the day. Not sure if thats because of what we are doing or just because its the time it starts happening!

Crystal - posted on 12/19/2010

i kind of figured that closer to 6 months is more so when i should have a routine. thank you so much for the advice, it really helped, and made me feel better

Emily - posted on 12/19/2010

I agree with Lise. At 2 months, neither of my babies had a routine. Things change so much all the time at that age. It wasn't until closer to 6 months and later that they had predictable sleep times. Just go with the flow for now, take your baby's cues.

Crystal - posted on 12/18/2010

okay, thanks lot

Lise - posted on 12/18/2010

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Babies change their routines a LOT, but it always seems to be in response to their needs. I know *I* don't go to sleep at the same time every night.

Nothing wrong with a bedtime routine, though! :) Best advice for a first-time mom is go with the flow and your instinct.

Crystal - posted on 12/18/2010

my concern is really about sleeping the same time each night and having the same nap times. Im a first time mom so im not sure

Lise - posted on 12/18/2010

What kind of a sleeping routine are you talking about? I personally don't believe in sleep training, but we have a bedtime routine... We change her into her pjs, brush her teeth (used to brush her gums), read a book and nurse.