#6 MONTH OLD DAILY SCHEDULE WINDOWS#

How – the practicalities of bringing in a routineĪ good goal to begin with is to start and end your day at the same sort of time. The reality is that the earlier you establish a routine, the more it sticks – so you’re likely to have a more consistent sleep journey, one usually marked with less regressions and setbacks. That said, there is a sweet spot (usually 3-6 months old!). So, in short, you can start establishing a routine at any time. Still others don’t necessarily realise that a routine is possible, or what the benefits of one might be, until later. There should never be external pressure, especially in those early months, to get on a routine.Įstablishing feeding and bonding with your baby are all that matter to start. In this case, establishing a routine might be the last thing on your mind.

Other families are dealing with other stuff – there might be trouble establishing feeding, a case of colic, undiagnosed reflux, intolerances, recovery from a traumatic birth, older children, or other household stresses. Newborn sleep is about 50% genetic, and 50% nurture (a result of what you do as a parent), so for those blessed with a relatively easy sleeper, establishing a routine in those early months is undoubtedly easier.įor those who are starting their day at the same sort of time, and are waking their baby to feed 3 hourly, a more timed nap schedule can start emerging from as early as six weeks old. Taking things right back to the beginning, some people find the newborn months relatively easy when it comes to sleep. When – the optimal time to start establishing a routine It’s worth it to make sure they’re not getting too much daytime sleep that can rob them of restorative night sleep, or too little daytime sleep which means they go to bed overtired and wake lots throughout the night.

We often say that how your child sleeps during the day will determine their nights. This is because the right structure supports optimal night-time sleep. This often means they sleep through the night earlier – which remains the ultimate aim, or somewhat the ‘holy grail’ of infant sleep! It provides a structure that makes it easy for someone else to look after your littlie and it can remove the guesswork, making it easy to know when your child is ready to drop a nap.Īn age-appropriate routine also means that, as soon as your baby is physically able, they start getting most of their calories between 7am and 7pm. There’s nothing worse than having to wake your sleeping baby when they’ve gone down too close to 3pm!Īn optimal sleep routine means sleep is more predictable for your baby, so they are easier to settle and don’t fight sleep as much. Our nap routines are also structured to work well around school and kindy drop offs, which is important if you have other children. In this way, a routine actually tends to reduce stress. It helps parents to respect their child’s need for sleep, while still being able to do activities. If you know they are meeting their sleep needs, it’s possible to then look for other clues when they are upset and consider your child’s needs in a clearer context.Īs well as enjoying a happy baby, lots actually enjoy the predictability and consistency, which allows them to plan around what their baby ultimately needs. Knowing where your child is at throughout the day can also make it easier to spot any sources of problems or concern. They help us keep feeds away from naps to avoid forming a ‘feed to sleep’ association and to minimise potential digestive disturbances.

#6 MONTH OLD DAILY SCHEDULE WINDOWS#

Routines that work with a baby’s natural biological sleep windows allow parents to understand when their babies are biologically tired and ready for a nap. As parents too, we’re better able to understand and predict their needs – often before they have to cry to let us know them. When we work with this underlying driver, our children are usually much more content. We all have an internal biological clock, which matures as we develop. The reality is that babies love consistency and thrive on routine – especially when it’s one that works with their circadian rhythms. One of the common misconceptions we encounter from critics of a sleep-supporting routine is that it stems from a parent-driven need for control. However, wherever you fall on the structure-loving spectrum, there are huge benefits to laying down a basic routine to support sleep. Some swear they couldn’t live without one, while others view the mere suggestion a routine as a dirty word.Īnd don’t get me wrong, there’s no way to remove all of the unpredictability of life with littlies. The idea of a routine is met with mixed reactions from mums.

6 month old daily schedule