Co-sleeping mums; do you have a bedtime routine?

[Cat_pj]

We do have one, but its not ideal LO basically sleeps downstairs on me or the couch, then at ten I go up to bed, we change her and then I give her another feed in bed before we go to sleep.

Do other co-sleeping mummies do this? I feel like a failure for not having a 7:30 bed then mummy time or anything We tried down in her cot when she was 3 months but I couldnt handle it, I ended up in tears and OH even shouted at me, first time ever.

I feel so bad about this

ps. I didnt intend to co-sleep, just kinda happened that way, she does spend some time in her moses next to me, I don't want to move her to her own room until 6 months.

 

[Lightworker]

I don't believe in setting routins and you are most certainly NOT a failure. I did what you do with my DD1 until she started nursery at 2 and then she fell into her own predictable routine and it was then that she slept at 7.30. Your LO does not need to be in bed at 7 because there's no school or work the next day. Just carry on as you are.

 

[charlotte-xo]

this is what I do but i normally give alfie a feed at 9ish and then go up to bed at 10ish. we were co sleeping part time but alfies decided he wants to all night now lol.
your not a failure hun alfie sleeps on me for all naps, ive not even tried to put him in bed before me because i just know he wouldnt settle. you do whats best for you hun.

 

[anna_t]

When Alex was younger I did exactly what you do now. He ony slept on me until he wa 6 months apart from at night time when we went to bed. Now though we give him a bath and get him in his pyjamas and then watch in the night garden and then Feed and sleep. He is still in our bed but I leave him there. Have bought some guards that we put up around our beds he can't roll over and fall off the bed which he did just before we got the guards.
I just let him decide what rime he wanted to go to bed and in the end it was the same time more or less every evening and it was then we started doing a proper routine with bath and in the night garden.

 

[Raven24]

No routine here and you are not a failure there is no law that says babies must be in bed for 7.30 and my toddler still doesn't go to bed anywhere near that time its just unrealistic for us, my oldest goes to bed between 8 and 9 and then me and hubby and baby stay up for an hour or two and i let lo sleep on me on on settee till I go to bed and when I do he has another feed in bed then we go to sleep. I think he has slept in his cot maybe twice for a couple of hours he just prefers the big bed with mommy and I love the smuggles.

 

[bimbojo]

Dont worry about it. My LO zonks out at 9 and snuggles on me until i go to bed. If i haven't already gotten ready for bed i transfer him onto his daddy when he is dead asleep and get ready or do stuff if i need too. Sometimes he wakes up on the way up to bed which is usually 10 but if i feel slightly insane can be later. i never have a problem putting him back to sleep.

 

[sarah_c]

I was doing the exact same until three days ago. Lotte used to snooze on sofa until 10pm when I went to bed as we co-sleep but then she started becoming too interested in the TV or what I was doing. So I've have tried a bedtime routine at 7pm and putting her to bed for 3 nights but she keeps waking up and crying so I've ended up going to bed too. Don't really know what to do about it all.

If your LO is happy with the way you do things then why change them. Plenty of time for routines when they are older

 

[Cat_pj]

Thanks everyone you made me feel tonnes better about it now! I shouldn't doubt myself so much..silly me!

 

[somedaymama]

My baby has to be completely asleep before we go to bed otherwise she'll wake up and want to play. Between 9 and 10 we work on getting her settled down by holding her and snuggling with her. She has a "pre-bed nap" for about 20 minutes in my Ergo baby carrier. When she wakes up, I let her play on the floor if she looks like she needs it and then I read her three books and put her back in the Ergo. When she is in a deep sleep I take her to our bed. She often wants to nurse in bed and we fall asleep that way.

Since we've been following this routine the last couple weeks, she's gone to sleep a bit earlier than 1 am (around 11:30), which is really nice! I really can't fathom a 7:30 bedtime for co-sleeping families, it just doesn't really seem practical.

 

[shimmy]

Don't feel bad if that's what you and Lo are comfortable with! My baby does go to sleep at half six by himself in the Pram(hated the Moses basket lol) but that was his choice! I wouldn't have pushed anything . He comes to bed with me at 12 or 3 (after feeds)depending on when I go to bed.
Just go with whatever makes you all happy x

 

[cowboys angel]

At 8 I lay on the couch with Elizabeth. I feed her at 8:30-9, and cuddle her and talk to her. At 10:30 I feed her again. I tuck her up against my chest/stomach and sing/talk her to sleep. Carry her to bed with us. I lay her in her bassinet while OH and I shower/DTD (haha) if we do.

Sometimes I leave her in bassinet til she wakes again, sometimes take her to bed with me. (It is right next to our bed.) She wakes again at 7-8 for a feeding.

(WOOHOO FOR SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!)

Take her back to bed with me, we cuddle/snooze til 9-10.