Hi, I've replied to your other post to, I think if you can amend their bedtimes so that they are'nt at the same time this would help a lot, do you have someone to watch the baby whilst you do the bedtime routine with Sam? it might be easier to put your baby boy down after Sam, I know it will mean that you will be doing bedtime routines for longer at night but once they are both able to self settle themselves you will be able to move them back to the same time if you want to.

reply by DT-emily - 10 weeks ago

I do try to put baby down after Sam. Most nights my husband is home in time to help with the bedtime routine.

I still don't understand why he doesn't settle in the cot at night, but does for naps. As soon as we bring him downstairs he's quiet and drifts off naturally.

He also went through the night last night for the first time. Dream feed at 10.30-11 and then woke up when I walked into his room at 7am. That bit is brilliant, its just I'd really like him to settle in the evening.

Thanks!

reply by sleepy4970 - 10 weeks ago

You need to keep working on settling him in his cot in the evening. The bringing him into the lounge may be working for the moment, but in the long run it may start to cause a problem. It may also be why your older son is getting so upset - he sees that the new baby is getting more attention.

reply by DT-Jenny - 9 weeks ago

New baby isn't getting more attention. If anything Sam is getting more.

Have you got any tips for a bedtime routine for a 18 month old and a 12 week old - I feel like I'm getting things too confused and maybe drawn out for the pair of them.

Currently I bath baby at 6, dry and dress and let him have a kick in the cot. bath toddler at 6.15, dry and dress and milks for the pair of them by 6.30 on our bed. It goes down hill from there when I'm trying to get toddler to bed and baby to settle!

Thanks!

reply by sleepy4970 - 9 weeks ago

hi i have a 16month age gap, so i know how your feeling as also my now 4month old will not settle at bedtime but we are slowly getting there. when he first arrived my little girl started to become unsettled at bed time too. what i did was i chose to do pupdcd for baby and a sort of cc with my girl ,as i have to do bedtimes on my own. this ment while baby was doing the cd bit i went into my girl. as she was just looking for reassurance etc i laid her down gave her a kiss and said my key phrases again, then busied myself as two crying babies are difficult to listen to. then went back to baby for the pupd bit then to my girl ect some times offering her water in a beaker. it didnt take long for her to go back to settling herself to bed again, although i am still struggling with baby. I am not sure what I did with my girl was the right thing but it worked for her, you could check with the dream team in your other thread if this is they way you want to go.

hope this gives you some hope and encouragement and good luck X

reply by sleepy4119 - 9 weeks ago

Thanks Sleepy4119!

It is so tough! Tonight I have done exactly that... CC with toddler and pupdcd with baby! Toddler settled by 30 minutes and pupd took 1 hour. I am going to try the same again tomorrow night and hopefully it will be easier.

Just really want to be consistant. Toddler has always been an excellent sleeper, so this hiccup is frustrating - might be because he's not long started walking and is into everything. Hated hearing baby cry, but need to get a system in place.

reply by sleepy4970 - 9 weeks ago

How did it go last night?

reply by Mentor-Wendy - 9 weeks ago

CC with toddler took about 30 minutes

PUPDCD with baby took an hour. This was the hardest because he is a baby who doesn't usually cry, so he cried more last night than he ever has in 12 weeks. It was also very hot last night, so I wondered if he was even more upset for being so hot. He was only laid down in a vest.

Will try again tonight.

reply by sleepy4970 - 9 weeks ago