These two weeks we've been busy trying to set up a routine for Boy Boy. Have been buying a lot of parenting books and doing a lot of reading and research.

Apparently 2 months is the best age to start establishing a routine for baby, which will help him know and expect what is to come. Adds structure and security to his life.

Routine and schedule are different; schedule sticks strictly to timing whereas routine sticks to the order of events, and timing is flexible.


Here is his daily routine for now:

7 am	Wake up, feed and play
8.30 am	Nap (1)
10 am	Wake up, feed and bathe
11.30 am	Nap (2)
1 pm	Wake up, feed and gek-sai/play
2.30 pm	Nap (3)
4 pm	Wake up, feed and play
5.30 pm	Nap (4)
7 pm	Wake up and sponge bath
8 pm	Feed and Night Nap
10.30 pm	Wake up and feed
11 pm	Bedtime

We tried letting him sleep at 8 pm all the way in the bedroom, but then he wakes up at 2 or 3 am to feed. So we tried waking him up at 11 pm for a feed, which backfired as he then woke up every 3 hours into the night for feeding!

Then Hubby's friend recommended her practice of breaking night sleep into a Night Nap (in living room) and proper night sleep (in bedroom). Some kind of mental warcraft ;)

So far so good. Boy Boy has stopped waking up at 2 or 3 am to feed, but he still wakes up at 4 or 5 am, totally wide-eyed and alert. Makes me want to cry ;) The only way I can get him to return to sleep is to feed him so he gets drowsy, or stuff the pacifier into his mouth. Which I then have to re-stuff all the way until daybreak cos it keeps falling out and he cries until it's replaced :(((

According to the books, he might have gotten into the habit of waking at that time, and can't put himself back to sleep. Two recommended ways to solve the problem:

(1) I have to wean him off the feeding by gradually diluting that bottle of milk until it's all water and he can't be bothered to wake up for it.

(2) I semi-wake him 1 hour before the time he usually wakes up. Do this for about 3 days and it will work. Supposedly it throws off his bodily schedule wor.

Tonight we will experiment and see how.


Day naps are also a headache. Some days he doesn't take his naps at all and end up cranky by late afternoon. Super tired, but refusing to sleep. We suspect he wants to play so much that he keeps himself awake. This happens especially when my Mum comes over (he loves to play with her) or we have guests who keep overstimulating him and leave us to 'clean up the mess'.

Firstly, he won't grow well without sufficient sleep. Secondly, if he doesn't nap, I am unable to eat my meals or do anything. Some days I end up having breakfast and lunch together at 3 or 4 pm, close to breaking point when Hubby returns home after work.

Today is a great day :) Due to the good (or rather, better) sleep last night after applying the new night arrangement, I woke up with enough energy to remain cheerful as well as play with Boy Boy the whole day. Which in turn tires him out enough to ask for his naps himself.

That's why I have the time to come online today. Been itching to blog for quite a while! Keeping my fingers crossed for the experiments to come... Hopefully we'll settle into a good sleep routine and make the days much easier to pass :D

Labels: I'm A Mummy