Pre-bed routines

Hi Sally it goes something like this...

1 - change nappy
2 - pull curtains
3 - change into sleeping bag
4 -story, holding bear and cuddly
5 - turn on white noise (fire alarm is 100m away and goes at midday)
6- we turn out light
7- I sing twinkle twinkle and pop her into bed
8 - say night night and love you (she snuggles into cuddly and mattress and sometimes waves bye bye).
9 - shut door

Its the same every day no matter who puts her to bed. The only differance at night is a bath beforehand and a feed before story. It works for us she knows what to expect and now at 15 months anticipates the next step. I think its invaluable.

Day time naps is always the same, I go in, sit her on the couch, go grab her sleeping bag and bring it to the couch then zip her in, turn the mobile on (20 mins of songs) and we have a breast feed (this makes her sleepy but not asleep) and I also pat her bum (she gets soothed by this) and then when she's finished her feed I put her in her cot with no covers other than her sleeping bag and place her in according to what side she fed off so I don't move her too much and she'll either nod off or grab her teddy and just cuddle/chat to him until she nods off but usually I have to exit the room without her noticing or it's all tears!
Also any variation to this or if DP walks in and says night while she is feeding screws it all up and she wants to go play with him!

Night time is the same except when we go into her room it's dark (I pull the curtains after her last nap and get the room ready for her bedtime then (about 4-5pm).

She has dinner at about 5.30-6 and then at about 6pm now (have bought her bedtime forward one hour) I get the bath ready and she has a bath at about 6.10-6.15 for about 15 minutes then she gets dried, massaged and dressed in the lounge and has a mini play and some cuddles with dad and is off to bed between 6.30-7.30pm (latest). And again we have the mobile and a BF but as she has covers for night time she does get moved into position before being placed in the cot iygwim!

I definitely think it helps having a routine before bed just so they know and I know it helps because DP coming in totally throws her!

If she wakes at night time for the first 2 hours, I usually get her out, turn the mobile on and whisper-sing about 10 different songs: Wheels on the bus, twinkle twinkle, Tiny Tim, moe moe pepe, hokey pokey, you are my sunshine (chorus 2x), 5 little men in a flying saucer, I'm a little tea pot... whilst patting her bum.
Although sometimes she prefers a BF but I try to avoid it jic she gets a sore tummy because she often has a big dinner and BF before bed!

Ours is 1 of 2 routines.

The first nap of the morning she gets a feed when she gets up and another before I put her to bed.

So I feed her, I get up, wave nigh nighs at everyone in the room (if noone else is home we wave nigh nighs at cats/screens/kitchen etc) and I tell her its naptime for little girls, then we walk down the hallway to her room where I re-iterate that its nigh nighs and naptime. Put her down in her cot and leave. Even before we go in her room shes already putting fingers in mouth and her head on my shoulder cause she knows its sleepytime.

The rest of the day is as above but without the extra feed.

She selfsettles to sleep, we've had the routine since she was about 3-3 1/2 mths old.
Before that, any which way that got her to sleep was the rule.

day sleeps- change nappy (and give him 5-10 mins of nappy off time), then into room, put him in his sleeping bag, put him in his cot, pull curtains, kiss him goodnight, turn on white noise and then i walk out.

I don't close curtains for day naps either! Only her bed time one. But one of the mums in my coffee groups does and she does it when she wants baby to sleep longer.

For naps we go to room. Close curtains. Stand by cot and have a cuddle and few nighty songs (twinkle, lullabyes etc). Put into bed and i sit with her and sing another few songs. Then i leave her awake. She can grizzle for up to 10mins and she's asleep. If not i get her up and start again.

Patting and sushing has never worked for us at all.