Hi Mamas!
A lot of you asked about Leo’s schedule so I thought I’d do a little follow-up to my sleep post a few weeks ago! He’s 9 months old and while we have a really good routine for him, we base it on his wake time in the morning and there on out. We needed a more defined schedule for the twins as there were two of them and it helped us streamline their rhythms and day so just remember every baby and every family’s needs are unique.
Right now Leo is 9 months, taking two naps and eating 3 meals (plus snacks). We encourage lots of play, but no day is ever the same as we are constantly on walks and/or adventures with the twins, we’re sometimes in the car for naps, he’s sleeping on me in a carrier, or we are just having an off day, which happens. He did go through the 9 month regression, and we stretched his wake windows and added more activity/exercise to get him tired which helped pretty quickly but I know there are more hurdles to come. We provide a lot of structure with most naps in the crib, but also allow flexibility as we have two other little ones, and because, life happens. That said, his day typically looks like this:
Leo‘ s 9 Month Schedule
6:30am : wake and nurse
7am : breakfast
9 or 9:30: nap
10 or 10:30am : snack/play
11:30ish: lunch
1pm: nap
3pm: snack/play
5pm: dinner
5:45: bath with the twins
6:30: nurse and bedtime
*He’s grown out of catnaps however if he wakes up from his lunchtime nap early, sometimes we still offer him a one around 4pm, for 20 minutes to tie him to bedtime! It’s so important for him to not be overtired. Those are always his hardest nights!
As I mentioned I am certified in baby sleep and here is a general guide on wake times that I share with others. It’s a tricky game because babies who are under tired won’t sleep well, and babies who are over tired won’t sleep well either, and every baby is SO different. If you’re having a hard time with it, give yourself a few days or even week to play with your little one’s window (and give yourself some grace while you’re at it).
If you’re looking for support in sleep I’d love to help you out. Just send me an email at carly@carlykenihan.com!I hope you and your littles are getting some rest!
