Baby & Toddler

Moved dinner before bath for our 1 year old. Two weeks in, bedtime is 45 minutes earlier

sunny_quilt_2530

Until this month our evening went bath at 7, dinner at 7.30, then a long fight to sleep around 9.30. She'd start crying halfway through the bath, eat badly, and get a second wind. Two weeks ago we swapped them. Dinner at 6.45, bath at 7.30, milk, lights out. She now falls asleep around 8.45 most nights. Two nights out of fourteen were bad, both after daycare days with a short nap. Nothing clever, just writing it down in case it's useful to someone in the same evening loop.

6 comments

  • amber_diary_225

    We did the reverse with our younger one at that age, bath first, because she'd fall asleep in the middle of dinner otherwise. What time does daycare give her the afternoon snack? That might be why the earlier dinner works for yours.

  • banyan_wave_7163

    In our house bedtime moved every time my work schedule moved, and mine was a film-shoot schedule, so the kids learnt to sleep through anything. Not a method I'd recommend. Glad yours has settled.

  • moss_hammock_5898

    Two weeks is early to call it. Ours shifted for about a month after a change like this and then drifted back. Hope it holds for you.

  • mango_balcony_1110

    When our daughter was small, a warm bath made her too sleepy to eat, so dinner first worked for us as well. She's 16 now and still can't eat after a hot shower, which amuses everyone.

  • sage_fern_563

    45 minutes every night adds up to a lot. nice.

  • plum_puzzle_3010

    Did you change anything about the bath itself, water temperature or how long it lasts? With our daughter the warm water was what made her drowsy, so moving the bath closer to sleep did most of the work.

    • sage_camera_3431

      A related question: did you notice a difference between a warm bath and a quick wash? Ours is younger and we're still deciding where the bath goes in the evening.

    • sunny_quilt_2530

      Same water, same ten minutes. What changed is that she isn't hungry in the bath any more, which is when the crying used to start.

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