Getting babies settled into a solid sleep routine can be tricky, and what works for some parents doesn’t always work for others. Plenty of parents try for a traditional bedtime of around 7pm, but that means the baby will wake up earlier in the morning, which some night owl moms and dads don’t appreciate. So they prefer putting their little ones down later in the evening, sometimes as late as midnight, and a couple of parenting pros say there’s nothing wrong with that.
Child sleep expert Sarah Carpenter and parenting journalist Cat Cubie agree that a 7pm bedtime is more conventional for babies, but that doesn’t mean it's the best fit for everyone. They say as long as you meet all your baby’s needs, it doesn’t actually matter what time they go to sleep. Cat explains that a more nocturnal routine may be better for some parents because of their lifestyle choices or schedules.
The experts say if you’re considering moving to a midnight bedtime for your baby, first ask yourself if you can meet all of their sleep, milk and food needs for their age with a bedtime routine that starts that late. If you can, then they say there’s no reason not to try it. Carpenter says, “In fact, you could remove ‘midnight’ and put in any time of the day or night” that works for you. One thing to keep in mind is that kids, like adults, need exposure to daylight, so if the baby is sleeping more through the day, you still need to get them outside in the sunlight every day. And the biggest thing with bedtimes is consistency. Moving it around too much is more likely to cause sleep issues and that’s not good for you or the baby.
Read the full article at NY Post