Bedtime craziness!

Girls just turned 9 months and for the past couple of weeks, they've been going a bit crazy at bedtime. They are physically struggling with us and not wanting their formula which I've cut down from 8oz to 6oz as a result (they have three 8oz at other feeds [6.30am 11am and 3pm] which are no problem).

We have had the same bedtime routine since they were 8 weeks old, bath/wash, bottle, book, bed and they are in their cribs by 5.30pm and asleep by 5.40pm so timing is not an issue. They sleep to 6-6.30am and have a couple of night wakings but we don't go in, they babble for a little while..

But feeding them their bedtime milk is getting to be a real challenge, they just go crazy, trying to roll all over the bed, turn their heads away from their milk, just wanting to be silly with pillows, with each other, with us...

Really am at a loss as to what's going on... Any ideas?

PS: I only give them light solids around 4pm (they have a big breakfast and lunch), they have 8oz at 3pm - should I maybe start dropping this feed?)

 

If they don't want it don't push it. See how they do a couple nights with out it. Then maybe start offering it before their solids and make their solids the last thing for the day. Even dropping that bottle they are drinking more than my twins were at that age!

 

I would say they probably aren't hungry....if they are getting 8 oz. at 3pm, solids at 4pm, and then another bottle before bed at 5:30pm, that's a lot very close together (in the span of 2.5-3 hours). I would either cut out one of the feedings, like the 3pm feeding, or make those last two feedings of the day smaller, like maybe 6 oz. each, and see how they do with that.

 

I've been thinking of dropping a bottle as they will still be getting their recommended amount so today I gave them their lunch first then bottle, then a snack after their nap, then 8oz before bed. I don't know why but I feel weird that they're now getting 4oz less per day then before.

And it was still a struggle to get them to calm down at this time. I guess that's my real issue, they're just going wild...

Tomorrow I'm thinking of giving them some milk with their snack but in a sippy straw cup... I guess with an early bedtime, it's hard to work out the dinner/milk schedule and I really do want them to still have a bedtime bottle as it's a long time till morning milk.

 

Maybe they just aren't ready to sleep yet? Try pushing bedtime to six?

 

Thanks Miriam, they're definitely ready because as soon they are in their cots at 5.30pm they are asleep by 5.40pm (no fuss or crying)... if we are later than 5.45pm they are awake playing and/or fussing until 6.15-6.30 (in Liara's case).. and because they don't nap long (Sierra 1.25-1.5hours Liara 45mins) during the day and have night wakings, they need all the extra sleep they can get... and I've also found that with this sleep time, they sleep till after 6am... before when we were putting them down at an ytime between 5.30-5.50pm, they were waking at 5.15-5.30am, now with the earlier bedtime, they are sleeping in a little bit longer which is great!

Today we just let them get it out of their system half way through their bottle then finished the rest of the bottle... I just wish I knew what it was all about really... (and I guess I can foresee the future a little when they are running around and I'm not looking forward to it! LOL!)

 

Your note about letting them get it out of their system before settling down to finish the bottle is right along with what I was thinking - maybe they need some physical activity during the late afternoon? I prefer to have it prior to the bedtime snack or bottle because it can get them so wound up, but when DH does bedtime he always does a bit of wilder play with them right before settling them for story-reading and it does not seem to affect their ability to get to sleep. Some kids and babies just seem to need that!
Mine loved some pretty vigorous baby gymnastics followed with a short massage to calm them down again at that age. I did it in the morning, but maybe you could try that one evening?

 

Yes absolutely! I remember Aliah as a young child always wanting and loving being tickled before bed.... I think they might be of the same ilk I've just resisted with the girls because I didn't want them too wound up before bed but I guess they're doing this anyway and still going to sleep okay.

Unfortunately they've never kept still for massages but I agree the vigorous play before bed is probably what they want and as DH says helps them get off to sleep too.