My toddler’s fantastic bedtime routine

My toddler’s fantastic (current) bedtime routine

Nighttimes are just a treat at the moment! My 19 month-old
seems to be just ready when the time comes at the end of every day. Naps are
not his big thing, but he’s never been a big sleeper. I monitored his sleep pattern
three times since his birth:

-         
 for 2 weeks, at 7 months

-         
For 2 weeks at 8 months

-         
For just over 3 weeks at 13 months

And the average was 13 hours between day and night
sleep.

The max per day was 16 hours (just the once at 7
months) and the minimum 10 hours (also at 7 months).

It might seem like a bit obsessive to have kept that
kind of record but it was out of personal interest and as I’m not the most
confident with my memory, this is the kind of thing I like to keep a note of, now
and again. Then I can confidently rely on something rather then my vague
recollection. Will I manage to do the same for the next babies, nothing is less
sure... It’s also important to note that I’m half-German, and I believe one very
strong characteristic of this culture is a (nearly anal) sense of organisation...

Now back to the title subject... my son has rarely
done 2 naps in a day, generally it’s just the one in the afternoon, which he’s
recently not been very keen on.

But when the time comes to put him down for the night
at 8.30-9pm, he’s had a good belly full of food, a good play and laugh (I
believe a bit of play before bedtime helps him feel more relaxed and not in the
fear of sleep time) and a run around the household waving night-night.  I pop him in bed – of late, he doesn’t
systematically ask for a feed which is great as I feel like phasing out
breastfeeding by the time he’s age two – only 5 months to go – so if he doesn’t
need it at that “crucial” time it must mean that he’s slowly starting to be
ready to “quit the breast”...

When he’s been put down in his bed, he’ll either ask
for a book, or cuddle a soft toy – or three – or/ and asked to be covered up
(there is a fairly large selection of little blankets for him). And then he’ll
wave goodbye in response and we’ll blow kisses at each other. I switch the
light off, close the door, and not a sound to be heard...

I made a note of this text a couple of days ago, and
just for the exception we were out eating with some friends tonight, and our
little one was bouncing with life right up until we left at 11pm. Each time this
has happened since the end of 2009 it’s taken a good week to get our little one
back in a normal routine. Let’s see what happens this time...