When you have a newborn, things can be very unpredictable for the first few weeks. If you are like me, you want to get to a more consistent schedule as soon as possible. I have found that writing down when your baby eats and sleeps is helpful in trouble shooting sleeping problems and eating issues. Writing all this information down helps you to see where patterns are developing. For instance, my son Haydon is having a lot of trouble with the first nap of the day. I have been writing down what time he eats, how long he eats, and if there were any eat issues (spit up, etc.). I have been also writing down what time I start his nap time prep (Swaddling, holding, laying him down), and what time he actually falls asleep (I watch this on my video monitor). It is also helpful to record any other information such as temperature in the room, the noise level in the house, or other environmental issues that might be effecting the nap. I then keep the daily schedule log in a 3-ring binder so I can go back and look at what Haydon’s schedules have been like in the past.
If you would like to do the same- here is a PDF of the daily schedule sheet that I have been using.
Daily Schedule Log
Thanks Sue! I’ve been trying to come up with a log to track Drew’s patterns, but everything I was devising was way complicated with too many boxes. Never occurred to me to try something with fewer boxes – keep it simple, right? I’m betting this will be way easier for me to keep up with