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Baby Hints & Tips

6 month old routine – sleep and your 6 month old baby

Your 6 month old baby is getting more active and tiring himself out… finally.  Your little person has been around for half a year already and you’re probably finding it easier to get him into a routine.  We asked baby sleep consultant, Tara Mitchell, what mums can expect from a six month old baby and got some “real mum” feedback from our massive community of mums. As always, if you have any concerns about your baby’s sleep patterns, feeding or general health, speak to your doctor right away.

6 Month Old Routine - sleep, feed and play

What the baby sleep expert has to say about the 6 month old routine

Half way to one and what a precious time it is. Your little one won’t be missing a beat – their curiosity and awareness at this age is rather amazing. With this awareness comes the awareness of others and your little one may start to show signs of separation anxiety or an unease around strangers – this is perfectly normal. You may also start to see a lot more wriggling and rolling. Here are some tips to stay on track during periods of rolling and separation anxiety:

  • Offer your little one lots of opportunity to practice rolling and being on a flat surface to wriggle and move.   Our physio shares some tummy time tips.
  • Don’t roll them straight back but give them a moment and watch to ensure they are safe to allow them to strengthen their muscles that will eventually help to roll them back.
  • Play peek-a-boo and really get your little one used to the idea that you may be out of sight but you come back.
  • Keep a strong routine. This not only allows your little one consistency, but familiarity and in return security.
  • Remain positive and confident on any goodbyes and use a consistent phrase that allows your little one to recognise when you are going but also when you return.

Hints and Tips from the community on 6 month old routines

Tell us about your 6 month old baby routine. Roughly what time are they awake, asleep. How often do they feed (if bottles – how much)? What do you do with them when they are awake?

  • My six month old baby has bottles of 200mLs of formula at 7, 11, 3, 6:15 and dreamfeed at 10:30 (often requires an additional night feed between 4-5:30). He eats solids 2 to 3 times a day day sleeps 9-10:15 and 1-2 occasional naps at 4:30 for 20-30mins. We have lots of tummy time and love to read stories. Bed Time is between 7-8 Sonja
  • My 6 month old routine is 6am wake up then bottle 7 am solids porridge, 8am bath, play 9.30 am bottle & morning nap until lunch then solids veggies & meat or fruit & water then play (jolly jumper, playmat, walker etc..) 2.30 bottle then 4.30 dinner veggies & meat 5.30 bath & bottle bed & my daughter only rolling Natasha
  • Wake 6:30/7:00 Bottle Play 8:00 breakfast Play very active play 9:00/9:15 nap 10:45 wake up bottle Play (floor crawling mummy play) 12:00 lunch Very active play 1pm/ 1:20 sleep 2:45/3pm wake up bottle 3:30 snack of fruit or yoghurt 4:30/5:00 nap sometimes 5:30 dinner Naked time 6:10 bath 6:30 bottle 6:40 active play 7:00 bed with comforter 10:30/11:00 dream feed 2/3am wakes for feed.  And bottles are hit and miss with how much 80-150ml prefers food but I just keep trying lol Sorry mine crawls just starting. Rolls etc. does floor play. I do things I learnt at Gymbaroo and he goes in his jumping activity center before nap and bed. Stacey
  • My son is up at 6.30. He has bf at 7, 11, 3 and 6.30. He naps at about 8.30 11.30 and 4, for either 40 mins or 1.5 hrs. Has breakfast at 8 ( 1 Weetbix + a bowl of Farex and puree fruit) and lunch after his midday sleep (a bowl of vegies and some fruit) He sits up and rolls around, loves the jolly jumper and walker. And he normally lunches on a Rusk stick during the day too Amy
  • Wake at 7 for bf, breakfast at 8, play then back to sleep in cot at 9 for 2hrs. Bf at 11, lunch at 12 then play until sleep again in cot at 1 for 2hrs. Bf at 3 then play outside/go to shops etc. Bath at 6.15, bottle at 6.45, top up bf at 7 then bed Loueen
  • We are at 5.5 months. nearly 6… 6.30am wake , cuddles with daddy while I drag myself out of bed! breastfeed and play on floor/ commando crawl around/ up on hands n knees. Back to bed at 8 till 9.30 play feed solids, bf at 10.30 play sleep at 11.30-12 etc etc ( eat play sleep pretty much till 5.30) then solids for dinner, shower or bath breastfeed n bed at 6.30 Laura
  • My 6 month old wakes usually between 7 and 8 bottle then porridge about 10 then nap, bottle around 1 and 5, tea vegetables around 6.30 then bottle between 8 and 9. Has usually 2 or 3 sleeps anywhere from 30mins to 2hrs. She sits and also learning to crawl. Plays on floor with toys mainly and goes in Jumperoo and walker. Abbie
  • My boy:  6am wake up 7am has Weetbix or porridge 8.30 bath 9 bottle to be put to bed 12 solid lunch 2:30-3 bottle 6 dinner solids 7 bath 7:30 bottle bed. He sits and goes on to his hands and knees and rocks back and forth Bec
  • My 6 month old baby wakes between 7-8 bf then nappy and play on the floor about an hour later has breakfast. Small bf before nap around 10 sleeps about 2 hours. Wake bf play outside or walk in pram, lunch about 1pm sleep about 2ish. That’s when the day usually get mucked up as she will cat nap and feed to about dinner time. Has solids about 6pm bath then bf to sleep about 7.30. She slept through up to 4 months but now has been waking at 4am for a quick bf and straight back to sleep. Chenoa
  • Wakes around 6am bottle, play on floor, 7.30 porridge and fruit, time in Jumparoo, floor play, water garden. 9.00 sleep about 45 mins, more play till 10.30 bottle. 11.30 nap 45 mins. 12.30 puréed meat & veg, fruit for second course. Play. 2.00 nap 45 mins. Play outside. 3.30 bottle. 5pm dinner veg & meat and fruit. Bath 6.00. 6.30 bottle and bed. 3am bottle. Jenny
  • My 6 month old baby wakes up about 530 at the moment (we’re teething), up water the veggie patch, breakfast, tummy time, play time with pup. Nap 9am for about 2 hrs or a little less. Up, more play – generally nudie time outside if it’s a nice day. Lunch at 12ish, nap at 1 for about the same time. More tummy time, outside time, to the shops for groceries etc. dinner at 5, bath at 6, book, big bf and bed at 7. Breastfeed when she wakes up, and before every nap and whenever else she wants it. Bronwyn
  • Wake up: 8:30/9 am, get changed, bf, play with ball, anything that makes noise such as plastic sheets, paper etc. Crawling around the room, 10:30 bf to sleep, 1 pm lunch solid followed by bf, go out for a stroll till 5 sleeps from 3-4pm, come home give cereals or rice with milk followed by bf, then go out again till 7 pm, get ready for bath, dress +massage, bf and by 8:30-9 pm she will be sleeping and wakes around 5 am for another feed. Simona
  • My 6 month old daughter wakes between 6-7 at 7 she has a bottle then 8 she had solids sleep around 9:30 usually only for 30 mins then bottle 11 solids at 12 sleep at 1:30 bottle at 3, dinner 5:20 bath 5:45 bottle 6:20 bed at 7 she occasionally sleep thru but usually wakes for bottle between 1-3 . As for when she’s awake we play peek a boo and she plays in the floor or in her walker her big brother usually keeps her entertained Keila
  • I have a 5 1/2 month old daughter. She wakes at 6am has 180-210ml of milk, then at about 7:30-8am I offer her some cereal and she’s usually back down for a nap by 9 she sleeps for about 45 minutes to an hour then wakes for about 100ml of milk then plays until 1-2pm has another 180ml milk then sleeps for about 2-3 hours wakes has 180ml milk plays has dinner at 5:30-6pm then has a bath and is asleep by 7pm and usually sleeps all night, sometimes wakes once for a bottle. Obviously it’s not always that perfect lol but that’s our average day.  When she’s awake and playing she’s usually rolling around the lounge room, laughing at her older sisters and playing in her activity center Nicole
  • Awake 6:30 ish, 7am breastfeed, 7:45 Weetbix/ porridge and fruit, nap 8:30, play when wakes ( books, blocks, songs, play gym) until next BF at 11ish. Lunch solids (mash veggies, purée meat and fruit for dessert) at 1130. Nap at 12noon. Once awake plays until next BF at 3ish then more play. Nap at 4. Solids dinner at 5pm, play until bath at 5:30, breast feed at 6pm then into bed. Feeds at about 9pm and 4am over night, if I’m lucky his naps are mostly catnaps of 30-45mins, but I will get 1.5-2hrs out if him at the midday sleep if I’m lucky Kirsty
  • Mine eats two meals a day and breastfeeds on demand, he only rolls over not siting up or crawling yet lol Susannah
  • Mines 6 months old tomorrow.  She wakes at 7.30-8am has a big bf half hour after waking up, sometimes goes back to sleep til 12/1pm then feeds pretty much all afternoon only coming off to change nappy or tend to my 2 year old 5.30 we eat dinner so she sits in high chair with a teething rusk as she’s not on solids yet bath after our dinner then more boob til 8pm and she sleeps through til morning Mine has a big brother so plays with cars, trains, reads books, goes in the play table thingy Bec
  • My 6.5 month baby boy routine:  has 3 meals a day 4 bottles Wakes around 6:30am has 3 naps a day in bed by 7:30 He is also crawling Samantha
  • My 6 month old has a pretty steady routine. He sleeps every two hours or near, for an hour or two. In between naps he has hos bottle and plays with the family, goes outside to see the animals, jolly jumper time, has big conversations and has a bath Kristen
  • Mines not a sleeper… about 40min about 2hrs after he gets up; and I try to get him to 1.5-2hrs from about 1.30 (that means i go and pat or rock him back to sleep after 40min). That gets him thru to the evening. Bed at 7p. Angela
  • 3 sleeps a day. 2 x 1.5 hrs & 1 x 45 min. (Approx). Yes 3 solid meals & bf when he wakes & just before bed at 7 & dream feed at 9.30. 8. I’ve had 2 c sections. As far as I know bub has to go straight to the paediatrician to be checked first. Bit awkward with iv’s everywhere & the screen up to hold bub & my husband had him til after I was stitched up, cleaned up then had my bub before I was wheeled to recovery. But worth asking! Megan
  • Mine usually has 40 mins 2 hours after he gets up, then a 1.5-2. Hours in the middle of the day and another 30 mins in the afternoon, which gets him through until 7-7.30 Samantha

Got hints and tips for mothers of 6 month old babies?  Share them with the community by commenting below.  We’re all in this together!

 

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