Bedtime Routine
Would you believe me if I told you that your child’s bedtime routine is the MOST IMPORTANT part of getting them to sleep through the night?
The thing is, I’m not even kidding.
How your child falls asleep at bedtime, will determine how the rest of the night goes. If they fall asleep independently without sleep props, they will continue to be able to put themselves to sleep without sleep props. If they require assistance falling asleep at bedtime, they will need assistance in the middle of the night. Make sense?
By setting them up with a consistent bedtime routine, you are setting them up for sleep success!
The purpose of the bedtime routine is to act as a cueing mechanism to signal to your child that sleep is near. Even young babies will be able to catch onto the steps on a nighttime and nap-time routine.
Let’s walk through an ideal bedtime routine:
Step 1: Bedtime snack, or feeding (nursing session/formula). During this step - you have to MAKE SURE that your baby isn’t falling asleep while eating. It’s common for a baby to fall asleep while feeding, because likely up until this point, that’s the only way your baby WILL fall asleep. By changing the order of your usual routine, your baby might be confused, but they’ll be okay!
Step 2: Bath or Shower Time. Some parents are confused as to why a bath is a daily step in the routine that they have to follow. The reasoning behind this, is that a bath acts a firm cue to your child to help them differentiate between nap-time and night-time. Throughout the day you feed them, read stories, play, and even read books. You don’t have baths all day long. By including a bath into the nightly routine, you are letting your child know that it’s time for a long sleep, not a nap. Most children love having a bath, and even if it seems to ‘hype’ your baby up, that’s okay. Being active and happy in the bath is a great sign.
Step 3: Get into PJ’s & Sleep Sack. As you know, I am a sleep sack lover. I LOVE how sleep sacks have so many benefits. Because I recommend that children stay in their cribs until they’re 3, I highly recommend using a sleep sack this entire time. If you’re having trouble finding a long enough sleep sack for your tall 2-year old, check out the ones I have in stock here; they’re fantastic and LONG.
Step 4: Play-Time! If your child is 2+, this is the time to incorporate 10 minutes of high energy play-time! You can play hide n’ seek, tag, chase, or fly them like an airplane on your feet. If your child would rather have a calming activity, you can do a puzzle together or just cuddle.
Step 5: Read 2 Books. If your child is getting really tired, 1 book will suffice. If your child seems like they could last a few more than 2 books, I still want you to only read 2. Toddlers will try any stall-tactic to try to stay awake for just a few more minutes. By having boundaries around bedtime, you are actually helping them feel secure in their role as the child. They WANT you to be in charge, even if it seems like they are seeking power. Power to a toddler actually manifests in insecurity.
Step 6: Into the crib or the bed, AWAKE. And yes, I mean awake awake. If your child is older than 12 weeks old, then they need to be fully aware of their surrounding when they are going to bed. If they are put into the crib drowsy, or already asleep, then when they wake in the middle of the night, they are going to be confused. This leads to more frequent wake-ups and long spurts of confused crying.
That’s it! Easy-peasy.
A bedtime routine for a baby should last no more than 30 minutes; including the feeding.
A bedtime routine for a toddler should last no more than 45 minutes; including bedtime snack.
I can’t explain just how important bedtime routines are for the sake of your night-time sleep - but please trust me with this one! I hope that if you have any changes to make within your child’s routine, you’ll start them tonight! I’m cheering you on.
Bailey
