How to Make Your Baby’s Bedtime Routine
Good Morning fellow sleep deprived parents! It’s the holiday season and what better gift is there than a good bedtime routine for your baby?
Like we used to, you might be struggling with bedtime. Your routine might look a little like this right now…
- Rock your baby until you think they are asleep
- Lay baby down
- Baby starts crying
- Try to feed the baby
- Rinse and repeat
We’ve been through those nights of despair. I’m rocking the baby while my wife pumps because the baby wouldn’t eat.
I’m going to lay out the steps that we have used for a more successful bedtime. Start using these steps so that you too can enjoy putting your baby in bed.
Why Should I Give My Baby a Bedtime Routine?
We’re creatures of habit. We all like to have some form of consistency in our lives.
You have probably created your own bedtime routine without realizing. You put on PJs, brush your teeth, maybe watch an episode of your favorite show or read a book.
If you set up a specific routine, it sends signals to your baby’s brain that it’s time to sleep.
Our 1st son was about 6 months old when we found out we were having another, so we needed to figure out how to get him to sleep in his own room. That’s when we found takingcarababies.
Whatever the motivation that brought you here. A bedtime routine is the first step to better sleep.
Step-by-Step Instructions For Your Baby’s Bedtime Routine
We’ve taken advice from multiple sources and figured out what works best for us. Not everything works for everyone, so do what we did and take the pieces you like.
- Brush Teeth
- Sleep-Aids
- Story Time
- Singing Time
- Affirmations
We’ve used these same steps with each kid and still use them years later. So let’s break each step down further.
Brush Teeth
Obviously if they don’y have teeth then you can skip this step. But it’s important to get into this habit early.
Our kids remind us to brush their teeth now whenever we forget. I had a lot of cavities when I was little. I’m not about to let my kids make the same mistake.
Sleep-Aids
This is not medical advice and you should ask your doctor before using anything. We personally don’t use melatonin. We recently started using L-Theanine.
Our kids are “bounce off the walls” levels of energetic. But once they calm down they fall asleep easily. The L-Theanine just helps relax them. Maybe we are overly cautious thinking they would become reliant on melatonin.
My wife is also big on DoTerra essential oils and gives them lavender to help them sleep.
Story Time
Let’s not go crazy and start reading Harry Potter too early on. We started all our kids with “Goodnight Moon”. Specifically the board book.
It’s short and sweet and gets the “Alright kids, it’s time to sleep” message across.
As our kids got older, we let them pick different books like
- “Go Dog Go”
- “Green Eggs and Ham”
- “Where The Wild Things Are”
Just pick some of your favorites for them to choose from when they’re older. We can pull Harry Potter out later.
Singing Time
Singing time only started for us because we had a book that sang lullabies that our first son loved. He made us listen to every single song before he would go to sleep.
Sadly (Thankfully) the batteries died one day and we had to sing them, but we stuck to just 3.
- Rockabye Baby
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Hush Little Baby
They’re all short. And we change Rockabye Baby to say “And DOWN will come [baby name]”. I give them a little nudge when I say “DOWN” and they get upset if I don’t use their own name.
Affirmations
We started affirmations with our 2nd. We think she started having night terrors.
There would be no warning, no whimpering. Absolute peace. Suddenly a BANSHEE SHRIEK blasts through the monitor and we check the video and she is standing on her bed just screaming.
Pretty terrifying situation to find. We took turns laying down with her and she would still be shaking laying down with us in her sleep.
I slept with her through the night for about 2 months straight until she stopped waking up.
We started using affirmations and noticed a difference, so we kept them. The ones we use are
- I am brave
- I am strong
- I am safe
- I am loved
- I got this
Use whatever you like. We say them to our baby and make the older 2 say them with us.
Key Considerations For a Successful Bedtime Routine
There are a few things to consider on top of the steps for a more successful routine.
I wanted to add a few extra tips that are just generally for better sleep.
- Darkness
- White noise
- Crib mattress
Hello Darkness My Old Friend
But Seriously, try to black out the room. Black out curtains can really help especially if your routine starts before sunset.
If you’re traveling, I can’t recommend the SlumberPod enough.
White Noise
Live your life. Don’t let sleeping babies ruin the rest of your night. Add some white noise so you can still watch a movie without waking your baby.
A fan or sound machine or something. I believe it was takingcarababies that recommended it be as loud as a shower.
Crib Mattress
How much effort did you put into choosing your mattress? Do your kids not deserve the same? Firmness and comfort can be part of the problem for your baby not falling asleep.
I made a list of our favorite options here.
Wrapping Up and My Experience With Bedtime Routines
Look… We haven’t been perfect. We try to establish routines for each kids then eventually we get lazy about them just like anyone.
We’ve noticed our kids fall asleep better with the routine. Sometimes I don’t feel like it. Sometimes I’m tired.
It might not help right away. Give it a week or so at least. You’re trying to start a HABIT for your baby so they recognize it’s time to sleep.
I wish you luck. I know how frustrating it is to have a baby that refuses to sleep. Bedtime is one of my favorite things I do with my kids now. The “sleepy time” episode of Bluey helped me change my perspective of it too, so check that out.
F.A.Q.
How much sleep do children need?
Children 5 and under should get 11-13 hours of sleep at night.
When do children stop napping?
Every kid is different. They can stop napping any time between age 3-5.
Our older 2 kids, aged 3 and 4, don’t take naps anymore. Sometimes they’ll decide they want a nap still. On days that they are extra cranky or grumpy, we’ll put them down and it works.
What can I do during the day to help them sleep better?
Kids have a lot of energy they need to get out. You’ll notice that your children struggle to fall asleep on days that they’re stuck in the house.
Try to get out for anything. Playgrounds, walks and errands are all things that will empty their energy reserves to sleep better.
