Baby Bedtime Routine
Do you have a solid bedtime routine for your baby? Do you follow the SAME steps EVERY night? A consistent bedtime routine is an essential piece to help you achieve better sleep overnight and make bedtime more enjoyable!
Why is the Bedtime Routine so Important?
Babies crave consistency! They thrive on routine! Having a consistent bedtime routine can help promote positive sleep associations and help your baby sleep at night!
You want to follow the same steps every single night. It doesn’t have to be complicated! You want something you can repeat anytime or anywhere!
We are all creatures of habit! We as adults have our bedtime routine that helps us fall asleep…Brush your teeth, wash your face, put on pajamas, read, and turn off the lights 20 minutes later, etc…
This helps you fall asleep if you follow the same routine every night. Your body gets the signal that it’s time to sleep. If you try to fall asleep without following your routine, chances are you may have a hard time falling and staying asleep!
The same goes for babies.
By following the same series of steps every single night, your baby will learn these positive sleep associations and bedtime and naptime will become a pleasant relaxing experience.
Young infants learn through repetitive actions before they understand what your words mean. By following the same actions for every sleep, your baby will start to learn the positive sleep association. They may even start yawning when you start the steps and will learn what the next step is….SLEEP!
At What Age Should I Start a Bedtime Routine?
At 6 to 8 weeks your baby is able to learn a routine that cues their brain for sleep.
Right around the time your baby rewards you with their first smiles, it’s time to start a bedtime routine.
A bedtime routine doesn’t have to be complicated! Short and simple and something anyone can replicate!
After a few weeks of following the same routine every night at bedtime and a shortened similar version at nap time, you may find your baby yawning when you start the routine!
This makes falling asleep that much easier and less stressful for a parent.
8 weeks is also the age at which you may notice your baby is ready for bed earlier in the evening. If it takes you a long time to get your baby to sleep at 9-10 p.m. try adjusting bedtime earlier to 7-8 p.m.
How Long Should a Bedtime Routine Last?
The bedtime routine should include a few steps and last anywhere from 15-30 minutes not including bath time.
Your baby’s temperament and your family dynamic will be factors in how long your bedtime routine will last.
Is there an older sibling that can’t be left alone? Your baby may have a condensed bedtime routine, but as long as you follow it every night they will learn the cues for sleep!
Did your baby have an active day with visitors? You may need to extend the time to wind down!
What time you are able to start the bedtime routine after getting home from work etc..Do you have 15 minutes or 30 minutes before your baby is becoming overtired?
What Should Be Included in a Bedtime Routine?
Hygiene
Incorporating a bath into the bedtime routine is a great way to wind down before bed. The caveat to this is what happens when you don’t have access to a bath before bed?? Yes, your baby can fall asleep without getting a bath every night, even though it feels like a crucial step to a bedtime routine.
We gave our first son a bath every night and I’ll always remember the first trip away from home when he was 3 months and thinking, we need to bring our baby bathtub so he knows bedtime is coming! My husband looked at me puzzled. “Are you serious?”
Although I worried that his sleep would be derailed without a bath, we had set up a consistent routine outside of the bath, and he still slept great! We followed the rest of our routine minus the bath! Once we had our second baby I realized bathtime was not possible every night when juggling a toddler and an infant during those witching hours and we started doing bath time 3-4 nights a week. This helped reduce stress when we weren’t able to take a bath before bed!
Looking for more on bath safety? Ready my blog here!
Looking for fun and safe bath toys? Check out my amazon recs here!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends bathing babies under 1 year of age 3 times a week to avoid drying out the skin. On the days you don’t give a bath, be sure to wipe down with a warm washcloth in all skin folds, the hands, face, and diaper area. Both of these rituals can be learned by your baby!
Feeding
Most babies under 12 months need a top-up feeding 20-30 minutes before bed. Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, you want to offer a feed as part of the bedtime routine. Try not to stress if it’s not a full feed as you are still looking at the feeds from the day as a gauge that they got enough!
I recommend the bedtime feed be at the beginning of the bedtime routine so that your baby does not fall asleep during the feeding. You want to separate the feeding and being placed in the crib with a book, song, or prayer so that your baby does not associate eating with sleeping!
Books, Songs, Prayers…Communicate!
Your baby loves to hear your voice. They learn from repetitive phrases and familiar voices. 2 books and 1 song or prayer are a great option for your baby’s bedtime routine! If you follow the same number every night, they will understand the limits as they get older and start pushing boundaries! Eek toddlerhood!
Physical Touch and Connection
Massage, snuggles, a short rocking session, and a kiss all reinforce your love and connection with your baby.
I love incorporating an “I Love You Ritual” into the bedtime routine. This can evolve as your baby grows older, but will be something they come to love and expect! Do this at the end of the routine to signal bedtime is over and it’s time to sleep. With my 2-year-old, we say good night to the dinosaurs in his room. This takes about 30-60 seconds! With my 4-year-old, we go back and forth and say “I love you to the moon,” “I love you to the clouds” etc….again 30-60 seconds.
What Else Should be Included in a Bedtime Routine?
The following are positive sleep associations that I recommend using for sleep and as part of the bedtime routine
- White Noise! Turn on the white noise upon entering the room or before placing your baby in their crib.
- Dim lights or a table lamp during the routine! No overhead lights. A bedside dim light signals to your baby that the day is coming to an end.
- Ideal room environment!-My favorite Blackout shades from Sleepout–Use code: wellrested to take 10% off, no nightlights, cool room between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use a swaddle, swaddle transition product, or sleep sack depending on your baby’s age. Using these items for every sleep will help cue your baby for sleep.
- Placing your baby to sleep drowsy but awake under 3 to 4 months of age and fully awake in the crib after 4 months will give them the skills to fall asleep independently and start connecting sleep cycles!
Resources to help your family with sleep
If you’re facing sleep challenges with your baby or toddler and are not sure where to start, I have a class for you. The 4-24 Month Well Rested Collection will walk you step-by-step through a completely customizable sleep training experience. In just a few weeks, your baby will be getting 11-12 hours of independent night sleep, AND you’ll have a plan to navigate any future regressions or bumps in your journey. I’ll also help you set up a daytime routine and nap schedule that fits your family’s lifestyle and values. And you’ll get age-specific guidance to meet your baby right where he or she is developmentally at every stage from now until your baby turns 2.
Want more personalized support? We offer 1:1 sleep coaching plans! We work with you for 2 weeks to guide you step by step to better overnight sleep and naps. 1:1 sleep coaching is available starting at 3 months of age and up to age 4!
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