6 Keys To A Good Bedtime Routine For Your Baby

Let’s talk about bedtime! When I meet with new families, one of the first questions I ask is, “Tell me about your bedtime routine.” You’d be surprised (or maybe you wouldn’t) how many families respond with, “what routine?”

Putting a baby down for bed can be STRESSFUL. In many cases, it can be a long and painful process. If you’ve ever spent hours rocking a fussy baby to sleep, you know what I’m talking about.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way! It is possible for bedtime to be a relaxing and, dare I say it, enjoyable process for both parent and baby. The key to a successful bedtime and overall healthier sleep habits, is a consistent bedtime routine.

A good night’s sleep actually begins before your baby even falls asleep. The actions taken in time leading up to sleep, have a huge impact on the ease of bedtime and the overall quality of your baby’s sleep.

When your baby is 7-8 weeks old, it is a great time to start implementing a consistent bedtime routine. In doing so, you are helping your child form positive sleep associations, that will signal to their brain, “It’s time for sleep.” Not only will this make it easier for your child to have a quality night’s sleep, it will significantly cut down on the daily stress felt by both you and your baby at bedtime.

Here Are 6 Keys To Establishing A Good Bedtime Routine:

Maintain A Consistent Bedtime
A consistent sleep schedule begins with a reliable and early bedtime. As babies grow, their bodies begin to adopt a normal sleep pattern and circadian rhythm. With this pattern typically comes early morning wake-ups. You’ve heard the idea, “There’s no such thing as sleeping in if you’re a parent!”

A young child’s circadian rhythm naturally wakes them up between 6-8 am. This means, for a child to get the amount of sleep their bodies need to function and grow, their bedtime needs to be early and consistent. For children under 2, the ideal bedtime is between 6:30 and 8:00 pm.
Ensure Adequate Daytime Calorie Consumption
Have you ever tried to fall asleep hungry? It’s difficult. A hugely important part of helping your baby to fall asleep easily and stay asleep for longer stretches of time is making sure they are getting enough to eat during the day.

The amount and frequency that your child needs to eat will vary depending on their age. For example, newborns will need to eat every 2-3 hours per day whereas as a 6 month old who has the capacity to eat more in one feeding, may be able to go 4-5 hours between feeds.
Use Black Out Curtains
A baby’s sleep environment is hugely important in helping your child to wind down, relax, and fall asleep. Babies typically do best in totally dark environments. Don’t worry, you baby is too young to be scared of the dark...in fact, when it comes to sleeping, they prefer it!

Light is incredibly stimulating for young babies. It tells the brain, “Time to wake up!” Black out curtains can be a helpful tool in creating your baby’s ideal sleep environment. If you don’t want to spend the money on a new set of curtains, taping cardboard or black construction windows can also do the job of blocking out the light.
Add White Noise
Although you may prefer a quiet environment for sleeping, babies are just the opposite! When your little baby enters the world, they are used to the cozy and honestly, quite noisy, environment of the womb. For this reason, small babies are comforted by noise, because it’s all they’ve ever known.

Adding white noise into your baby’s sleep environment can have a profound impact on their bedtime routine and quality of sleep. The white noise stimulates a calming effect for babies, making it easier for them to wind down and fall asleep.
Create Bedtime Rituals
The bedtime rituals are the activities you choose to do with your baby as you prepare for bed. You can create a routine that takes 10 minutes or a more leisurely 30 minutes, depending on your preferences. Some ideas for bedtime rituals may include: bath, putting on jammies, reading stories, singing songs, or saying bedtime prayers.

The activities you choose to include in your bedtime routine are totally up to you! Just remember, the activities should be calming (i.e don’t floor wrestle with your toddler right before bed) and you need to do the same activities in the same order every night.
BE CONSISTENT
I cannot stress this enough! Consistency is the most important piece of the puzzle. However you choose to structure your bedtime routine, just be consistent! Your child will come to associate these practices with sleep. The more consistent you are in maintaining your bedtime routine, the easier bedtime will be!