Bedtime routines are a soothing, calming way for you to end the day with your little one. They often start at the same time each night, and include activities like a bath, singing, or stories. As well as helping your baby wind down for sleep, a bedtime routines provides a great opportunity to bond with your baby. If your baby is having trouble getting to sleep, be consistent and persistent in implementing a routine for a few weeks, and watch for results.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- When to start a baby bedtime routine
- How to start a bedtime routines
- What to do in your bedtime routines
A bedtime routine is an important part of teaching your baby healthy sleep habits. Young children who have bedtime routines have been shown to fall asleep faster, and have fewer instances of night waking.
Your baby will be more relaxed if they know what’s coming next – and the more relaxed they are, the more likely they’ll go to bed easily and fall asleep quickly. A bedtime routines is often good for parents, too. It’s a special time set aside for you to spend with your baby, something you can plan on. In the long run, routines can help your child be a better sleeper (which means you’ll get more sleep, too).
When to start a baby bedtime routines
The sooner you establish a bedtime routines, the better. When your baby is as young as six weeks old, start following a set pattern every night. While six weeks is too young for your baby to stick to a regular schedule (see our article on newborn sleep), they’ll still come to appreciate the consistency and predictability.
There’s no harm in helping your baby learn that it’s time to wind down, even if they don’t immediately fall asleep. If your baby is older and you never started a formal bedtime routines with them, or you used to have one but fell out of the habit, it’s never too late to give it a try or recommit to the routine.
Families have different traditions and expectations of what a bedtime routines looks like. The whole routine might just be a few minutes or might take around an hour, depending on how many elements you want to include.
What’s most important is listening to your baby’s cues and making sure you have enough energy at the end of the day to follow through with the routine. Don’t adopt a routine that will be exhausting or overwhelming for you – it’s fine to keep it simple.
Establishing a bedtime routines will help your baby relax before sleep.
How to start a bedtime routines
Start early enough in the evening, so you have time to get through the sequence before bedtime. For young babies especially, you may find that it’s best to keep it short and sweet: diaper change and jammies, feeding, a kiss, and turning on the white noise machine.
To start a bedtime routines, think about activities your baby seems to find soothing. If reading a book or singing a lullaby seem calming to them, that might be something to try. Instead of immediately setting up an elaborate routine, try just one or two things at first.
You might find babies (and you!) are quite tired in the evening and don’t want to engage in multiple activities, which is totally valid. You also might find it’s not possible to do the full routine every night. Your baby will be okay if you miss part or all of a routine every once in a while, or if you need to shorten it to accommodate your own exhaustion or other family members’ schedules.
What to do in your bedtime routines
Experts recommend including four main components in your bedtime routines: nutrition (like nursing or a bottle), hygiene (bath time, oral care, skin care), communication (reading, singing), and physical contact (cuddling, baby massage). Most experts also recommend choosing a consistent time to begin your wind-down routine.
The following bedtime routine ideas have worked for other parents. Maybe you’ll find something here that’s right for you.
Let off some steam. Sometimes it helps to let your baby get any pent-up energy out of their system before you try to settle them down for the night. So feel free to dance around with them to a favorite song or let them bounce in the bouncer if they’re in the mood. As long as you follow up any rowdy play with something calmer and quieter before they go to sleep, it can be a good first step toward bedtime.
Give them a soak. One of the most popular parts of many bedtime rituals is a bath. Sitting in warm water can be a soothing experience, and getting your baby warm and clean and dry is a great way to ease them into bedtime. If your baby gets excited during baths or doesn’t enjoy them, though, it’s probably better to leave them out of the nighttime ritual. Babies don’t need a bath more than three times per week, so don’t feel bad about forgoing it if it’s not a pleasure for you both. Frequent bathing can dry out their skin.
Give the last feeding. Give your baby a bottle or breastfeed – some parents nurse to sleep, while others put their baby down drowsy but awake (which some experts advise so they get used to falling asleep on their own). Many parents time this right before bed, so their baby sleeps as long as possible before needing another feeding.
Take care of business. Your baby’s getting-ready-for-bed routine can include wiping their gums or brushing their teeth, changing their diaper, and getting into their pajamas. It’s a good idea to start the toothbrushing habit as early as possible so your baby gets used to it.
Play a game. Playing a quiet game in the living room or on the floor of your baby’s bedroom is a great way to spend some fun time with them before bed. Your game can be as simple as a round of peekaboo. Whatever entertains your baby without getting them overly excited is fine.
Have a chat. Bedtime is a nice chance for parents to spend some time talking to their baby. (It’s fine that your baby’s not old enough to converse with you.) Simply review the day for them – they love the sound of your voice, and chatting to your baby encourages their own language development.
Say “Goodnight Moon.” Many babies enjoy being carried around the room or the house and saying goodnight to favorite toys, people, and other objects, much as the baby rabbit and his mother do in Goodnight Moon.
Read a bedtime story. Rivaling the bath as an all-time favorite nighttime ritual is reading a bedtime story. Not only will your baby learn to recognize new words – studies have shown that language skills and even intelligence can depend on a baby’s daily exposure to a large vocabulary. They’ll also benefit from time spent with you. See our list of favorite bedtime stories.
Sing a song. Singing a lullaby is a time-tested way to help a sleepy baby drift off. Your baby loves hearing their favorite sound – your voice – and the soft, soothing melody may calm them. If you can’t remember the words or tune to your favorite ditties, turn to our lullaby library for a refresher course.
Play some music. Play lullabies, classical music, or other kids’ favorites while you settle your baby to sleep. Leaving it on at a low volume after you leave can help ease the transition from being awake to falling asleep. A sound machine may soothe them, too, with the added benefit of drowning out outside noise.
Try baby massage. Babies need touch as one of their most basic needs, and it’s even essential to their developing brain. Massage can fulfill this need and serve as an excellent pre-bed calming activity. Simply lay your baby on a soft surface and use baby oil or lotion. You can remove all of your baby’s clothes, if you’re in a warm room, and gently move your hands around their skin. Pay attention to your baby’s reaction to note anything they find enjoyable, or don’t really like.
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