The perfect bedtime routine
Hey mama, it's been a long day and you can't wait to finally put your feet up after your little one is tucked up in bed, but you're also anxious because you have no idea if they will sleep well tonight or not. Every night is different.
Here’s a 5 step guide on the perfect bedtime routine to encourage a good night's sleep:
- 20-30 mins
- Easy peasy
- Repetition
- Rotate
- Plan ahead
How long should my baby's bedtime routine be?
You are trying to create a clear transition from day to night so that your baby learns how to recognise bedtime. A good duration for a night time routine is anywhere between 20-30 minutes. Any longer and they will lose interest / become overtired, any shorter and they won't recognise it's the end of the day.
What should my night time routine look like?
As simple as possible, you want to create a routine that is easy to do even on the hardest days when you're tired or rushed for time. It's great if you can always include their last feed of the evening, a quick bath, fresh pj’s and a book.
Pick age appropriate steps based on the age of your baby, newborns may need overnight feeds, less baths at first etc.
Why is repetition important?
Babies love repetition, it helps them to learn and associate the same steps with bedtime every time. So don't do things in random order, if you always feed, then bath, pjs and a book, keep it that way every single day.
Pick age appropriate steps for feeding based on the age of your baby, for newborns this could be feeding just before they go to sleep. However, for older babies feeding at the start of the bedtime routine makes more sense so they don't start to associate feeding with sleep which may grow into bad behaviors later such as only going back to sleep if you give them a bottle during the middle of the night.
Should the same person always do the bedtime routine?
No mama, take a break! It's important to rotate with your partner or another caregiver when you can so that your baby doesn't get too attached to a certain person and associate them with sleep. This reduces the development of a preference for your baby.
There is nothing worse than being woken up by your partner in the middle of the night because your baby has been crying for an hour and they say ‘the baby just wants you’.
How can I manage, I have so much going on?
It's hard mama, but you're doing a great job. Our best advice on this is to plan ahead as much as possible. Especially if you have two or more children, it's even harder.
An hour or two before bedtime, try to get everything ready while your baby is playing or napping. Get the bath toys out, the bath towel ready, the pj’s handy and a good book next to their cot. The more you plan the easier it is to manage and have everything you need ready to go.
If your other child is older you could even assign them some tasks to help you with the bedtime routine, like getting a towel or picking a book to read for the baby.
Ultimately, every day is different, some days will be a breeze, some will be hard, but the nights can be easier with a good bedtime routine, trust us.
Remember, every baby is different, so it's essential to pay attention to your newborn baby’s sleep patterns and bedtime preferences so you can adapt accordingly. You know your baby better than anyone and what works for you.
Check out our baby sleep range for some a great night sleep.
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