The Perfect Bedtime Routine
Have you ever wondered what makes up a good bedtime routine? Don’t worry - I have you covered. First, let’s go over WHY a bedtime routine can make or break your child’s sleep! Research shows that kids who follow a consistent bedtime routine are more likely to go to sleep earlier, take less time falling asleep, sleep longer, and wake up less during the night. These benefits to sleep quality are still seen years later, especially when kids are in school!
A predictable routine in general also gives your child a sense of security and independence. The more consistent you are, the less your baby, toddler, or child will push back on the routine in and of itself.
You actually can start bedtime routines as early as the newborn days! I implemented a bedtime routine for both of my children the day I brought them home from the hospital. Newborns can have a sense of routine as early as 6 weeks of age.
Obviously, the routine will look a lot different with each age, but the consistency of a routine helps the infant or child to establish lifelong habits that will hopefully lead to quality sleep. Good sleeping habits lead to positive physical, mental, behavioral, and emotional results. Children who get enough sleep have stronger immune systems, increased focus/attention, and are better able to regulate their emotions than those who do not get enough sleep. You can read more on the effects of a bedtime routine here!
What are some important components of a bedtime routine?
First, a bedtime routine shouldn’t be any longer than 30 minutes. A longer wind down/bedtime routine can cause more pushback from your child. Short and sweet is the key.
According to Jodi Mindell, a Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Psychology at Saint Joseph’s University and the Associate Director of the Sleep Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a solid bedtime should consist of four components:
Nutrition
Hygiene
Communication
Physical Contact
Nutrition: Nutrition and feeds are an important aspect of any bedtime routine. Wanna know my all time favorite sleep tip though? Putting your bedtime feed at the beginning of the routine itself. Why is this? It’s because it removes that feed to sleep association when it is separated from their bedtime, making it less likely for them to doze off during the feed and possibly get drowsy ruining the sleep pressure to fall asleep quickly. It is also really helpful to put the feeding at the beginning of the routine to prevent any sort of gas or reflux discomfort upon being laid down for sleep. Getting those burps out can help with digestion! When your kiddo ages, you can move from breastfeeding or a bottle to a straw cup of milk or a bedtime snack.
Hygiene: Hygiene can mean all sorts of things such as bath, washing face, brushing teeth, etc. Baths help with rising body temperature and the cooling after the bath speeds up sleep hormones. However, you don’t need to give a bath every night. A simple wipe down is fine too. In that case on no bath nights, you can wash their hands and face. If your baby has teeth, wipe them with a soft, clean, warm, damp cloth. If the child is old enough to brush their teeth, add teeth brushing to the routine. Clean and fresh pajamas lessens allergens, dust, and germs into their sleep space.
Communication: Now your kiddo is all fresh n clean! It is time to move into the communication part of the routine. This looks different for everyone. Some families may choose to read books while others may sing a song or have prayers. It also is dependent on the child’s age too. An older kiddo might want to talk about their day and maybe what happened at school. This should be a time of connection and enjoyment between you all.
Physical Contact: Physical contact is often the final step in a bedtime routine. Again, it looks different for every family depending on age and goals. It is offering a snuggle, back rub, hug and/or kiss to let your child know you love them and are always nearby.
If you are working on independent sleep, the goal would still be to put your child down awake when you leave the room.
Here are some different examples of what a bedtime routine would look like across different ages.
Newborn: Breastfeed/bottle, wipe down, diaper change, pajamas, swaddle, white noise, lights off, rock to sleep, transfer to crib.
Baby/Infant: Breastfeed/bottle, bath, diaper change, pajamas, sleep sack, read book, white noise, lights off, into crib.
Toddler: Bedtime snack, brush teeth, bath, diaper change, pajamas, sleep sack, read book, white noise, lights off, into crib.
Child: Bedtime snack, use the bathroom, brush teeth, bath, pajamas, read books, talk about day, white noise, into bed, lights off.
Let me know if you utilized this framework for a routine! It’s been an amazing tool for my clients and even my own kids!
Sleep well,
Maddie
