How to Create the Perfect Bedtime Routine For Your Baby
New parents often ask me - 'How do I create the perfect bedtime routine for my baby?'.
My answer is always the same: 'Do what you feel is right and make sure you stick to it night after night.
' Now, you are probably thinking that that is not much help.
But in actual fact, the key to a perfect baby bedtime routine is to create a sequence of events and then STICK TO IT.
Not sticking to a routine or just doing it once in a while confuses your baby.
Babies are creatures of habit.
The more you do something, the more this signals to your baby that doing a certain set of habits means this or this.
Creating a bedtime routine should be relaxing for the baby and rewarding for you.
But you have to be realistic.
With my first child, I made a point of bathing him every night, giving him a massage, then a quiet kiss and cuddle before finally giving him some milk and then putting him to bed.
When my second son was born, I could not give him a bath every night, so my bedtime routine consisted of a massage, milk, lots of cuddles and kisses, before being put to bed with his teddy bear.
Think about what it is you are realistically able to do.
If you have other children that demand your time, a bath every night might not be practical.
An ideal bedtime will have a series of steps such as: - bathtime - massage - dressed and placed in sleeping bag - feed - storytime - cuddle and kiss in dimmed nursery - placed in cot Once you establish your routine, stick to it, even when your baby is not quite feeling so good.
Bathtime in particular can soothe a fractious child and can calm them considerably.
Another pointer is to dim the lights and ensure that the nursery is at the correct temperature.
You are looking at an ideal temperature of about 18-20 degrees Celsius.
Think about your child's nursery - what is in it? Is their bed warm and cosy and do they have a comforting room? Have you got blackout blinds or curtains so that your baby is not woken up by 4am sunrises? The blinds do an additional job during the day too - they help baby sleep better and longer for nap times.
Once you have established a bedtime routine, stick to it like glue, especially for the first month.
Your baby will begin to associate their new routine with bedtime.
Another tip is to keep conversation with your child to an absolute minimum, and also keep a low tone of voice.
You are trying to create the notion of night time being boring and only good for one thing - sleep.
When baby wakes during the night, do NOT turn on the lights and start talking.
This is a BIG mistake.
It is enough to make a child who is half asleep become fully alert.
Keep lights dim, do not talk at ALL and avoid eye contact.
This reinforces to your baby that night is not for play.
Quickly feed and change baby with the minimum amount of fuss, then place baby back in cot in the dark and leave.
As your child gets older and more settled, it is OK to relax the routine every once in a while, but whatever you do, do not drop it completely or this could upset and confuse your child.
By sticking to these rules, you will ensure that you create a routine that is conducive to sleep and will signal bedtime to your baby.
My answer is always the same: 'Do what you feel is right and make sure you stick to it night after night.
' Now, you are probably thinking that that is not much help.
But in actual fact, the key to a perfect baby bedtime routine is to create a sequence of events and then STICK TO IT.
Not sticking to a routine or just doing it once in a while confuses your baby.
Babies are creatures of habit.
The more you do something, the more this signals to your baby that doing a certain set of habits means this or this.
Creating a bedtime routine should be relaxing for the baby and rewarding for you.
But you have to be realistic.
With my first child, I made a point of bathing him every night, giving him a massage, then a quiet kiss and cuddle before finally giving him some milk and then putting him to bed.
When my second son was born, I could not give him a bath every night, so my bedtime routine consisted of a massage, milk, lots of cuddles and kisses, before being put to bed with his teddy bear.
Think about what it is you are realistically able to do.
If you have other children that demand your time, a bath every night might not be practical.
An ideal bedtime will have a series of steps such as: - bathtime - massage - dressed and placed in sleeping bag - feed - storytime - cuddle and kiss in dimmed nursery - placed in cot Once you establish your routine, stick to it, even when your baby is not quite feeling so good.
Bathtime in particular can soothe a fractious child and can calm them considerably.
Another pointer is to dim the lights and ensure that the nursery is at the correct temperature.
You are looking at an ideal temperature of about 18-20 degrees Celsius.
Think about your child's nursery - what is in it? Is their bed warm and cosy and do they have a comforting room? Have you got blackout blinds or curtains so that your baby is not woken up by 4am sunrises? The blinds do an additional job during the day too - they help baby sleep better and longer for nap times.
Once you have established a bedtime routine, stick to it like glue, especially for the first month.
Your baby will begin to associate their new routine with bedtime.
Another tip is to keep conversation with your child to an absolute minimum, and also keep a low tone of voice.
You are trying to create the notion of night time being boring and only good for one thing - sleep.
When baby wakes during the night, do NOT turn on the lights and start talking.
This is a BIG mistake.
It is enough to make a child who is half asleep become fully alert.
Keep lights dim, do not talk at ALL and avoid eye contact.
This reinforces to your baby that night is not for play.
Quickly feed and change baby with the minimum amount of fuss, then place baby back in cot in the dark and leave.
As your child gets older and more settled, it is OK to relax the routine every once in a while, but whatever you do, do not drop it completely or this could upset and confuse your child.
By sticking to these rules, you will ensure that you create a routine that is conducive to sleep and will signal bedtime to your baby.
