Bedtime routine...tell me about yours!

Kelly - posted on 02/02/2010

My husband and I started with a nighttime routine very early with our son too and i really think it has helped tremedously. We usually start with a bath, then give him a massage with lavender lotion. After he gets his jammies on we put him in his sleepsack then dim the lights while we rock him and give him his bottle for the night. He is usually groggy once he gets the sleepsack on and is out sleeping in no time. Hope this helps!

Patricia - posted on 02/02/2010

My kids have always had a bedtime routine. I think it is crucial in teaching babies to distinguish between playtime and bedtime and starts a good habit that should last a lifetime. Babies and children benefit from structure and routine.

Sandra - posted on 02/02/2010

i have a 3 month old and at 9 o clock her daddy and i bring her up to her room...i undress her while daddy fills up her baby bathtub. He brings the bathtub into her room (our washroom is cold) I use Aveeno calming bath (we used to use johnsons betime bath but her skin got VERY dry so we switched to Aveeno) After her bath i give her a massage with the Aveeno calming lotion. Then i put on her jammies and wrap her in her favorite pink blanket, bring her downstairs and give her a bottle. When she finishes her bottle I put her in her pack-n-play which is in our living room. Her father and I will watch some TV and when shes finally asleep we will bring her back to her room and put her in her crib. If we put her in her crib at night she stays awake but for some reason will fall asleep no problem in the pack-n-play.

Allison - posted on 01/28/2010

deanne, that sounds great i feel everything ur saying BUT, lol, my daughter did great from day 1 same bed time night and day til about a month and half ago then she wouldnt sleep night or day she would cry and scream and it was just heartbreaking i was lookin up all kinds of stuff and askin every1 what to do!!!! and then it started gettin better and now she is good, still dont know what was goin on those couple of weeks but thank God it is all better now!!!!! just felt the need to say that and im not putting any negativity to what u said just so ya know!

Allison - posted on 01/28/2010

i feel a little better now, i thought i was putting my 1year old to bed too late which would be 9pm still not too sure though!!!!

Renae - posted on 01/28/2010

There is lots of research to show that bedtime routines do really help. Just a word of caution though, a lot of babies start to take longer to go to sleep when rocked. The time often starts increasing at about 6mo and can have tripled by 9mo. Just remember that if you rock now, you need to be happy to rock for many months ahead.

But I will answer your actual question instead of butting in to how you put your baby to sleep! :)
I try to do things that would normally happen before bed anyway, rather than "special" things added in just for the sake of a routine. The baby is going to rely on this routine for many years and you want to be able to adjust it using normal "getting ready for bed" things as they get older.

Baby has dinner, cuddle time with daddy while I clean up from dinner, change nappy, put pyjamas on, have medicine - which he actually likes! (my bub needs daily medicine), say goodnight to dad, have a drink of water, sing the same 5 nursery rhymes and go to bed.

Ria - posted on 01/28/2010

W ahve always tried to keep the same routine since my son was a few months old. He is 16 months old now and has his last meal at 6pm, followed by a bath at around 6:30pm. We put his pyjamas on and have a play for half an hourthen he has a bottle of milk and a cuddle until bedtime around 8pm. He sleeps 12 hours solid every night and always has done. He doesn't have a light on to sleep, and never has.

I know mums who don't have a bedtime routine and as their childrenn have got older it has become more difficult to put them to bed; but people i know who have a routine find it alot easier.

Nikki - posted on 01/28/2010

routine is best but I not only do a bedtime routine I do an entire day routine and try to stick to it as best I can
8-9am he wakes up,I give him a bath we have breakfast and I put him in his exersaucer, then i bring him inot the bedroom while im getting ready and play w him
11-12is( or around there) he naps
2ish we have lunch, then we take the dog to the park or for a long walk, If i need to run errands we do that then
4ish he naps
6-7ish he has dinner
7-9 we play, my husband comes home so he spends time with him we let him crawl climb we have music we watch tv he is very active around this time , but it's great v/c he gets all his energy out
10ish he gets really tired so we give him a bottle and he falls asleep and usually sleeps til around 8am

Mel - posted on 01/28/2010

our daughter is a toddler she is 21 months so she has dinner about 7.30pm story if we get time shower teeth brushed and bed around 8.30-9pm. I wake her between 8-8.45am depending when she got to bed the night before

Deanne - posted on 01/28/2010

Routine.Routine. Routine. I cannot stress it enough!!! I've had four dreadful sleepers and now one angel.I have been to sleep school, Queen Elizabeth centre and day stay!!! I can tell you that its all about a child having a stable routine from day 1 and learning to fall asleep BY THEMSELF!!! Not on the couch, not watching tv, not in your arms, not in your bed, not on the boob,etc....... In their bed by themself. If you keep the bedtime routine the same, even the postman, garbo man or sheila up the road could put your child to sleep!!! No kidding....Sleep time is dark time.Always have the room dark, day or night sleep. A bath is a brilliant first step in the routine, even if they are a baby that cries in the bath, that warm water relieves their windy tummy and relaxes their body. Then you might give them a massage, if you like (or have time). Followed by that special one on one time with you, reading a book, cuddling, singing together, feeding breast or bottle.The important thing is that they don't fall asleep during those steps. Clearly say goodnight to everyone in the family/house and let them know its time for bed, you might have a musical toy you set off or story you read or lullaby you sing,you might pat their bum or rub their back, stroke their forehead, then you say goodnight and leave. If they only grizzle a little leave them. You have to listen to the cry to hear if its a grizzle or a "i need help ' cry or "i'm in pain" cry or a "if a putter along enough she'll come back" cry. Listen for the breaks in the cry, thats important. The gaps between the cries.Obviously a younger baby should never be left crying too long or left in distress.Use your instinct and common sense. With an older child 7 mths up, wait at least 20 mins before giving in and getting them up.One minute can feel like an hour!!!Serious watch the time and you will be surprised. Resettling is important too. when you first put them in and they get really upset after a few minutes and you know their cry is very distressed go back in and repeat the song you sing, things you say,etc Your settling activities i call them, then say goodnight and leave. You may have to do this several times. Be patient and stay calm. It can take a week to resettle a dreadful toddler so develop a good routine early and you can't go wrong! There is a wealth of information on the net about settling babies and toddlers on the net,google it. Good luck and i hope this helps a few people.A family that sleeps thru is a happy family.......

Agnes - posted on 01/27/2010

So would most of you say that rocking is a bad idea?? I usually rock her for about 30 minutes. And she falls asleep great! I just dont want her to get use to rocking before naps throughout the day. Strictly a nighttime thing. When did you start giving your little ones cereal?? And how much??

Courtney - posted on 01/27/2010

I remember those days of rocking! My daughter is 10 mo. old now her routine since a mo. old has changed a lot. Her schedule was a lot like yours. She had a bath and bottle at about 10, but that wore on me quick and we had to go to bed earlier. Then between 2-6 mo. I spent more and more time rocking her to sleep.Evenually I was spending like 6 mo. a day rocking her for every nap and bedtime and it was miserable bc I wasnt getting housework or school work done. At 7 mo. we decided it was time to move her to her bed in her room. Now we eats dinner about 6, at 7 she gets a bottle then we lay her down between 7-8 in her bed and she sleeps until 8am.

Cassie - posted on 01/27/2010

my daughter is alomst 5 months old. and i have a every night routine with her.. everynight around 8:30pm i give her a bath using johnsons bedtime bath and let her play in the water for a few and then i lay her down rub johnsons bedtime lotion all over get her dressed. fix her ceral and formula. and by 9:30 she is asleep. the routine works wonderful ! i love being on a schedual.

Jennifer - posted on 01/27/2010

My bedtime routine is similar to most. Around 8:30 to 9:00 pm, after my 14 month old has had his last snack of the day, I give him his bath and play with him in there. Rub him down with some soothing nightime baby lotion and get into warm jammies. My husband then reads him a few of his fav books in a quiet, non playful manner while I warm up his nighttime bottle. I take over and feed him until he pushes it away and place him in his crib, awake, with his bink, tigger security blanket, and musical light up sea horse. He curls over and falls asleep on his own. He sometimes wakes up at 2:00 am for milk when he is going through a growth spurt and usually sleeps until 9:15 to 11:00 AM. I put him to bed late to intentionally encourage him to sleep in later since I am a night owl but the same routine could be used by doing an earlier schedule.

Jodie - posted on 01/27/2010

our routine differs but its mainly the same thru the week, we start the wind down at 6.30-7pm she has a bottle and some solids and is then put to bed by my partner. Every2 nights she has a bath cos if we bathe her every day her skin gets a rash on it. Seems to work for us x

Krista - posted on 01/27/2010

A bedtime routine absolutely helps. Around 6:45 he gets his bath, and then gets put into his sleeper and sleep sack. Then it's a bottle and off to bed. He doesn't fuss and usually sleeps from about 7:30 pm until 7am.

Miranda - posted on 01/27/2010

Yeah my daughter is 1 yr old and every since she was born we have kept her to her bedtime routine. we give her a bath around 7pm every night and then she has a bottle (trying to wean her off that) but then we would read or sing to her. Brush or wipe down her germs (smart thing to do from the start) then put her to bed. I also use the bedtime bath lotion. She loves taking baths and getting the nightly massage. Sometimes your life may have changes with the times but find a routine and stick to it. She knows when its time to take her bath and go to bed. :)

Daow - posted on 01/27/2010

I think bedtime routine is great and at least it helps with my children. For my 2nd girl (now 16 months) we usually start with a warm bath and followed by a little massage with baby oil to give her some body contact. I think this helps to relax her. We would play a little bit while I dress her up. She used to fall asleep while I breastfeed her but nowadays I just offer her a bottle while showing her some picture book. After the drink, I brush her teeth and she gets kisses from her dad, me and her sister. I sing her a little lullaby, one more cuddle before laying her down to let her fall asleep herself with her favorite hippo. My 4 year-old is still getting the same thing though from her dad while I deal with the little one.

I can tell you that it's not always so easy and straight forward as it sounded. There are times when they'll keep waking up at night or refuse to obey that pattern, just be patience ;)

Nakita - posted on 01/27/2010

For my 6 1/2 month old girl, bath time @ 7:30, then she gets out i cream her up with night time lotion, then i feed her cereal w/ fruit mixed in, plus a 3oz bottle, then i lay her on the couch and she watches T.V with me until she falls asleep (witch is like around 8:30/9) and she sleep though the night till 8:00 the next morning.

Sharyn - posted on 01/27/2010

We always had a routine. Bath, food, bed. my kids slept from 9pm to 8am from 6 weeks old. (my midwaife told me to not wake for a feed, as kids won't starve themselves. If they are hungry - they will wake!) I always put them in their cot so they would learn to fall asleep by themselves... I find routine really important. My kids are now 2 and 3 and they are happy to go to bed.... they sleep from 7.30pm - 7am now, and still have a 2 hr nap during the day. I think its due to a routine....

Karen - posted on 01/27/2010

my son is 4 months and at 7 pm he has his cereal, then right to the bath. when he gets out of the bath we read a story then between 8 and 830 (depending on how long the bath is) he has a bottle then in bed between 8 30 and 9 and he sleeps until 630 or 7am...we started this routine at about 6 weeks and just added in the cereal last week. if my son is fussy in the evening, once we start the routine for bed he seems to settle right down

Megan - posted on 01/27/2010

We also do the infamous bath, then nurse, then bed. I think what helps my son sleep so well at night is that I only swaddle him at night. I've done that since I brought him home from the hospital. It helps him mentally know that it isn't just a nap. He sleeps for 9 hrs at night now, since he was 3 months old

Tabitha - posted on 01/27/2010

At about 8 ish she does tummy time and exercises, after doing that she will eat her veggies and fruit if bath time than a bath, after that she usually watches cartoons and than around 11ish if shes not knocked out already from watching toons than we feed her few ounces and rock and sing her to sleep...She goes to sleep around 9pm-12 pm ( sometimes not till 2 m though) sleeping anywhere from 7am -11 am

Amanda Jolene - posted on 01/27/2010

Yeah, we do a routine, too. Bath b/4 bed time, nurse, and bed @9-9:30pm... she is also a month and a half old.

Amy - posted on 01/27/2010

my sons 6 months old, at about 7.30pm me and his daddy give him a bath using johnsons bedtime bath and let him have a splash about to tire himself out a bit! then we go in the bedroom with only the hallway light on and lie him on the bed and massage on baby oil gel, dress him, then either me or daddy give him a warm bottle and he usually falls asleep drinking it and then we put him in his cot, which is meant 2 be bad as he gets used 2 falling asleep in our arms, so i guess we'll have to change that soon. he's usually asleep by about 8pm and sleeps till 7.30 - 8.00 am :D