Building A Bedtime Routine (4 months-1 year of age)

One of the things that you can start the second your baby is born is a sleep routine. Regardless of what their routine looks like it can be unique to your child or similar to your other children's routine.

Does that mean that you can't start a bedtime routine if they're not a newborn anymore? NOPE! IT'S NEVER TOO LATE to start a bedtime routine and the truth is, that sometimes as they get old it might change a bit.

The first thing you want to do is look at their age since some babies need a quick "1,2,3" and others need something more extended. This blog is intended for infants 4 months to a year old but you can easily take what happens here and bring it into toddlerhood.

Key things to remember:

1. A routine should be on the shorter side of things (no more than 40ish minutes).

2. Bath time doesn't need to be a part of your routine (some babies become more alert rather than relaxed).

3. Some things can be the same across the board, but every child is different.

4. Know your child and their personality. If they are a very observant and aware child, you might need the length adjusted for them. If they are more go with the flow, then a quick routine might work well.

5. The order of the routine matters. As they get older, they WILL remind you if you missed a step. Lol.

6. Keep it simple

NOW......for our kids our routine is under 5 minutes. You heard correctly.....UNDER 5. It's what they're used to, and being a stay at home mom meant they were getting ALL OF ME...ALL DAY. So when bedtime came around....I wasn't messing around. LOL. But that's just what works for us.

Next it's import to make it easy so that anyone can follow it should you have a date night or if family wants to give you the night off and they do the routine.

Keeping it simple is my favorite piece of advice when it comes to routine building. Keep it to about 4 steps and that's it.

Example of a routine:

1. Bath (if it doesn't overstimulate them)

2. Pajamas

3. Feeding

4. Book

5. Prayer and goodnight phrase

Other ideas of things you can incorporate can be:

1. Song

2. Family cheer/chant

3. Scripture

4. Infant massage

5. Child-led play (around 6 months of age)

Be comfortable with your routine and if it's not working, you can always adjust.

If you're needing more tips or support on what to do after a routine has been established, please schedule your FREE call https://calendly.com/littleonessleep/15min

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