How To Set Up A Bedtime Routine For Infants
Establishing a bedtime routine early in your child’s life can be a big factor in ensuring healthy sleep now and when they are older. Going through a routine before bed helps to reinforce a baby’s natural circadian rhythms, helping them stay awake longer during the day and sleep longer during nighttime. It will also help them prepare mentally for sleep by cuing the brain and body that bedtime is near.
Babies learn through actions, so a consistent baby bedtime routine will help them learn how to wind down and relax before it’s time to go to sleep. Having the same actions repeated over and over day after day will make bedtime as predictable and stress-free as possible. A bedtime routine for infants is good for the parents too. The routine will let you spend special quiet bonding time with your child every day, relaxing both you and the baby.
When To Start A Bedtime Routine
You should start beginning to establish the routine when your child is about 2 months old. This is when their internal clock becomes more predictable and they will start to follow a more regular daily pattern of playing, sleeping, and eating. As naptime and wake-up times increasingly occur around the same times each day, you’ll be able to anticipate their natural sleepy times and can start implementing a basic sleep schedule.
Establishing A Routine
A bedtime routine for infants should begin about an hour before the child’s natural sleepy time. A sleep log will help you get an idea of when your baby usually sleeps and help you identify what helps soothe and relax your baby. You should also be able to identify any sleep cues, like rubbing their eyes or yawning, that indicate drowsiness but not overtiredness.
60 Minutes Before Bedtime
Give the baby a bath in warm water with a mild soap containing chamomile or lavender, which are known relaxation aids. While the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn’t recommend bathing babies every night due to their delicate skin, similar effects can be obtained by wiping the baby down with a warm wet washcloth on the nights when they don’t have a bath. Clean skin and a clean diaper will go a long way towards helping your baby relax.
45 Minutes Before Bedtime
The next step of the routine is to physically prepare your infant for sleep. A calming massage with sweet smelling lotions will help your baby relax their muscles before being put into their pajamas. A gentle massage before bedtime also produces the hormone melatonin, which helps babies sleep more soundly. They should then be swaddled in a comfy blanket and the lights dimmed to mimic the darkening skies of night.
30 Minutes Before Bedtime
It is now time to mentally prepare your baby for sleep. A regular routine of feeding, reading a book, or just cuddling and rocking will indicate to their mind that bedtime is near and their body will react accordingly. You can also turn on some ambient noise or a musical mobile for some soothing bedtime noise.
10 Minutes Before Bedtime
If you are in a different part of the house, it is time to move to the baby’s bedroom. Gently rock or snuggle them until they appear very drowsy. Place them in the crib before they fall asleep and leave the room to get them used to falling asleep without you holding them. Within 10 minutes, they should be sound asleep.
Additional Tips
For a baby bedtime routine to work properly, it is important for your baby to fall asleep in the same place as consistently as possible. Babies often fall asleep in their strollers or car seats, and that is fine, but you should transfer them to the crib as soon as you can. This will help them sleep more soundly and reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
An abbreviated routine for naptime will also help them get used to falling asleep on their own faster. A naptime routine will reinforce important sleep cues, encouraging the baby to fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
The biggest mistake a parent can make is believing that there is a one-size-fits-all routine that will work for every baby. Personality and temperament are different for each child, so you will have to figure out what works best for your family. Needs will change as the baby grows, so be prepared to revamp the plan if you find that what worked previously is no longer working.
Common Sleep Issues And How To Overcome Them
Fussing – If your child wakes up during the night or during naps, they may begin fussing. This doesn’t mean you should run right in to check on them. Babies are capable of self-soothing at about 3 months old, so it may be best to wait a few minutes to see whether they will be able to get back to sleep on their own.
Reversed sleep schedule – Some babies tend to sleep for long periods during the day and short bursts at night as if they have day and night reversed. This can be solved by making clear distinctions between day and night with light and darkness in the home. You can also help by limiting daytime naps to three hours and avoiding turning on the TV, or other things that emit a lot of light, during nighttime feedings.
Waking at the crack of dawn – If your baby is awaking at dawn and staying awake, there are several things you can do to help them sleep longer and later. Moving their bedtime later and limiting the number and length of naps during the day should help. You may also want to make the bedroom more light-proof with heavier window treatments so the rising sun doesn’t wake your little one.
Sleep regressions – For the first year of life, your baby may experience periods of having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. This is normal. Most issues are caused by temporary things, like illness, teething, or changes in routine, and will resolve themselves. However, if the sleep problems are persistent, they could be a sign of a bigger issue.
If there are questions about your baby’s sleep schedule or sleep issues, you should contact a doctor. Your baby’s pediatrician can help pinpoint what the problem may be and offer solutions targeted to that particular problem.
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