Here’s how we tackle a bedtime routine.
This post is in partnership with JOHNSON’S® Baby Canada. As always, opinions are my own.
We’ve received so much great advice from people since becoming parents. One of my favourite pieces of wisdom came from a friend about a month postpartum. We were tired and I reached out asking if we’d ever be rested again and her advice was simple. She said though it seems early, establish a bedtime routine as soon as you can. Even if it’s an extremely basic two-step process, choose an approximate bedtime and implement those sleep habits now.
Turns out that a silver lining to being at home a lot more because of the pandemic, is that this is a wonderful time to teach a baby healthy sleep habits! We are literally home all the time, which I’m sure wouldn’t have been the case under ‘normal’ circumstances. Let it be known that I am not an expert on baby sleep, every baby is different, and we definitely lucked out with this child! That being said, Lucy has been a great night sleeper and I do think that sticking to a routine has played a small part in that. It’s been a beautiful journey teaching her the important skill of sleep!
Why A Bedtime Routine?
A bedtime routine helps promote a baby’s natural circadian rhythm so that they can tell the difference between day and night. It can give your little one a sense of comfort, Lucy adores her bedtime routine! It isn’t just baby that benefits either, Adam and I find it to be a really nice way to connect and it gives us a tiny sense of control in our parenting. Plus, when she sleeps better, so do we. It’s a wonderful thing!
I think it’s important to keep in mind that your evening ritual with a baby should be consistent but also flexible. What works for us might not work for you and what worked last week might not work tomorrow. Though I wish there was, there’s no magic way to make your baby a solid sleeper. It’s all about trying some things to find out what is best for your beautiful babe and adjusting as needed.
If you haven’t started a bedtime routine with your baby yet, don’t let this list intimidate you. It reads like it’s a lot of steps, but start small and everything becomes habitual before you know it.
Our Big Bedtime Routine
This full spa treatment bedtime routine is done at least three nights a week. We hope to increase this soon, but to be truthful, Lucy was not a fan of the bath for a while and we would bathe her as quickly as possible and not in the evenings because it was rather distressing for her. If your baby is the same way, fear not! At some point a few months ago, Lucy decided that bathtime was tolerable and we added it to our bedtime routine. That has now upgraded to full-blown bathtime love, thank goodness! This routine is our go-to when we’re struggling to keep her happy during that last long awake time, it always calms her and signals that sleep is on the horizon.
- Make sure we have low lighting and very little stimulus just before bedtime
- Give Lucy a bath using JOHNSON’S® Bedtime® Moisture Wash. JOHNSON’S® Bedtime® products contain NATURALCALM® aromas to help soothe and relax. It’s also made with the No More Tears® formula for a tear-free experience and helps wash away 99.9% of germs. It’s very gentle on her skin and the fragrance is light and enjoyable.
- Dry her off and put on a new diaper
- Give her a gentle infant massage using JOHNSON’S® Bedtime® Lotion, which has a clinically proven mildness formula, specifically designed for a baby’s delicate skin. Loving touch promotes bonding with your baby and can help ease tummy gas and teething pains, boost muscle development, reduce fussiness, and If you’re looking for guidance there are lots of great videos and resources online that teach gentle and safe baby massage techniques.
- Read Lucy a story, usually sleep themed, while she holds her bunny
- Feed her in the bedroom that’s set up for sleepy time (see below). I’ve been lucky enough to find success in side-lying breastfeeding, so when we do that, I do think it also signals to her that we’re winding down
- Zip her into her sleep sack and have a little hug/cuddle for a minute. This gives her the opportunity to burp post-feed if needed and rubbing a few gentle circles on her back is very calming
- Lay her down in the crib, kiss her on the forehead and say, “I love you, have a good sleep!”
The Ideal Sleep Environment
It’s kind of crazy that we squeeze two adults, one baby and a dog into our bedroom each night. Those early days at home were especially challenging for many reasons, including the fact that when they do finally sleep for a few hours, newborns are incredibly noisy! They’re like little gremlins in their sleep LOL.
Once we picked a specific time to start our bedtime routine, we also started setting the bedroom up for Lucy (and ideally all four of us) to sleep comfortably. The things that have worked well for us have included:
- A dark room. I cannot stress this enough, especially for naps, and especially in the spring/summer. Once we put in blackout curtains at 4 months, it was a complete game changer!
- White noise. We’ve used a white noise machine from the very beginning and even Adam and I enjoy the soothing sounds of the ocean while we sleep!
- Putting baby down in the same place. We do still do a few naps on the go during the day, but we are home for our bedtime routine and put her down to sleep in her mini crib as often as possible. Keeping things consistent like the soothing aromas of the JOHNSON’S® Bedtime® products, the same white noise sounds, and a swaddle or sleep sack. All things that signal that it’s nighttime. Research has shown that multi-sensory experiences are a key part of healthy and happy baby development as smell, memory and emotion are all intimately connected.
- Keeping the room cool. We always have our favourite fan/air purifier on, even if it’s just on a low setting. Things heat up with four bodies sleeping in one room! We all sleep better when we keep cool at night.
- Using a humidifier. We don’t turn it on every night, but it was very necessary for Lucy in the winter and has helped Adam with his allergies.
Do you have a bedtime routine for your little one? Would love to hear what yours is like, let me know in the comments!
I’m so excited to be partnering with Johnson’s Baby Canada this year. I love that JOHNSON’S® products are free from parabens, phthalates, sulphates and dyes and their washes and lotions are made with 96% naturally derived ingredients. Visit johnsonsbaby.ca for more info and to shop their products!
