Bedtime Routines

Getting kids to sleep through the night can seem like an impossible task at times. Part of the reason for that is because you’re likely frustrated and tired - you want to sleep. You don’t want to be getting up multiple times at night. A solid 6 to 8 hours of sleep would be really nice when it’s been years since you’ve been able to do so. You’ll get there, but for some kids it will take longer than for others.

The number one thing that you can do to help your child sleep through the night and actually go to sleep when it’s time is to have a consistent bedtime routine. Kids respond much better when they know what is coming and what to expect. If they have no idea that it’s getting close to time for them to go to sleep, they’re going to have no idea that they actually need to fall to sleep in short order.

Build your bedtime routine so that your child has enough time to decompress before bed and so that they know what is coming next. Are they going to follow that bedtime routine perfectly each night? Ha - no chance. Most nights your routine will look sporadic and disconnected. An outsider might think you have no routine at all. Do your best to stick to it though as it will help in the long run.

This also means that you should be consistent with your routine on the weekends and the weekdays. If you’re doing things drastically different on the weekends, your child is going to struggle to get back to the routine when the weekdays start, and they’re going to struggle simply to remember the cues that it’s time to sleep. The more consistent you are, the more likely that your child will be able to sleep when it’s time.

So what should your routine look like? That’s really up to you. Some parents like to have bath time be part of their routine, others like to include toys in the bedroom as part of their routine. Ultimately, you need to figure out what works for your child and for you. Make sure to make some time to let your child know about their day and to tell them about your day - most kids want a little bit of attention before bed.

We highly recommend that you include some form of reading before bed - it’s a great way to get a child to calm down, and hopefully quietly listen. For younger children, be sure that the books have plenty of pictures that they can look at as you read. Let them tell the story from the pictures if you want - you don’t have to read every word exactly if your child isn’t sitting and listening. Do what works to keep them quiet and engaged.

You will go through phases where your child wants to do different things. Perhaps they want to hug everything in their room. Perhaps they need to have a bunch of toys in their bed with them. Or perhaps they have to tell you everything they ate for the day, down to the salt that was put on their food. Make sure you’ve got enough time built into your routine for whatever funny idea your child plans for that night.

Be consistent in your bedtime routine. Over the long run, it’s the best way to get your child sleeping through the night starting when you want them to.