Many of us underestimate the impact a good bedtime routine can have on helping our little ones get a restful night’s sleep. The best bedtime routines help a child to prepare both mentally and physically for sleep. Check out our top tips.
- Time it right. Overtired children will not only struggle to fall asleep, but will often wake up more frequently during the night (and early in the morning, too).
- .Make it dark. From the moment you start preparing the bath, ensure that lights are dimly lit (invest in some dimmer switches). Darkness helps the body produce melatonin – the sleepy hormone.
- Keep it boring! Help your child to unwind by keeping bath and bedtime activities calm and unstimulating.
- Shorten bathtime. A nice warm bath helps the body produce those lovely sleepy hormones. But don’t leave your little one in too long – 5-10 minutes max.
- Localise it! From the moment you start your bedtime routine you should stick to the bathroom and your child’s room only. Don’t re-enter any living/playing spaces.
- Finish with your child awake in their cot/bed. A child who falls asleep in their cot will sleep better at night. Help your child go to bed drowsy but awake. Imagine a scale of 1-10 with 1 = wide awake baby and 10 = fast asleep baby, aim to put your little one into their cot at a 7/8.
Like to know more about helping your little one sleep better? Sign up to one of our Sleep Shaping workshops, ideal for 3-6 month olds.
