When Should Your Baby Have a Bedtime Routine?

Bedtime routines offer a comfortable and predictable end to the day, which is important for getting quality sleep. It’s true if you’re an adult … and it’s especially true if you’re an infant.

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Research shows that a consistent bedtime routine can help your child sleep better, with fewer and shorter late-night wake-ups. (Parents and caregivers typically find it easier to catch ZZZs with fewer disturbances in those situations, too.)

So, how and when should you start creating a baby bedtime routine to get them on a regularly scheduled trip to Dreamland? For directions, let’s turn to pediatrician Heidi Szugye, DO.

How to create an infant sleep routine

Babies enter this world on their own clock. They don’t know the difference between 2 p.m. and 2 a.m. That’s because they have yet to develop their circadian rhythm, the 24-hour internal clock that controls sleep-wake cycles.

Creating a bedtime routine can help them sync their internal clock with daily life. Look to begin sleep training your baby when they’re 4 to 6 months old.

“Your goal should be to set up a consistent routine that’s calming and will help them wind down,” explains Dr. Szugye. “Follow the routine every night, and your baby will begin to understand when it’s time to sleep.”

An ideal baby bedtime routine typically lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. Here are a few things to squeeze into that timeframe to get your little one prepped for a good night’s sleep.

Tips for things to do to help build a baby bedtime routine

1. Bath time

A soothing bath before bedtime helps trigger sleep. It all has to do with your baby’s core body temperature.

A warm bath stimulates blood circulation to your baby’s hands, feet and extremities. This thermoregulatory response leads to a cooling of your baby’s internal core — a pattern also associated with sleep.

Putting on cozy nighty-night clothes (like sleep sacks) after a bath can continue to calm and relax your baby to help them transition into sleep mode.

2. Calming activities

Calming activities help babies sleep by slowing them down and relaxing them, allowing them to drift off more smoothly. Any (or all) of these might help close your child’s eyes.

Reading books: The magic of a good story extends to sleep, as reading a book to your baby can help the tamp-it-down process that leads to better sleep. (Hearing books read aloud can also help your baby build language skills, among other benefits.)
Playing soft music: There’s a reason why lullabies like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” are bedtime staples for kids: The calming music leads to ZZZs. These tunes are so effective that research shows babies relax even when hearing lullabies sung in foreign languages.
Cuddling and rocking: A few minutes of close-together time can help your baby feel secure and sleepy. (It’s pretty nice for you, too.)
Gentle movement: Stretching can help some babies relax before sleep, especially if it’s slow, playful and very light. Simple movements like softly moving their arms and legs, or giving them time to wiggle on their own, can help release tension and calm them down.

3. Feeding

Nobody sleeps well with a grumbling tummy. Feeding your baby about 15 minutes before they head to their crib can settle them down physically and emotionally while also making them a little drowsy, says Dr. Szugye.

Bonus tip: Avoid screen time

Time in front of a TV or tablet screen won’t just occupy your child during the day. It may also keep them up at night.

Researchers found that 13-month-old infants lost a minute of nighttime sleep for every minute spent on a touchscreen device during the day. The sleep they did get was poorer, too, with more nighttime awakenings.

And 3-month-olds who watched about a half-hour of TV usually got 22 minutes less sleep over the course of a day. Just five minutes on a touchscreen device costs that same baby 13 minutes of sleep, too.

“Try to stay away from anything that might overstimulate your child right before bed,” urges Dr. Szugye.

How to build a bedtime routine

Bedtime should offer structure to the end of the day. So, start your child’s routine at a scheduled time every night and go in the same order. And most of all, turn those lights off around the same time.

“Consistency really is the key,” emphasizes Dr. Szugye. “Once you get a routine that works, stick with it. You don’t want to make drastic changes that could disrupt the routine or lead to new, bad habits.”

Now, will it be easy to maintain a routine? Heck, no. Very few things in parenthood fall in the “easy” category, after all. There may be tears at bedtime. There may be trips out of the bedroom once your child is mobile. There may be sleep regressions.

“There are always challenges,” acknowledges Dr. Szugye, “but try your best to stick to the routine once you get it set.”

Final thoughts

Sleep is so important for growing babies. They need their rest to have energy for all the developmental steps ahead, whether it’s learning to talk, building motor skills or just figuring out daily life.

“Adequate sleep helps with everything,” encourages Dr. Szugye. “The more you do to help them get that sleep, the better off they’ll be.”