The Ultimate Bedtime Routine for Young Children

There is an abundance of research on the importance of sleep for a child’s mental and physical health. Many of these studies point to a consistent bedtime routine as a critical step.

Why is a Bedtime Routine Important?

According to the Mayo Clinic, relaxing activities like a bath, reading books and soft music help your child wind down for sleep. Children should spend at least 30 minutes preparing for bed, but one hour is optimal.

Stay away from electronics an hour or more before bedtime. That means no television, iPads or video games. Children model what their parents do, so it’s ideal if you aren’t watching Breaking Bad before bed. You may find that you sleep better as well.

Avoid vigorous exercise and adrenaline-producing activities too. That means no talent shows, hide-and-seek or tag. No trampolines. No wrestling. No Daddy Tickle Contests. It’s a fun time of night when the entire family is together, but if the kids are running screaming through the house, that may not bode well for drifting quickly off to dreamland.

Consistency Is Key:

A good bedtime routine is not enough. Now you need to follow those same steps every night. Why? A consistent routine signals your child’s body and brain to power down for sleep. When you lie in bed each night to read a few pages of your book, and find yourself yawning, your body understands it is time to end the day. Similarly, if a child nearly always has dinner, takes a bath, gets cozy in their pajamas, then chooses a few books before snuggling under the covers and getting kisses goodnight, by the time the lights are dimmed, their bodies are sending all the right signals for sleep. The more consistent these signals, the more likely they’ll drift off to sleep faster each night.

What Is The Ultimate Bedtime Routine for Children?

Unfortunately, there is no magic list to check off when it comes to following the right bedtime routine. The ultimate routine is the one that works best for your child. You may need to experiment for a while to figure out the perfect routine in your house. For example, my oldest daughter used to get riled up in the bath at night as a baby. When we removed the bath from her bedtime routine, she fell asleep faster. Similarly, my 2-year-old son hasn’t been able to sit still for books at night recently, so we’ve changed his routine to put him right to bed after pajamas and teeth brushing. I’ve added in a song from mommy while I tuck him in.

Bedtime: One of the Ultimate Parenting Tests

Some of you are reading this and screaming, “It’s not always that easy!” And with three children six and under, I know that is absolutely true. Bedtime is when your parenting skills can be put to the ultimate test.

Getting them into bed is one problem. Keeping them there is another.

There’s pleading for one more story, or needing to get up for a glass of water, a mosquito bite that won’t stop itching, one more thing they forgot to tell you, hair that needs to be pulled back, a last trip to the bathroom, shadows on the wall, strange noises and monsters. The list is endless, and it is amazes me how creative our children can be when it comes to excuses for getting back out of bed.

What can you do to keep them in bed once they’re tucked in? And no, duct tape is not a valid option. There are many suggestions out there, and again, not all of them work equally well for every child. The ideal scenario is that your child decides that sleep is important to them. Not because you said so, but because they believe it. New research shows that this understanding alone results in children getting more sleep.

Want more sleep for everyone in the house, along with a peaceful bedtime experience? Find the bedtime routine that works best for your family, keep it as consistent as possible and make sure all of your family members understand why sleep is so important.

Bedtime Routine suggestion

The following bedtime routine ideas are ones that have worked for other parents. Maybe you’ll find something here that’s right for you.

Let off some steam

Sometimes it helps to let your toddler get any pent-up energy out of his system before you try to settle him down for the night. “Our son runs around naked like a crazy person for about 20 minutes chasing us and the dog before having a long bath,”. As long as you follow up any rowdy play with something calmer and quieter — like a bath and bedtime story — before he goes to sleep, it can be the first step toward bedtime.

Give him a soak

One of the most popular parts of many bedtime rituals is a bath. Sitting in warm water is a soothing experience, and getting your toddler warm and clean and dry is a great way to ease him into bedtime. A bath is also a wonderful way for you to spend some special time with your child. If your toddler gets excited during baths or doesn’t enjoy them, it’s probably better to leave them out of the night-time ritual. Instead, have a quiet cuddle or read a story.

Take care of business

Your toddler’s getting-ready-for-bed routine can include washing his face and hands, brushing his teeth, a nappy change or trip to the potty (if he’s old enough), and getting into his pyjamas. It’s important to start the habit of teeth brushing at a young age so your toddler gets used to it. Here’s a tip for saving time (and fuss!). Once your child is old enough to have preferences about what he wears, let him choose which pyjamas he wants to wear. Give him two options and let him pick one.

Play a game

Playing a quiet game in the living room or on the floor of your toddler’s bedroom is a great way to spend some fun time with him before bed. Older toddlers may enjoy simple puzzles or card games, and younger ones are always entertained by peek-a-boo. Your game can be as simple as taking turns saying the alphabet or counting to 10. Whatever entertains your toddler without getting him overly excited is fine. Before he gets into bed, hide something there for him to find — a toy, a postcard or an interesting object — and then talk about it together. Just be sure to remove the object before you leave.

Have a chat

Bedtime is a nice chance for toddlers and their parents to spend some time talking to each other. Discuss your daily routine and ask your child to tell you about the best and worst things that happened to him, as well as anything that’s worrying him. This may help him work through any anxieties or fears he’s harbouring and let him get a better night’s sleep. Bedtime is also a great time to say prayers if you want to.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until your toddler can give you a detailed narrative of the day’s events. Review his day for him until he’s really able to contribute. It’s a wonderful way to increase his vocabulary and it relaxes him.”

Saying goodnight

Many toddlers enjoy going around the room or the house and saying goodnight to favourite toys, people and other objects. Know when to say when, though: if your toddler insists on saying goodnight to every single stuffed toy in his bedroom, it’s a safe bet he’s trying to put off bedtime a little longer

Read a bedtime story

Rivalling the bath as an all-time favourite bedtime ritual is reading a bedtime story. Not only will your toddler learn new words — studies have shown that language skills and even intelligence can depend on a child’s daily exposure to a large vocabulary — but he’ll also benefit from time spent with you.

For a toddler, choosing a bedtime story is another chance to assert some control over the nightly routine. I let my three-year-old choose a story every night. That often means I have to read the same story for a week or so, but it makes her feel important being able to pick her own book.

Sing a song

Singing a lullaby is a time-tested way to help a sleepy toddler drift off. He loves hearing his favourite sound — your voice — and the soft, soothing melody can calm him. I choose two different songs every night and then close with our ‘night-night’ song. The toddler will come to recognise that as the final goodbye.

Play some music

Starting a CD or tape of lullabies, classical music or other kids’ favourites while you settle your toddler to sleep — and then leaving it on after you leave — can help ease his transition from being awake to falling asleep. Try not to let music become a crutch, though: your toddler needs to learn to fall asleep on his own, as a result of establishing good sleep habits, rather than depending on any special noises or gimmicks.

Leave a light on

When you’re ready to tuck in your toddler, have one last cuddle, say goodnight, turn the lights off and, if you like, switch on a night-light. Many children this age get disoriented and upset when they wake at night in a dark room and can’t see anything; shedding a little light on things can help tremendously.