How To Set A Bedtime Routine For The Baby That Actually Works

Children are indeed very adorable, giggly, and cuddly! But it is often the bedtime routine that absolutely frustrates almost every parent, followed by loads of shouting and sleep time battles.

It is often believed that the early bedtime routine leads to an enhanced restorative sleep which is deeper and more restful.

This is because the sleep cycles are tied to the circadian rhythms, which follow natural light/dark patterns.

In addition, the deepest and most restorative sleep occurs in the first part of the night, and going to bed late can also disrupt these cycles, leading to a more fragmented or lighter sleep cycle.

Why is a bedtime routine important for a child?

A regular and predictable sleep routine is a vital part of the baby’s health. This is because it leads to rapid physical and cognitive growth and development.

For example, it supports their healthy brain functioning, processing, and memory retention, besides also helping them in their mood and behavioral regulation, boosting their immunity, etc.

Challenges Indian Parents Face with Baby Sleep

Apart from the evergreen sleep challenges, many even face unique cultural and lifestyle-related hurdles due to many reasons like:

• Joint family dynamics with multiple people lead to overstimulation.
• Late social timings due to family gatherings, myths and traditional beliefs about rocking babies to sleep.
• Feeding them every time they cry.
• Resisting their sleep, for them to tire out and sleep at night,
• Co-sleeping norms interfere with babies’ necessary independence for their growth and development.
• Noise pollution at home and in the neighborhood, irregular daily schedules, etc.

Ideal Bedtime Schedule by Age Group

A consistent bedtime routine is vital for the children’s overall growth and development. Let us now understand how to set a bedtime routine for the baby, in accordance with their age.

1. Newborns (0 to 3 months)

The ideal baby bedtime routine of a newborn should be flexible, typically between 9pm and 11pm, requiring 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day.

Sleep Notes

The newborns do not understand the night and day concept and sleep only in short stretches of 2 to 4 hours at a time.

Also, bedtime becomes irregular due to frequent feeding and diaper changes. Hence, focus must be more on the cues, like the drowsiness of the baby, rather than choosing a fixed time to sleep.

2. Infants (4 to 11 months)

Their ideal bedtime should be between 6:30 pm and 8 pm, and they require a minimum of 12 to 15 hours of sleep, including naps.

Sleep Notes

The circadian rhythm begins forming in the children at this age, and by six months, many babies are able to sleep at a stretch of 6 to 8 hours at night.

Also, regular bedtime routines like baths, massages, lullabies, etc., start showing results. With time, the nap schedule also begins to stabilize around 2 to 3 naps per day.

3. Toddlers (1 to 3 years)

They have an ideal bedtime of around 7pm to 8:30pm, and they require at least 11 to 14 hours of sleep.

Sleep Notes

With the growing development, most toddlers usually drop to just one long nap during the day.

The bedtime consistency becomes extremely crucial at this age due to an irregular routine that could lead to tantrums or night wakings. Also, sleep resistance could be fueled by increased independence and curiosity.

Tip: Gentle wind-down routines like dim lighting, quiet time, and avoiding screentime one hour before bedtime help cue the body to sleep.

How Much Sleep Do Babies Really Need?

The sleep time of every baby differs according to various scenarios like family dynamics, busy schedules, etc. Also, adequate sleep is non-negotiable for the healthy growth and development of the baby.

Let us now understand the importance of a bedtime routine for babies.

1. Sleep Fuels Brain Architecture

The babies' brains grow at lightning speed from the ages of one to three years. During this time, a structured and timely sleep schedule leads to deep sleep, making it a crucial step for the baby’s overall healthy development.

It is also important because during a restorative sleep, the brain processes stimuli, creating new neural pathways, and also builds a strong memory storage for efficient processing. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, could affect poor attention span and mood regulation, leading to low cognitive functioning in the long term.

2. Provides Emotional Stability

The rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that occurs frequently in infants is often linked to the infants’ emotional memory processing. Hence, babies who sleep well are observed to be quite emotionally stable and responsive.

3. Poor Sleep Might Mimic Hyperactivity

The babies who are sleep deprived might not always appear drowsy but become hyperenergetic, cranky, and fidgety. This could be misleading as being “very active” but signals towards being overly tired.

4. Enhances Growth Spurts

During deep sleep time, the growth hormones are released by the children that potentially trigger other important milestones in them, like rolling, crawling, and walking.

The babies getting proper and scheduled sleep time often meet their physical milestones earlier and smoother compared to the ones who do not.

5. Builds Healthy Habits In Future

Babies who follow a healthy sleep pattern, right from their childhood, have an easier transition into their school-age routines.

It also enhances their focus, makes them adaptable to the routine, and also helps them manage their emotions, besides building a strong and early sleep foundation.

4 Simple Steps To Start A Sleep Routine

One of the most streamlined ways to develop a bedtime routine for children is by following “S.N.U.G.,” the ultimate cozy code to bedtime bliss!

1. S: Scrubbing

The bedtime routine for the kids is often a wind-down time for them to transition from an active to a calming atmosphere.

Therefore, beginning the routine by brushing their teeth and a gentle face or body wash with a warm washcloth helps them understand the bedtime cue with time.

Tip: Give them the freedom to choose their own toothbrush and toothpaste to motivate them to take this step.

2. N: Nightwear

This could be one of the most exciting steps for the children as they get to pick their own choice of soft, breathable, and comfortable pajamas.

Tip: You can either co-pair those cute co-ords with them and turn that into a theme storytelling session or a “pajama dance” or a hug, making it a parent-child bonding moment.

3. U: Unplugging

This step involves unplugging the screens of the televisions, tablets, and phones for at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.

It is to prevent the exposure of the blue light emitted from these devices, suppressing the normal melatonin production in babies. Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone that regulates the body’s sleep-wake cycle, necessary for a restorative sleep.

Why Are Babies More Sensitive To Blue Light?

Babies and young children are still more sensitive to light exposure than adults because their circadian rhythms are still developing. Hence, the bright screens lead to their brain overstimulation, disrupting their sleep cycle.

Sleep Remedy

Due to the above-mentioned reason, it is crucial to set a sleepy mood by removing all the possible loud toys from the babies’ vicinity before their bedtime and switching to a quiet, calm play like puzzles, coloring, or soft blocks, etc.

This could further help their transition from active to passive play with ease.

Tip: Use white noise machines, quiet fans, or gentle nature sounds to muffle the outside noise of traffic, barking dogs, crowds, etc.

4. G: Goodnight Story

This indicates choosing a soothing, predictable story that the children can associate with bedtime. Also, ensure using a calm voice and slow pace to signal the winding down more strongly.

In addition, combine it with gentle cuddles, a lullaby, or a soft “I love you” ritual with a good night forehead kiss to enhance the parent-child bond.

Bonus Tips

• Pick a bedtime that suits both the parents and the baby.
• Stay consistent even on the weekends to regulate their internal sleep clock cycle.
• Ensure to dim the light before beginning the bedtime ritual to give them ample space and time to wind down.
• Use a soft nightlight or a gentle projection light for comfort.
• Applying a child-safe lavender-scented lotion and burning a similarly scented sage can propel the process of calming down the baby.
• Create a soulful and sleepy soundtrack, including a consistent playlist of soft lullabies of their choice, instrumental music, or even nature sounds every night. Over time, it could become an apt auditory signal for sleep.
• Incorporate their favorite stuffed soft toy or blanket to soothe them during the nighttime anxiety. Also, give it a name resembling a “bedtime buddy,” and be sure to tuck it in and say goodbye too, to complete the routine.

A consistent combination of the above-mentioned bedtime routine makes the children feel safe, calm, and ready to drift off to sleep with ease.

Activities to Include In The Routine

Bedtime routine activities are necessary to lay the foundation for winding down during sleep time.

1. Bathtime: Bathing with lukewarm water helps lower the body’s core temperature, signaling the brain to relax and indicating a time to sleep. Also, dimming the lights of the washroom and adding a drop or two of lavender essential oil helps in calming down their nervous system. It also avoids further overstimulation due to the bright light exposure.

2. Quiet Play: Engaging in a collaborative quiet playtime connects the children gently into a calm, winding-down sleep time, along with their best person. Also, be sure to avoid any adrenaline-boosting activities, like running, going outside for a walk, etc., to prevent the delay of melatonin production that makes them drowsy.

3. Bedtime Story: Be sure to choose predictable, calm stories with repetitive language and phrases, along with a soft-colored illustration. In addition, always give them a choice between two books or two pajama sets to give them a sense of control without extending the routine.

Tip: Always ensure to provide with the limited choices for toddlers as more of it could spoil them.

4. Feeding: Always offer the last feed before bedtime in a dim, quiet place, ideally in their sleeping room. In case of bottle feeding or nursing them, it is recommended to maintain the least eye contact with them without chatter or just a hush-hush tone to make them drowsy.

Tip: A light bedtime snack for the toddlers, like a banana and warm milk, is enough to keep their hunger at bay.

5. Diaper Change: This should be made quick and non-disruptive with wipes warmed with your hands, and speaking in hushed tones or singing a gentle lullaby to maintain a sleepy environment. Also, using nighttime nappies can prevent midnight diaper changes and also promote a positive sleep environment.

Therefore, the kids’ bedtime routine checklist includes “SLEEPY NIGHTS.”

S: Scrub up (bath or wash up)

L: Little teeth brushing

E: Easy and comfy pajamas on

E: Everything tidied up to teach them hygiene and declutter their space.

P: Power down screens and sounds.

Y: Yummy snack or final feed, if required.

N: Nighttime potty or diaper change.

I: Into bed with stuffed toys.

G: Goodnight story.

H: Hugs, kisses, and affirmations.

T: Turn off lights/turn on nightlight.

S: Silent room equals sleep time.

You can either get a printout and paste it in their room or make them practice it to help them stay consistent in the routine.

6 Common Mistakes Parents Often Make

Let us not discuss some common blunders committed by the parents during their children’s bedtime.

1. Keeping the room brightly lit which triggers their brain to an “awake mode.”
2. Rough playing or tickling fests in the evening encourage physical excitement in the kids and raise their cortisol levels, which delays sleep onset.
3. The blue light exposure from the digital devices before an hour of bedtime tricks the brain into thinking it’s daytime.
4. Not reinforcing the bedtime routine on weekends interrupts their established circadian rhythm, formed by the consistent routine followed during the weekdays.
5. Not using a visual timer/chart to start winding down time that establishes confusion over bedtime.
6. If your child resists the bedtime routine, it is recommended to start in 15 minutes and keep incrementing it slowly to help them accommodate with it.

Using Products to Support Better Sleep

Children develop their deep sleeping habits with time because of their developing circadian rhythm, and using certain products helps the parents to put the baby to sleep with ease.

R for Rabbit, being a caregiver, provides one of the best sleeping products for babies.

Hence, if you are seeking to purchase something to dial down the bedtime routine with an ease of mind, do take a peek at some of the amazing products.

These include

1. baby cots
2. Cradles
3. Bedding
4. swaddles & blankets
5. bed rail guards
6. feeding bottles
7. sterilizers and warmers
8. rash-free diapers
9. aqua wipes
10. baby rockers and bouncers, and more.

Also, remember to keep the room dark or dim to enhance melatonin production in the children.

Adapting The Routine For Indian Families

Bedtime routines for the kids can be well established and followed through by the parents diligently until some interruption occurs, owing to the joint family dynamic or festivals or celebrations of any kind.

Hence, during this time, it is necessary to monitor, adjust, and adapt the bedtime routine in sync with gatherings of any kind. Here are a few tricks and tips to do the same thing.

Managing Joint Family Schedules

• Define the “quiet hours” early in time and be sure to maintain silence to reduce sleep disruptions or distractions of any kind.
• Ensure you have a calm sleep zone in your home space using room dividers, blackout curtains, or white noise machines. This could help buffer the high traffic areas common in joint homes.
• Communicate the bedtime boundaries clearly by establishing a fixed routine of no screen time or loud noise after a designated hour.
• Share responsibility with the grandparents about the pre-bed routines to provide some free time for busy parents.
• Always ensure to sync the bedtime routine of all the siblings together to prevent unnecessary commotion at home during bedtime.

Adjusting For Festivals And Travel

During the festival seasons, family or friends gathering, travelling, or celebration of any kind, it is important to begin shifting the sleep/wake timers by 15 minutes every day prior to the event. This would help the children adapt to the changes in their sleep cycle and routine.

In case of travelling to a distinct location with a possibility of “jet lag” in the babies, it is important to pack portable night-lights, familiar blankets, white-noise apps, favorite soft toys, storybooks, etc., to recreate the home sleep environment, despite commuting.

Also, if faced by a delay in celebration, be sure to structure the events quietly in the room, away from the baby’s room, to avoid disturbing their sleep cycle.

In addition, even after all this, if the sleep routine breaks during the celebration, it is recommended to plan the next 3 to 4 evenings as the “recovery time.”

All this could help the children adapt to the designated sleeping schedule while reinstating night-lights, calm baths, brush time, quiet music, and bedtime stories every day.

Tracking Progress And Adjusting As Needed

Babies grow at a rapid speed, and so do their sleeping patterns and schedules, in accordance with their developmental stages. Hence, the tricks that could have worked in the last month would not work in the present day.

For example, a soothing pre-bed bottle could lull a 3-month-old to sleep, but during the transition to the fourth month, their sleep architecture changes to distinct light-sleep phases and causes more frequent wake-up frequency.

When To Update Sleep Routines

It is mandatory to keep a watch on their altering cues, which significantly marks the adjustment of their sleep routine. This includes:

1. They hit a new developmental milestone like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, etc. These achievements have a high potential to disrupt sleep, as they spark mental and physical stimulation.
2. Their nap schedule does not match their tired cues. For example, if they begin taking fewer or more naps daily, then it is mandatory to adjust their sleep window.
3. The sleep cycle requires a transition around the ages of 4, 6, 9, and 12 months due to their growth spurts, demanding longer wake windows, earlier bedtime, fewer naps, etc., owing to their increased physical activity.
4. Periodic sleep-wake cycle of the baby throughout the night.
5. A change of family environment or routine demands realignment of their sleep schedule.

6 Signs Your Baby’s Routine Needs Tweaking

Let us now discuss some lesser-known signs that indicate an immediate alteration of their sleep routine.

• Short and low-quality naps of less than 30 to 45 minutes, indicating they are either under- or overtired.
• Consistent early morning wakeups or night wakings with no clear outcome might either suggest an overtired baby or an under tired baby.
• Hyperactivity before bedtime signals overtiredness and leads to the baby becoming more alert, fussy, cranky, and highly difficult to calm down.
• When a baby is constantly rubbing their eyes and yawning but crying when put down to bed, it could signal missing their “sleep window.”
• If the baby starts associating sleep with rocking, feeding, or bouncing alone, it might be difficult for them to self-settle with time.
• If the baby gets cranky between naps, it is a clear sign of a poor sleep schedule that is not in sync with the baby.

How To Track and Adjust

One of the most effective ways to do this is to keep track of the nap lengths and sleep and wake duration for almost 3 to 4 days, followed by altering one thing at a time.

For example, changing the wake window, nap duration, or bedtime, etc., while monitoring its effect on the baby.

Lastly, it is also very important to keep a close eye on the baby’s subtle cues, as every baby is unique. Hence, keeping a close watch on their tired cues and combining it with a customized sleep schedule could actually help them in the long run.

Also Read:

1. Indian Sleep Training Methods to Get Your Baby Sleeping Through the Night
2. Jhoola vs Cradle: Understanding the Differences for Indian Parents

Conclusion

Babies are very fragile and require adequate nutrition, sleep, and play for their overall growth and development.

While nursing and exploration become a regular part of life, sleep must not take a back seat, being one of the most fundamental steps towards the building of their essential developmental skills.