Calming Bedtime Rituals That Make Kids Sleepy

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bedtime routineIt takes an hour and a half to put our two-year-old to bed. Why take advice from me, you wonder? The actual time I spend putting my daughter in her bed is only about 5 minutes. The hour and a half includes the entire wind-down process. We’ve found that the best toddler bedtime routine is one that incorporates calming activities. Here’s our routine from start to finish, which is the same every single night (more or less. We do have those occasional nights with visitors, are out of town, or out for dinner and home later).

6 p.m.: Finish dinner. I try to make sure dinner is made by 6 p.m. My daughter starts to tidy her toys (the best she can), and I clean up from dinner.

6:10 p.m.: Clean up the clutter. After cleaning up from dinner, I help my daughter put all of her toys away. We talk about how they’re getting ready for bed. Sitting in a messy room is never calming, so we find it much more relaxing to get everything tidy before she is in bed.

6:15 p.m.: Take a bath. We do a bath on most nights. I use a lavender-scented tear-free body wash/shampoo that is ridiculously calming. We don’t wash her hair every night but dry it on the evenings we do.

6:30 p.m.: Put on PJs. I actually put my PJs on at this point, too. My daughter started embracing bedtime more once she realized I slept, too. A crazy thought, right?

6:35 p.m.: Dim the lights. We turn any bright lights off and dim the other lights. We even have these fake candles that are so soothing.

6:40 p.m.: Watch one show. I know some studies out there that say to limit screen time before bedtimes, but this is the only time of day we allow our daughter to watch TV. She gets to watch one 20-minute show. The best part: She snuggles on my lap during the show. Love it. I don’t find that it revs her up, so we’re sticking with it.

7:00 p.m.: Put her “guys” to bed. My daughter has many stuffed animals she sleeps with. We get them all in bed. She tells them she’ll be there soon.

7:05 p.m.: Read books in bed. We read books in “mommy’s bed.” Daddy is normally home around 6:45, so it’s perfect because he gets to snuggle in bed with us.

7:20 p.m.: Put Daddy to “bed.” My daughter will tuck my husband into bed and sing him a song. It’s the cutest thing. Don’t worry; he doesn’t actually go to bed this early. As she does that, I am closing her blinds, turning off the lights in her room, and turning on her white noise machine.

7:25 p.m.: Sing songs. We sing the same sequences of songs every night. We actually made the songs up, and our daughter sings one round to me before I sing to her. Before the last song, I put her in her crib. I let her know it’s the last song. I leave the door open a crack.

7:30 p.m.: Night night. That’s it!

On the nights we don’t do this routine, or we’re out somewhere else, we sometimes have bedtime hiccups. Kids really are creatures of habit. I’m fine sticking with this routine until she doesn’t like it anymore, which I hope will be a while.

How long is your bedtime routine total?

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Vera Sizensky
Vera is the digital director for HealthyWomen.org, a non-profit organization that Dr. Oz calls "the leading health resource for women." Before HealthyWomen, Vera spent several years editing and producing content for the popular digital editions of SHAPE and Women’s Health magazines. Nothing makes her happier than connecting with women who work hard and play hard. Vera earned a journalism degree from the University of Florida and lives with her husband Brian and daughter Lena (born 8/25/13) in Southport, CT.

3 Things About Vera
Fill in the blank: If I had 10 minutes to myself, I would: "Take a long, hot shower."
Describe your perfect day: "Exercise, beach, nap, evening on the back deck with a glass of wine and the fire pit roaring."
Favorite thing to do in your spare {ha!} time: "Discovering new places—restaurants, playgrounds, hiking trails, etc."

Twitter: @VeraSiz

2 COMMENTS

  1. Great info! We’re trying to do this with my three year old. He just drags it out so much and we always fall for it! What kind of lavender body wash do you guys use?

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