Top tips for creating a great bedtime routine for your baby.

It’s been almost 7 years since I had a newborn at home. And although it feels like forever ago I still remember the pressure I felt when it came to the dreaded question – how does he sleep? How your baby sleeps is really nobody’s business. Yet you will be asked this many, many times in your baby’s first year. So what can you do to create a great bedtime routine? I asked Sarah of Sarah Carpenter Sleep for her top tips for creating a great bedtime routine.

Over to Sarah…….

Raising small humans is hard. Raising small humans when you are exhausted can be even harder. About the only thing you can really expect with baby and toddler sleep is that it is always changing. That can sound scary, especially if you’ve just nailed getting some Z’s. But it’s why having a toolkit of solutions is so important. We know parents want simple and easy to follow support when it comes to sleep.

Here are our top 5:

1. Bookend your day.

Having a consistent start and end time to your day really helps give you time and focus to meet your baby or child’s needs.

2. Have a plan.

Establishing healthy sleep or making changes requires everyone to be on board. It’s much easier for everyone to be on board if you can see what you want to achieve.

3. Know your baby/children.

It would be easier if all children’s needs were the same but that would be boring, right? Try and tune out the unhelpful comparisons and think about your own child and family set up before you make a plan.

4. Environment.

Keeping things as consistent as possible helps your little one move more seamlessly through their sleep cycles. Think about temperature (between 16 and 21C), light and noise. This is where Yoto comes in super handy. Sleep sounds like white, pink or brown noise help to cover loud or disruptive sounds outside.

5. Follow an age-appropriate routine.

Having a schedule makes meeting your child’s needs easier. It helps give you the confidence to know they have eaten, played, rested well enough during the day to get the solid restorative sleep they need overnight. Consider everyone’s needs. A consistent bedtime routine can work wonders. What that looks like is up to you, it doesn’t need to be overly complicated and take hours. What is more important is it covers everyone’s needs, including yours. Getting your baby or toddler to sleep better can be a challenge but with a little patience, perseverance and the right support you will get there.

If you would like to chat to Sarah about your baby’s bedtime routine or sleep support you can reach out via her website: https://www.sarahcarpentersleep.com

Sarah co-hosts a podcast called The Sleep Mums find out more here: https://www.sarahcarpentersleep.com/the-sleep-mums

You can listen to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify and all good podcast providers.

Sarah offers 1 to 1 help and support for your baby or child with any of the below