The Importance of a Bedtime Routine for My Toddler

Kids thrive on routine, so it’s no surprise that a bedtime routine would be super helpful. We have been implementing some form of a bedtime routine since Mackenzie was just a couple of months old. It has changed over time, but there has always been a routine in place.

When she was just a few months old her routine looked like this:

bath time, overnight diaper, pjs, swaddle, feeding, read a book, & put her down.

Then it changed to this routine around 5 months old when we began sleep training:

bath time (every other night), overnight diaper, pjs, sleep sack, read a book, & put her down.

Currently her bedtime routine looks like this:

bath time (every other night), brush teeth, overnight diaper, I let her pick out her pjs, Mackenzie picks out a book to read, & then goes into her crib.

I follow quite a few sleep accounts on instagram & they all stress the importance of having a routine before bed. Having a routine helps signal it’s bedtime & it’s time to wind down.

This bedtime routine really became helpful when we were sleep training. It helped her to learn when it was time for bedtime. I plan to share how we got Mackenzie sleeping through the night soon!

Having a routine can also help when traveling. When you’re away from home it’s important to try to keep as much of their bedtime routine as possible. We do our best to recreate her same environment at home by using a sound machine, a slumberpod for darkness, & books.

Do you have a bedtime routine for your kids? If you do, what does it look like?