Tell me about your bedtime routine & naptime routine

Todd&Laura · May 2013

What is your bedtime routine like? I'm looking to get the hang of this with my daughter (born 1/27/13).

Do you have a naptime routine, too? I don't remember doing this with my son,but books/articles I've read are advising it. Not sure what to do. I do have a three year old to work around, too, and both kids will be in day care when school starts in August. Is it worthwhile to start a naptime routine with her?

jkuhmann · May 2013

Ours is the same for bedtime and naptime: diaper change, swaddle, feed, rock to sleep. It's super simple but it works for us. On bath nights, we just do the bath first, but always stay in the same order.

kjsmith9 · May 2013

We turn her music machine on at 7pm. DH gives her a bath for about 10 minutes. He takes her out, wrap her up in a blanket, and reads to her for a little bit. Meanwhile, I lay out all of her clothes, take care of the baby bath tub, etc. He gets her diaper and pajamas on and puts her in the sleepsack. We switch the sound machine to white noise and I sit and rock her while she nurses. When she starts to comfort suck I switch out for the paci and put her in the crib. She's usually down by 730pm, 745 at the latest.

For nap times I just feed her and lay her in the crib when she's sleeping. If she still seems pretty awake, I'll put her in the swing, which usually makes her drowsy within 15 minutes. If she's in the crib I turn the white noise on, in the swing I just hit the button for lullabies to play.

pgros005 · May 2013

We go around together closing the blinds and turning the lights down low. We also don't have any tv or computers on near her for an hour or so before bed time. (Docs suggest that for adult circadian rhythms so why not for little ones?) Anyway, we diaper change, change into pajamas and cuddle on our bed and "talk" for 10 minutes or so. Then, nurse, swaddle, white noise, finish nursing. I say our prayers while she finishes nursing and then she's out like a light. I hold her for about 15 minutes after she finishes/passes out because I like to smell her and watch her sleep

. It also keeps my crazy down being that she's sometimes a happy spitter so I assume that it keeps her from spitting up over night.

momofmanyinthemitten · May 2013

nap: white noise, swaddle/magic sleep suit, pacifier, lay him in his crib

bed: 6:15 bath, jammies, white noise, swaddle, nurse, lay him in bed by 7

We will add books in there when he isn't so tired when we put him to bed.

Eags · May 2013

For bedtime we bathe, lotion, swaddle arms out, feed with all the lights off except one small light, rock, and then put him to bed. He usually passes out before he even finishes the bottle.

For naptime it's a little more flexible. After feeding him, he has "play" time and I just watch for signs that he's tired. Once he shows some, I rock him and then put him down,

ForeverEverAfter · May 2013

30 min before nap or bed I stop any stimulating activity (mat or toys) and turn off any music or TV in the area. Naps I wrap a blanket around her, turn on the white noise, nurse her, then hold her til she falls asleep and lay her down. Bedtime after things are turned off, I change her diaper, put on her sleeper and sleepsack, turn on her nature sounds and nurse her. She goes into her bassinet drowsy and some nights I have to hold her arm until she falls asleep.