What is your bedtime routine?

HarleyKins · September 2013

We are continually trying to find a good bedtime routine, I've read some places that a bath, diaper, bottle, bed is the best way. I didn't think you were to bathe them every night so I am confused and a FTM. Not sure if we are going through 4 month wakeful or what but life isn't fantastic during the overnights...

megandscott07 · September 2013

I do exactly what OP mentioned above and it works great 99% of the time. I use Burts Bees wash and lotion afterwards and his skin is baby soft! He knows his routine now and I think can actually notice when we get off schedule.

I also play lullabies during the bottle and cuddle DS close!

Rochacha2013 · September 2013

I bathe DD every evening before bed. I wash her hair 2 or 3 times a week. Once you fine a routine it is not as daunting. Our DD is 5 1/2 mons. Just hang in there. Bathing can only help them sleep plus smelling good too.

fireflyz56 · September 2013

I keep ours simple... Diaper and PJs, and then bottle. She usually falls asleep right after and then I put her in her crib.

I only bathe her every other day and in the morning. Otherwise she gets too excited from the bath and then it takes forever to get her down for the night.

Mommymorticia · September 2013

They definitely go through rough patches. 3 months for us was the worst but for now he mostly sleeps through the night. We never did the baths every night. 6pm is dinnertime. 7:30 turn off all lights/close shades/quiet everything. Change diaper/clothes and I whisper to him and tell him it's quiet time. I sshhh my finger on my mouth and his, he is so intrigued by that lol. Bottle and rocking with binkie if he needs it. He is always down by 9:15 and usually stays down until 6. We don't rush to the crib anymore unless he cries because sometimes he will go back to sleep when he wakes up. We are trying to phase out the rocking as much but we just stopped swaddling, one thing at a time.

HarleyKins · September 2013

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I really appreciate it all and am thankful for these boards!

musicalmama5 · September 2013

We bathe every night but only use soap every other night. Our routine is bath, diaper and lotion (we use Burt's Bees, smells soooo good), books, nurse, bed.

Although, ever since the 4 mo wakeful hit, nights have never been the same... Now we're teething, so the fun continues.

=Lee=B · September 2013

I totally believe routines are important but it depends on the baby and family how detailed that routine is. For my baby her sleep cue is me kissing her on the forehead a bunch of times (I can do this if she's in the baby carrier, crib or in the bed next to me) this is what stays constant for her. It works wonders.

We don't have too much of a routine. She goes down at 6:20-6:30 every night. She chose this time about 4 months ago now and we've yet to be able to change it. We have supper together. She's always sat in her high chair and watched us since 1 month old (reclining highchair) If daddy got home early enough from work he reads her a few stories.

Pretty much our routine is a diaper change, pj's and I nurse her if it's close to time for her next feed. Tonight she had eaten an hour before so I skipped the nursing.

I lie with her on the bed in her room and she falls asleep within 2-5minutes. Depending on the night and how tired she was I will transfer her to her crib, other nights I just leave her on the bed until her next feed then transfer her after that. At some point in the night I get to lazy to get up and put her back in the crib so we both sleep in the bed in her room for rest of night.

CrazyMary77 · September 2013

I give her a bath every night, but you don't have to wash them per say. You can just fill the tub with some bedtime wash, get them wet, let them soak, but not necessarily scrub her LO and wash hair every night. I find it helps soothe my LO and fall asleep easier. Then I give her a little massage with lotion, but her PJs on, give her a bottle, then if she's still awake we say prayers, I sing to her softly while rocking her, then put her to bed sleepy but awake with a paci.

kgs0505 · September 2013

We do bottle, bath, diaper change/lotion/pj's, sometimes stories (with our 2yo), then bed. If we aren't bathing that night, then we just skip that part and do everything else. It doesn't have to be 100% the same, just mostly the same. Sometimes they don't need a bottle until after bath, so we do that right before bed instead. But yes, a routine is great.

lana22 · September 2013

my pedi told us not to do a bath every night but it was part of my older son's routine and so we do it with younger son as well. most nights it's a quick chill out in water, he enjoys it, then off for pjs and bottle/story/song. older son had eczema so eventually we phased out bath to every few nights, although summer we're back to almost every night.