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I’m going to go out on a limb here, but it would be my guess that if you are reading this article there is a strong chance that you are overtired and perhaps even overwhelmed. Furthermore, you likely came here looking for the ultimate baby bedtime routine to have your child sleeping through the night.
You want the secrets, and the insider tips that you swear must exist because you can’t stop hearing about these “mythical babies” that come home from the hospital and sleep through the night. However, you can’t seem to figure out how to get YOUR baby into that “mythical” category.
Let me start by giving you the honest truth and painting you a picture of realty. Afterwards, I’ll share with you the steps we took to take our very “real” babies and move them closer and closer into that “mythical” category, using the ultimate baby bedtime routine.
The Reality
While we’ve all heard of the babies who come home from the hospital sleeping through the night, the reality is this is FAR from the norm and much less common than you may think. Aside from the fact that you will find endless definitions of what “sleeping through the night” actually means, so many variables also come into play.
Definition
Let’s start with the “sleeping through the night” definition. As a new mom, when I thought of “sleeping through the night”, I thought this meant I would put my child down to sleep at bedtime and they’d wake up again in the morning. However, after months of waiting for that “sleeping through the night” to occur, I was shocked to learn that the actual definition meant achieving 8 hours of sleep without waking for a feeding. In reality, with a bedtime of 7:30pm, this meant my child was actually sleeping through the night despite waking up at 3:00am to eat. Very quickly I began to think about about those moms who told me about their “mythical” babies and wonder about THEIR definition of “sleeping through the night”. Was I longing for a length of sleep that even the “mythical” ones had yet to obtain?
Sleep Variables
Next, let’s move onto the variables that play into whether or not a child will sleep through the night from an early age. Birth weight, length of gestation, reflux, dairy/soy intolerances, other medical conditions, temperament, increased gas, source of milk (breast vs. formula), under or overtired, etc. all play into a baby’s sleep patterns. With no two babies the same, it truly is incredibly unrealistic to assume just because one baby (similar age to yours) is sleeping through the night that yours will as well.
My Reality
Definition of “sleeping through the night” aside, I found variables to be the largest indicator of whether or not my children would sleep through the night. My husband and I have two daughters, less than two years apart. Same gender, same parents, same birth month, heck, even very similar look, yet their sleep could NOT have been more different.
Baby #1 was born 10 days early, had colic and MSPI issues, along with mild reflux. She started out breastfed until her MSPI became too severe and was switched to a speciality formula. Despite sleeping VERY little the first weeks, after her MSPI was diagnosed and treated she slept 10-12 hours a night from 10 weeks on. Pretty “mythical” in my eyes.
Baby #2 was born 22 days early, no colic, no MSPI issues, had severe reflux, and was exclusively breastfed. She woke once a night to eat (essentially not “sleeping through the night”) until she was 13 months old. Far from “mythical” in my eyes.
Yet, despite pretty significant sleep differences in both my children, one thing remained the same- the ease of putting them to sleep at night and the length of their first stretch of sleep. I 100% credit this to implementing the ultimate baby bedtime routine.
Then What is the Answer?
I could go on and on about sharing my two cents regarding how to increase your baby’s length of sleep or how to get them sleeping through the night. I could tell you to dream feed, to make sure your baby naps during the day so they aren’t overtired, to make sure the room temperature is right, to swaddle your baby to imitate the womb, to use a sound machine, to have a set bedtime, to stick to a routine, or a million other suggestions. But the truth is, just because these methods worked for ME, doesn’t mean they will work for YOU.
I’m not a sleep expert, but I am a mom, just like you, who used her trial and error to get through some very tired and exhausting days.
While I don’t have a magical answer that will lead to your baby sleeping through the night, I do have a pretty phenomenal and surprisingly simple ultimate baby bedtime routine that will help get you on the right track. Despite a million variables coming into play that may keep your baby up at night, I do know that without a proper start to the night you are essentially doomed before you even begin.
The Ultimate Baby Bedtime Routine
While this ultimate baby bedtime routine method is nothing Earth shattering, it is incredible how effective it is when carried out routinely.
Same Time
While I know work schedules and evening conflicts often make this difficult, try as hard as you can to stick to a set bedtime. Furthermore, choose the bedtime based on the last nap of the day, having your baby down to sleep only a few hours from the time they last woke up. While many people incorrectly assume the longer your child stays awake, the later they sleep… this couldn’t be further from the truth. An overtired baby will NOT lead to a baby sleeping longer. Our set bedtime always fell between 7:00-7:30pm, which meant the routine would start by 6:45pm.
Start with a Bath
It is incredible how a bath can help soothe a baby and get them in the mindset of sleep. Initially fearful that over-bathing my newborn would lead to dry skin, our pediatrician assured me that daily baths were more than fine especially when using the right wash. After JOHNSON’S® baby wash was recommended in the hospital for being 100% gentle, and free of parabens and phthalates (in fact it is the # 1 choice of Hospitals, now more gentle than ever), I decided to continue its use once home and loved how gentle it was on my child’s newborn skin. In fact, there is now a new and exciting JOHNSON’S® COTTONTOUCH™ Newborn Wash & Shampoo which is specifically designed with superior care for newborn’s skin!
(Note: Planning to include bath toys? Great- how fun! However, make sure you learn the scary truth about your baby’s bath toys and how to make them most safe!)
Move On to Massage
As silly as it may seem, never underestimate the power of infant massage. By either becoming an expert (YouTube videos have wonderful tutorials) or staying amateur, by simply creating light pressure on your baby’s soft skin you are bound to create a soothing/relaxing effect on your baby. Sticking with our love for JOHNSON’S®, we always opted to use the JOHNSON’S® baby bedtime lotion while completing the massage.
Don’t Forget the Hair/Head
Nothing will relax your baby quite like a head massage. Whether or not your baby has hair, simply using a soft baby brush to brush their head will help create a calming effect. If your baby does have a good head of hair, I would once again recommend a JOHNSON’S® product, with our favorite being JOHNSON’S® Baby No More Tangles Spray.
Proper Dressing
Diapers, pajamas, and overall comfort. While a swaddle worked best for us, it may not work best for your baby. Regardless, make sure baby is comfortable and the right temperature.
Time to Read/Bond
As baby ages, so does their interest in story time. We found this a great time to squeeze in a book read in a quiet and comforting tone.
Let’s Eat
As your baby grows, they will become less dependent on the bedtime feeding. However, we always found it best to save this for the end. Once baby is warm, clean, and dressed for bed, go ahead and feed baby in a dark and quiet space (i.e. their nursery). Now that the feeding is complete, it is time for bed. (Note: if baby has teeth, you likely will want to squeeze teeth brushing in now too).
The Last Step!
Simply rock baby until sleep, or place him/her in their crib drowsy. Then walk away, take a deep breath, and be rest assured that baby is far on his/her way to their first (and often longest) deep sleep stretch of the night and you have effectively conquered the ultimate baby bedtime routine.
When It Doesn’t Go As Planned
While the above routine may work flawlessly most nights, there are exceptions to every rule and one of the biggest rules we found was when baby was sick. As miserable as this may be (on you and baby), it is important to have a back-up plan in place and continue to stick to the routine as much as possible.
Cue Walgreens!
After 24 months of the above bedtime routine working flawlessly for our baby/now toddler, I will never forget the night it didn’t. My husband and I were implementing the same ultimate baby bedtime routine (now turned toddler bedtime routine) for our 23 month old, while simultaneously implementing it for our 1 month old. All was going according to plan until our 23 month old started acting differently and we quickly noticed she had a fever. Rather quickly I headed to the medicine cabinet to grab the Tylenol (not wanting to mess up our routine) when I noted the bottle was expired (every tired/stressed out mother’s nightmare). At this point most stores were closed and I knew I needed Tylenol QUICK! Without hesitation, I jumped in the car and drove to Walgreens comforted to know I can always count on it (just like I can JOHNSON’S®) with it being open 24 hours a day. In no time, I was back home with Tylenol and able to continue on with our routine once again.
I can’t stress enough the importance of knowing right where your local 24 hour Walgreens is so on those nights when you need to make your “emergency mommy run” you know right where to go. Bonus points for the fact that you can pick up all of the above recommended JOHNSON’S® products (ALL newly reformulated with 50% fewer ingredients) at Walgreens as well! A trusted retailer, with a trusted product line… win-win! Furthermore, from 7/29-8/25 buy 1 JOHNSON’S® product at Walgreens and get 1 50% off with your balance rewards card. You can shop HERE or in store like we did (pictured below)!
Sweet Dreams
Now that you officially know the truth behind the ultimate baby bedtime routine (and know just what to do when it doesn’t go according to plan), go forth into bedtime optimistic. Remembering above all else, that just like any stage in parenting, the sleep deprivation won’t last forever, and you and baby will once again be sleeping in no time!
