This post is sponsored by BabyLit. All opinions are my own.
This post contains affiliate links.
Ah, bedtime. A time that can go right, or so very, very wrong. It helps a lot when you can get a regular routine down, something to help baby wind down, and prepare them for bed. Here are some things you can use to make your own baby bedtime routines – figure out what works best for you and your little one!
1. Noise machine. A soft, background noise blurs out other noises. It helps T sleep, but I also think it helps him to know that bedtime is coming. This is the exact one we have, and we love it so much, we bought a second one when T’s brother arrived on the scene.
2. Books. We love story time before bed! It’s calming, and it’s a special time to share our favorite stories with our little guy.
That’s why I love BabyLit books – it’s my favorite novels, way abridged and put into board books with gorgeous, colorful pictures. They have a growing list of classic novels they have adapted, and each book has a theme, like numbers, colors, animals, and even camping! Some of our faves: Alice in Wonderland, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Jungle Book, and The Wizard of Oz.)
3. Songs. A song or two before bed is another way to calm down and have special one-on-one time.
4. Bath. For some babies, it helps to calm them down. Warning: it doesn’t work with all (definitely not for us)! This is our bathtub, if you need one. It “grows” with your baby, so that you can use it as a newborn and as a bigger baby.
5. Rocking. Something about the rhythm makes our little guy immediately start to snuggle and close his eyes. Swinging is another good choice. If you need to do something else, let them chill in their sing or rocker. This one swings and rocks!
6. Prayer or reflection on the day. We like to pray together before bed. My hope is to make it a habit with T now, so that he’ll make it his own habit in the future.
7. Pajamas. Change into comfy night clothes, another indicator that bedtime is coming. We prefer cotton, not fleece, since it’s less hot, and sometimes fleece pajama manufacturers spray flame-retardant chemicals on the pjs. (I’m all about safer.)
8. Dim the lights.
9. Bottle. A full tummy just helps put you to sleep. It’s science. (Right?) We used these bottles with both our boys, which are anti-colic.
10. Nightlight or music on a timer. We have a little seahorse that lights up and plays music, but only for a short amount of time. Usually by the time it’s done, our little guy is out. The sound machine conveniently has a nightlight and a timer.
What kinds of things do you do for your bedtime routine? Do you have one?
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