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Bedtime Routine

Setting your baby up for success

Sleep is an active neurophysiological process that serves as the primary activity of the developing brain.

Lack of quality & quantity of sleep is associated with poor behavior, inadequate school performance, obesity, and secondary effects on a family's well-being. 

(Bathory & Tomopoulos, 2017)

Infants are typically ready for sleep training between the ages of 4-6 months. 

(The National Sleep Foundation, 2019)

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and National Sleep Foundation

Recommended Sleep Duration

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0-3 months                          14-17 hours

3-6 months                          12-15 hours

6-9 months                          12-15 hours

9-12 months                         12-15 hours

1-2 years                                11-14 hours

3-5 years                               10-13 hours

 

 

Maintain a regular and consistent nightly routine, as this will help cue their brain and body to prepare for sleep. 

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(Bathory & Tomopoulos, 2017)

Tips for improving your child's sleep:

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Approximately 1 hour before your baby's bed time, establish a calming and quite environment

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  • ​turn off all screens​ 45 minutes to 1 hour before you want your child to fall asleep

  • give your baby a soothing bath and/or infant massage

  • dress them in clean pajamas

  • dim their bedroom light and turn on ambient sounds machine (if you decide this helps calm your baby)

  • talk to them 

    • read them a book

    • tell them a story 

    • sing them a song

  • feed, burp, and gently rock or snuggle them 

  • place them on their backs in their crib/ safe sleep area once they are drowsy but before they fall asleep

(American Academy of Family Physicians, 2017)

Avoid these Practices

  • Continuing to hold your baby once you feel that you yourself might doze off or fall asleep

  • Putting cereal in their milk

  • Force feeding

  • Overfeeding 

  • Propping a bottle in their mouth in their crib/ unsupervised

  • Administering medication or giving alcohol to induce sleep

​(American Academy of Family Physicians, 2017)

The information contained in this website should not be used as a substitute for the medical care or advice from your pediatrician. Your pediatrician may have specific recommendations based on your child's individual circumstances. 

References

American Academy of Family Physicians. (2017). Newborn sleep routines. Retrieved from https://familydoctor.org/newborn-sleep-routines.

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Bathory, E., & Tomopoulos, S. (2017). Sleep regulation, physiology and development, sleep duration and patterns, and sleep hygiene in infants, toddlers, and pre-school age children. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 47, 29-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2016.12.001

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Moon, R. (2016). SIDS and other sleep related infant deaths. American Academy of Pediatrics, 138, e2-e19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2940

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The National Sleep Foundation. (2019). Everything you need to know about sleep training. Retrieved from https://www.sleep.org/articles/sleep-training-babies/.

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