Skip to main content
Home

CH Main menu

  • Your baby's skin
    • Baby's skin
      • Learn About Nappy Rash
      • Nappy Rash
      • Skin Irritations in Babies
      • Can Teething Cause Nappy Rash?
  • Understanding your skin
    • Your skin
      • Your skin’s structure
      • What triggers a nappy rash?
  • Bepanthen range
    • Our Baby
      • Bepanthen Baby Ointment
      • Bepanthen First Aid Cream
    • Reviews About Bepanthen Ointment
    • About Bepanthen globally
  • Parent Zone
    • Newborn advice
      • Newborn advice
      • Essential items
      • Those First Three Months and The Everyday Essentials
    • Getting out and about
      • Morning routine
      • Changing bag essentials
      • Baby gifts for new parents
    • Winding down
      • Bedtime routine
      • Sleeping through the night
      • Nappy Rash Triggers
      • The Trials of Nappy Rash
    • Caring for your baby
      • The Trials of Teething and Natural Ways You Can Help Baby
      • Caring for Sensitive Skin
  • FAQ
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Bepanthen Baby Ointment
      • Bepanthen First Aid Cream
  • Where to buy
Bayer Cross Logo
  1. Home
  2. Parent Zone
  3. Winding down

Establishing A Bedtime Routine With Your Baby – What Worked For Us

With both of our boys (Ethan now 4 and Logan now 2), we were lucky that their going to sleep was never a constant battle, but I can remember feeling a bit like I was going to break due to the lack of sleep (especially during the tougher phases). There was a time when we found ourselves in a phase of sharing our bed every night. There was even a time when we had to pick our youngest son up from his grandparents because he'd woke up at 2 o'clock in the morning and just outright refused to accept that he needed to go back to sleep. There were also times when I would feel consumed with Mum-guilt because my baby would wake up at night crying, and we'd struggle to settle him back off to sleep.

But I expect that this same sort of story is usual for parents of babies. I feel very thankful that it didn't take us too long to be able to establish good routines and find an approach that meant the sleepless nights weren't long term.

Setting a routine

The first thing we made sure to do was be consistent with a bedtime routine. The importance of routine was proven to us when our first son was quite young, and we didn't quite realise how much a change to his normal routine would affect him while we were on holiday. While away, we let him stay up a bit later and also come into our bed with us. Naively, we thought he'd be fine going back into his own bed when we were home again. But, of course, he wasn't, and what followed was quite a hard bedtime battle phase. So ever since then we've tried to keep to a good routine when it comes to going to bed.

Good night's sleep is easier to achieve with baby bottom cream applied regularly
  • Bath time was, and still is, every other night. We bathe them in the evenings usually to help them feel relaxed and settled for bed.
  • After bath time, we use a bit of baby moisturizing cream for any dry skin and also apply nappy cream. We do this especially at night when the nappy stays on for the longest to protect against rash. We like to use baby nappy ointment because it works for us. We found that, as a result of regular applications, the boys never suffered with nappy rash. It’s also very easy to use while one handed (which is great for when your baby is a bit of a wriggler like my youngest is!)
  • After that is pajamas, milk time, and teeth brushing.
  • Then around 7 pm, it's time to settle down in the chair in their room for a cuddle and story time - we usually read them two books each. When the boys were younger, they would sometimes fall asleep with their milk which made bedtime a lot easier!

Things to help baby settle

When it came to getting our boys to settle in their beds after they'd moved into the own rooms, we found a starlight mobile to be a bit of a lifesaver. It plays calming music and also has lights that shine a relaxing light show. It automatically shuts off after 20 minutes or so which we found brilliant because it meant that we didn't have to keep going into their rooms like we would have had to with a wind-up cot mobile.

Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment

My boys also have teddy bears that they've had from birth. They find so much comfort in the bears and sleep with them every night. They both slept with dummies, and Ethan gave his up at 3 (Logan still has his). And we used sleeping/grow bags with them both too for bedtime. I really like the sleeping bags because they are so much safer than loose covers are and also pretty good for when they are a bit older and can stand up. It's far harder for them to attempt to climb out of their cot with them on.

Baby toy

Trying controlled crying?

I believe that trying controlled crying is only recommended for babies who are a bit older. I personally wouldn't have used it when my little ones were really little, but when it came to settling Ethan into his own room and teaching him that bedtime meant bedtime, controlled crying really worked for us.

Baby laying on bed after the application of baby cream

Different people have different opinions on controlled crying. Ideally, however, the focus should be on teaching your children that everybody has to go to bed at night. Think of it as taking your children to school, you wouldn't take either of your children out of school just because they cried, right? Instead, you would comfort and reassure them at the start of the day, and come back to pick them up at the end of the day. Alas, there is no right or wrong approach, but it is important for you to find a compromise that works for both you and your children. Yes, babies do need their sleep, but so do their parents, especially if they want to be able to give their children their best the next day.

Image

Related Articles

Baby cream applied, so the newborn sleeps calmly.

Getting healthy and restful sleep

Sleep deprivation is especially common amongst new parents. Thankfully, incorporating some of these effective tips from Bepanthen can help you to improve your quality of sleep..

Find out more
Baby awaits Bepanthen bum cream application.

What triggers
nappy rash?

A nappy rash is a common condition that, on average, affects a third of all infants. Learn what triggers to look out for with Bepanthen.

Find out more
Newborn laying in bed with rose petals as soft as baby skin moisturizing cream.

The trials of
nappy rash

Bepanthen can provide you with a sizeable chunk of information regarding nappy rash, and even more advice on how to soothe a baby's bottom effectively!

Find out more
Bepanthen Footer Logo

Footer Center

  • Home page
  • Bepanthen's range
  • Parent zone

Copyright © 2019 Bayer. All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. All trademarks are owned by Bayer, and its affiliates, or licensed for its use.

USE AS DIRECTED.

Footer Bottom

  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Sitemap
  • Bayer Consumer Health
  • Bayer Global
  • Privacy statement
  • Conditions of use
  • Imprint