We were told early on in Corrie’s life that babies work a lot like adults - they need time to wind down before bed and their brains need to prepare for sleep. A great way to do this is by setting up a consistent, predictable bedtime routine! We’ve been sticking to some variation of this one since Corrie came home. We’ve changed a few things as she’s grown and her eating schedule has changed, but we’ve tried to be as consistent with it as possible. I’ve laid it out below in case you’re looking for some inspiration for your own bedtime routine. Keep in mind Corrie is almost one (what?!) - if you have any questions about what we did when she was younger feel free to reach out, though I’m guessing you can fill in the blanks on your own :)

5:30pm - start supper

6:00pm - last bottle of the day

6:15pm - dad gets Corrie ready for tubby time and I get the tub ready

How long she plays in the bath is dependent upon how tired she, how interested she is, how many times she tried to drain the tub, etc.

After tubby time -

We have a night light in her room we turn on so we can set the stage for bedtime, then we always do a few things before putting her to bed:

• lotion

• essential oils on her feet

• check her temp (forehead)

• if she has a cold, use our Nose Frieda

• Obvs put on a diaper

7:00pm - turn on her sound machine, turn off the nightlight, and hum Jesus Loves Me. Lay her down awake but relaxed, give her her pacifier, and let her put herself to sleep.

It’s been so cute establishing this routine because now when I start to hum to her, she lays her head on my chest.

Having a routine is not only nice for her, but I also thrive when I know what to expect. While every night doesn’t go exactly as planned it’s nice to have a framework to keep us grounded.

I’d love to hear, what is your experience with a bedtime routine? What have you found works best for you?