Good Night, Sleep Tight

Night time routines can make all the difference in a child's sleep habits. Master A's sleep habits have been up and down since we moved in with my parents.

From the age of 4 months until 12 months when we moved, Master A slept through the night. I had a bed time routine for him virtually since the day we brought him home from hospital. I had routines for everything. I tried to continue them as we moved, but we had a few issues.

In March, when he was 17 months old, I transitioned him from the cot to a single bed. He loved it and for the next week he slept right through, until he got sick and went into hospital. From then on we had problems. He would drink 2-3 bottles of milk a night and because I was exhausted, I just did it. I didn't know what else to do. Nothing about his bed time routine had changed. It was all still exactly the same.

When he was 19 months old we went cold turkey on the bottle. We've had our ups and downs, a few nights of sitting up by his bed for the entire night, I even hopped into bed with him one night because I was just too tired.

We have finally hit the jackpot though, and he is sleeping through the night again, even whilst he has been sick! So I thought I would share with you exactly what it is we do.

Dinner time in our house is at about 6pm. Bed time is at 7.00. Therefore, between 6 and 7 Master A eats dinner, has a shower, has a bit of play time and goes to bed. I try to keep this as strict as possible, so that he has the same routine every night. It isn't always possible though. Some nights dinner may take longer to prepare than others, or Master A may be eating slower than usual, meaning that there isn't really much time for play. I try to aim for at least 15 minutes of play time before bed.

At 7.00 I give Munchkin any medication he may need, such as his puffers, Panadol or teething gel if he's teething. We then say good night to Gran and Grandad and off we go to bed.

This routine has worked a treat, and I think that keeping up with it, even when we were having so many problems has been the right thing to do. The only difference was that he used to be put to bed with a bottle of milk.

I hope that those without a bed time routine (and I know there are so many out there, struggling to get their little ones into bed before 11) can see that it really doesn't need to be hard, or complicated. If your child isn't used to a routine, persistence is the key. Just keep going with it, and they will eventually learn that you are in charge, and this is what is happening next. Don't give up!

Do you have a bedtime routine for your Munchkins?
What time do you put your kiddies to bed?