Bedtime Rituals for Your Baby

No matter which “sleep type” your baby is, a bedtime ritual will ensure that your baby sleeps more calmly and happily. Babies who find it more difficult to fall asleep can benefit greatly from a specific and predictable bedtime ritual. Babies enjoy bedtime rituals because they like predictability. Because your baby knows what is coming, he or she can relax more easily. And the more relaxed your baby is, the faster and happier he or she falls asleep.

Even though your baby was able to perceive light in the womb, newborn babies do not yet have a day-and-night rhythm. A sleep ritual therefore does not make much sense in those first weeks. Once your baby is six to eight weeks old, you can start introducing a certain routine for putting your baby to sleep. By starting early, you will reap the benefits in the future!

Create a transition from day to night. You can do so by bathing your child, providing a baby massage, singing a quiet song or a lullaby, and once your baby is a bit older, you can read him or her a bedtime story. Dim the light as you take care of your baby and put on their nightwear. For example, buy a children’s light for the nursery. Does your baby sleep in your bedroom? Then turn just one bedside lamp on or make sure you can dim the light. This helps your baby understand that it’s “nighttime” and time to go to sleep.

Make bedtime a fun event for your baby to enjoy. And by the way, it’s not just pure pleasure for your baby, but for you too! It’s just the two of you, and you can devote your entire time to your baby. Make sure to take sufficient time for this ritual. If you are in a hurry and actually need to do something for your work as soon as possible, your baby will feel your anxiety and that will backfire.

Here are some practical tips for finding a bedtime ritual that will suit you and your baby. And remember, you know your baby best and are therefore best equipped to know what is good for your baby:

• Give your baby a bath, but you don’t have to do this every day. You can also make a ritual of washing your baby’s hands and face, brushing their teeth (you can start brushing your baby’s teeth from the moment the first tooth begins to show), change diapers, and putting on your baby’s nightwear.
• Talk to and recapitulate the day with your baby. Did you visit grandpa and grandma? Then say so. If your baby has been to the daycare center, talk about your baby having had a very busy day with the other children and that he/she will now be very tired. Of course, you can also tell your baby what you did all day. Some parents find it a bit awkward to talk to their baby in this way, but your baby really enjoys it. In addition, it is good for their language development and your baby will calm down from hearing your voice.
• If your baby is already a little older, you can say goodbye to your baby’s soft toys or the animal on the poster in your baby’s room or give him or her a kiss.
• Sing a song at bedtime (for example, “Hush, little baby”). If you sing the same song every night, that’s a ritual in itself! Lullabies have been a way to end the day for decades. Babies enjoy hearing your voice and the melody.
• Read a short bedtime story before your baby goes to sleep.
• Switch on a music box when you put your baby in his or her crib and leave the room. This will prevent the room from becoming completely silent when you exit.

Is your baby going away on a sleepover or are you going for a weekend getaway or holiday with the family? Then stick to the bedtime ritual from home as much as possible because your baby is familiar with them, and they create a reassuring environment for your baby.