r/sleeptrain • u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete • Jan 25 '26
Mod Post Setting up a good bedtime routine
A bedtime routine is a set of steps that happens every time and give your baby cues that it is time to sleep.
Length
A solid bedtime routine usually lasts 30-45 minutes.
What to do in this time
Common activities are bath, change nappy, massage/putting on Pjs, reading a book, tell a story, sing a few songs, hold your baby while dancing calmly but not as calm as to make them drowsy, saying goodnight to things in the bedroom.
What not to do in this time
- Feeding. Feeding your baby less than 30 minutes before bedtime can make your baby associate the cue of feeding with sleep. In addition, in a lot of babies it makes them drowsy, which then sabotages the progress with independent sleep. My recommendation is that feeding is the last thing you do before dimm lights time comes in. Do it in the living room, then move to bathroom/sleep space for the routine.
- Anything that can make your baby drowsy: rocking on a chair, bouncing on a yoga ball are usually not great activities as your baby can end up being drowsy and this can be counter productive to independent sleep.
How to end the routine
End the routine saying a phrase "It is time to sleep little bean, I love you" and place your baby awake (not drowsy) in their bed.
Nap time vs bedtime
The bedtime routine before naps does not have to be this lengthy. In fact you should probably only have a 5-10 minutes routine before nap. It can consist of taking the baby to their room, close the curtains, change their nappy, singing a song, and place them in bed to sleep.
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u/Illustrious_Fly_1277 Jan 29 '26
Currently a 5 mo nurse to sleep baby. I wake her up after feeding and then put her in bassinet awake but there isn’t a 30 min gap between feed and sleep. She is able to fall asleep after 1-3 tries though. What is ur advice to wean her off the boob while implementing above? Thanks!!
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u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete Jan 29 '26
End feeding 30 minutes before bedtime. If you feed near bedtime your baby will fall asleep on the boob.
I would not feed to sleep then wake baby up. If I was your baby I would be very angry 🤣
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Feb 01 '26
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u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete Feb 01 '26
Never too late. Bedtime routine makes sense whenever baby's sleep time starts getting consistent in the evening.
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u/adonn65 Feb 14 '26
With our 4mo 1wk baby, we do a full feed on the boob at the start of the last wake window. Then bedtime routine is storytime, change diaper + PJs, offer her a bottle (but make sure she stays awake), then turn lights off, sing songs in the dark (also gives time to burp from the bottle), finally lay down awake. Generally putting baby into crib between 8 and 8:30
We have seen decent success with this routine even without any formal sleep training — she rarely wakes before 1am and often sleeps until 4am. We are thinking about sleep training closer to 5mo but this subreddit is inspiring me towards starting sooner 😁
Should we be taking this bottle out of the routine?
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u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete Feb 14 '26
The bottle in the routine can easily become an issue. It could be it never does to you but I would just start routine with bottle and then go from there. Also make sure you're not singing in the dark to asleep or drowsy
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u/Full-Egg3734 Apr 11 '26
Hi, I have a 7 month old (6 months adjusted) and we usually feed half way in to the routine with a read and song afterwards and she's usually calm and not sleepy, often crying at the end of the song before being put down. Is the sleep still affecting things? Regular night wakings and struggling with pick up put down at the moment to get her to sleep independently. She does quite well with the first settle but the second (after 1.5hrs sleep) had no success and gave up after 50mins. She'd be v asleep on my shoulder but would not go in the cot..
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u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete Apr 11 '26
Yes the feed could be affecting it. But also the method you are using could be causing issues. It could also be schedule.
PUPD is very stimulating for babies at this age and unless you're already putting her down and not picking her up at the start of the night then the night wakings are going to continue.
I don't understand what do you mean that she's very asleep on your shoulder. No sleep training method consists in transferring a baby asleep. They must fall asleep on their bed.
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u/Full-Egg3734 Apr 11 '26
Thanks for the response. Sorry what I meant is that she's very calm on my shoulder. She'll be crying in her cot but calms instantly on my shoulder and would fall asleep easily if I left her there. Had been holding her once calm for about 30 seconds then putting her down
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u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete Apr 11 '26
What's your schedule? I don't think your method and your schedule are helping you accomplish your goals of independent sleep.
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u/Full-Egg3734 Apr 11 '26
On a 3 nap schedule at the moment. Woke up at 7. Wake windows of 2/2.5/2.5/2.75. naps were 1.5hrs, 1.25hrs, 30mins. Bed routine was nappy change, into sleep sack, feed, read, songs, cuddle, cot
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u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete Apr 11 '26
Your schedule is not age appropriate so no sleep training method will work. This is a schedule for a 4-5mo transitioning from 4 to 3 naps.
You need a schedule with at least 10-11 hours awake in 3 or 2 naps.
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u/Full-Egg3734 Apr 11 '26
Ah ok. Thanks. So extend the wake windows and cut naps down to maybe 1hr,1hr,0.5hr?
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u/Comprehensive_Bill [mod] 3yo and 5yo | Complete Apr 11 '26
Yes 2.5 hours sounds like a good start.
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u/DisciplineWeekly680 Apr 11 '26
To be clear, you mean feeding should be finished no later than 30 mins before the bedtime routine starts correct?
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u/Makemeapizzaplease May 02 '26
Would love an edit of our current bedtime routine for 13 month old (14 months in one week)
We’re currently working on one 1 hr nap and 10 nighttime hours. 8:45pm-6:45am, nap 12:30-1:30pm
5 dinner
6 Walk
645 snack
7pm bath
7:30pm lotion and pjs
7:45 nurse and books
8 Brush teeth
8:15/8:30 in room
Pick sleep sack
Cuddles
(Currently rocking to sleep and setting down drowsy so will switch to ST here)
8:45 bedtime
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u/pb0390 Feb 05 '26
If I put my baby in her crib awake she starts fussing and eventually whining and I end up having to feed her or atleast suck for comfort 🫠