Routine it’s the basic structure of human nature and is key to family life. Without routine, things will quickly begin to fall apart. Sports matches will be missed, play dates will be forgotten and last minute panic will be a staple piece of your everyday life. When you have a house to look after and children to factor in, you’ll struggle to survive without routine.
That being said, some families flourish without routine in the day, but if there’s one type of rigidity that every family can benefit from, it’s a bedtime routine.
Why Bedtime Routines are Important
Sleep has a number of effects beyond physical tiredness, with a lack of bedtime routine in early childhood linked to being overweight in later life, a higher chance of disrupted sleep, and a lower academic ability at school age.
What’s more, you could end up with a lack of sleep yourself which will mean you’re left feeling constantly drained and running on empty, and the results of that will be felt around the home and at work, too.
How to Implement a Bedtime Routine
It can be difficult to implement a bedtime routine, especially if you face resistance and are having a bad day and are tempted to just give in for an easy life. The key is to make a routine that works with you and your family. What your friend or neighbor does might not work for you, and that’s completely fine! The most important thing is to find a routine that makes sense with your schedule.
Once you’ve established the routine itself, you need to keep at it. The earlier you put in place a bedtime routine, the better, but regardless, you’re likely to face resistance at some point.
What to Include in a Bedtime Routine
What you should put in a bedtime routine will differ from household to household. For example, some families find it easier to bathe their children at night time rather than in the morning, so a bath makes up part of their bedtime routine. Other families have more time in the morning than at night, in which case bathing in the morning will work better for them.
Generally speaking, bedtime should begin to be implemented around an hour or two after dinner (depending on the time you have dinner at). It should take roughly half an hour so that it’s not too extended and the actual act of going to bed isn’t too drawn out. It’s a good idea to begin by getting changed into pajamas (bathing beforehand if necessary), settling down to watch a calm TV show or to enjoy a warm cup of milk, and ensuring all loud or hyperactive distractions are removed.
This means no loud toys, no more playing outside and no running around. After this, it’s time to brush teeth and get into bed. You might choose to read a story together, sing a lullaby or to simply have a cuddle. After this, it’s time to settle down and go to sleep.
Changes to Bedtime Routines
There will inevitably be times when routines are changed, such as on vacation and at special times of the year (think religious days like the Night of Power or cultural norms like Halloween). It’s not a big deal to have occasional changes to bedtime routines, or to even mix it up on a regular basis, so long as structure is still followed. For example, when your child gets older and is used to a weekday routine, you could allow them to stay up later on the weekends so long as the same principle is followed (bush teeth etc.).
Summary
Promote healthy development and good habits by trying to implement a bedtime routine if you haven’t already.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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