What Should a Toddler’s Bedtime Routine Look Like?
With a young baby, a bedtime routine can be pretty simple and only take about 15 minutes. Watch for them to get tired, milk, change, swaddle, done!
As your baby grows into a mobile, talkative, wildly curious toddler, they will need a bit more of a lead-up to bedtime, and more like 20-30 minutes of quality time preparing for bed. Turning off screens and electronics, and getting in a nourishing, balanced evening meal are some additional vital components to a good bedtime.
This is my basic 5-step routine for a toddler's bedtime:
Bath
Pajamas
Read 2 stories
Special song or prayer
Sound machine on/lights off
You can of course add or omit something depending on what works for your family!
I always recommend that if there is any part of your bedtime routine, such as brushing teeth or washing hair, which your toddler dislikes and usually fusses and fights through, we need to put that at the front of the routine and save the more calming, enjoyable parts for right before laying them down in bed. We also want to put the last nursing or cup of milk, if applicable, at the front of the routine rather than the end!
If your toddler is the master at “just one more”, consider creating a sign for their room with the “bedtime rules”, stating that two stories is the limit. Toddlers love to read signs and obey their simple instructions!
Your special song, prayer, or bedtime phrase should always be the same each night, to be used as a cue or trigger for your child to become drowsy and fall asleep.
What's your child's current bedtime routine or bedtime struggle? Come over to my Instagram and let me know.
Do you need help figuring out your toddler's ideal bedtime? Be sure to get my free PDF guide to ideal bedtimes by age!
