A routine is valuable for any child, but when it comes to a bedtime routine, it really should be a non-negotiable. Trust me, it’s the end of the day, you’ve already done so much, and I know you are tired. I promise you though, all the experts would agree, having a solid bedtime routine is absolutely beneficial. You don’t want to go strong all day just to have the wheels fall off the bus at the very end. On long days I encourage myself, finish the race strong! It reminds me of 2 Timothy 4:7 that says:
That verse is referencing the race of life, but we can break it down a bit, right? I want to finish my day strong. I want to rely on God’s strength and keep my faith knowing He will equip me to do so.
Bedtime Routine Importance
Your child getting an adequate amount of sleep is vital to their growing minds and their developing independence. What is super interesting, is while almost every expert agrees that a solid bedtime routine is valuable and needed, they do not always see eye-to-eye on what that solid bedtime routine actually looks like.
All cards on the table. In the Young household, bedtime is hands down the hardest part of our day. For many reasons we struggle, and I know we are not alone. I receive more consultations that I can count where they report bedtime as being a struggle. A lot of bedtime struggles are age-appropriate, but sometimes they are a peak into a bigger issue that should be addressed.
One of the best ways to determine if there is a deeper issue going on is to follow a predictable bedtime routine. If you follow a bedtime routine strictly for a month and still see concerning behavior at night – then it’s worth reaching out for a consultation.
As I mentioned earlier though, it’s difficult to land on what a bedtime routine should include. I will try not to get too giddy here, but I found a rock star research article for us to dive into today! It’s so interesting, Mamas, you’re not going to want to miss this.
The Research
They brought together 59 experts from different scientific, health, and social backgrounds. They literally sat them all down and had them duke it out to determine what are the 7 most important things that need to be included in everyone’s bedtime routine (for children ages 2-8). I just picture those court room movies where the jury is in there for days debating and collaborating over their verdict. So exciting! It doesn’t stop there, though. After they finally agreed, they then had each of them vote on whether they believed that item should be completed every single night. The point of this was to gauge a hierarchy of importance. They then gathered the results and ranked the final 7 bedtime routine elements in order of importance. Are you ready to see the results … dun dun duuuuuun ….
Where do you fall?
So after looking through this list, how are you doing, Mama? Are you consistently avoiding screens and snacks, but the actual time they go to bed varies too much? Or are you a strict 8pm bedtime Mama, but the details are really fuzzy as to what you do leading up to that time?
I found this to be an absolutely valuable tool to measure how I’m doing with my bedtime routine! If you are not doing some of these things, I’d encourage you start at the top where most experts would agree it’s most important, and add one every week. The goal here is consistency. I’d rather you just do 3 or 4 of the items on this list and do it every single night, rather than doing all 7 once, but score low on predictability. Consistency and predictability allow your child to feel safe. When they feel safe, they can turn their brains off, and go to sleep without added stress.
The bedtime routine graphic with all 7 areas will be available in the FREEBIES section. I’d encourage you to print one off, or reference it this week on your phone for accountability and motivation!
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If we are Mama friends, thank you for joining me this week. Reply in the comments and share your favorite of the 7. Or maybe you can share one you are going to work on this week. I’d love to hear from you!
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References:
Kitsaras, George, et al. “Defining and Measuring Bedtime Routines in Families with Young Children—a Delphi Process for Reaching Wider Consensus.” PLOS ONE, vol. 16, no. 2, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247490.