Caroline’s Bedtime Routine

Caroline’s bedtime routine is all about predictability. No matter where we are, or when bedtime falls, the bedtime routine is always the same. Since we do the same thing every night, Caroline knows bedtime is near. The goal of this is not to tell you what your baby’s bedtime routine should be. Different things work for different babies. We started this routine when Caroline was just over two weeks old, and it has continued to work really well for us.

We base our bedtime routine off of Moms On Call. I adapted their suggested routine into what we do each night. If you’re new here, you will find out quickly that I love Moms On Call. I did a review here.

Bathtime

At 6:30 PM we kick off our bedtime routine with a bath. When Milton is home he is the designated bath-giver. Since Caroline was a newborn we have used the Angelcare bath support. She has just started wanting to sit up in the bath, so I’ll be looking for a new bath seat soon, but this one still works great! We travel with it as well (which is kind of cumbersome, but worth it).

I used to use the Noodle & Boo Newborn 2-in-1 Hair and Body wash, but I ran out of it. I won it through an Instagram giveaway (which is wild because I never win those)! I now use Johnson & Johnson baby wash. I’m determined to use all baby wash that was gifted to me before buying anything new! Baby stuff isn’t cheap, y’all! Her skin doesn’t seem to be very sensitive, and both washes have worked well for us.

Lotion and PJs

Ok, this is pretty straight forward. When Caroline is done with her bath, I take her back to her changing table and put lotion on her. Babies lose moisture easily, and since we bath her every day I make sure to put lotion on after each bath. I put lotion on after I shower, so I suppose it’s a habit of mine that has translated over to her. Like the body wash, I was originally using the Noodle & Boo lotion until I ran out. I’m currently using the Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Lotion.

For pajamas, I always put Caroline in a footed one-piece. Preferably with a zipper, because who has time for 10 snaps. We find her pajamas at Carter’s, Old Navy, and Walmart. Walmart definitely has the cheapest pajamas, and they are just as soft as any others! We keep the house anywhere from 69 to 71 degrees at night. Her room can get pretty cold, so if it feels a little frigid to me I’ll put her in a cotton short-sleeve onesie with footed pjs over it. She doesn’t sleep with any kind of blanket at night. Sure, I could buy thicker or fleece pajamas, but it’s Texas and I think that’s a little overkill.

Bottle and Lights Out

Caroline gets her bedtime bottle in her bedroom. I turn the overhead light off and a lamp on so it is dim in the room (mood lighting if you will). When she finishes her bottle I turn the lamp off and her white noise machine on. I rock her for a little bit before I lay her in her crib. I don’t rock her until she is asleep, however, sometimes she falls asleep while taking her bottle and I rock her anyway because it is one of my favorite moments of the day.