Tonight we sleep || Our 3-step bedtime routine

How we get our kiddos to sleep through the night has been such an incredibly requested post topic for such a long time, so I'm thrilled to finally be sharing how we do it. Especially with Daylight Saving time throwing off everyone's schedules, it's the perfect opportunity to work at implementing a bedtime routine, and today I'm teaming up with Johnsons’s® to share just that!

As a quick recap, Martin and I are blessed with 5 babies in 5 years, and they all sleep approximately 12 hours a night. Even with all the different milestones and advances, etc, keeping their sleep time regular has been something we've had to work at constantly since the day our oldest was born. But it's been such a huge blessing when everything goes smoothly at night, and in the morning!

 

I've shared our bedtime routine with so many people personally, and through emails, etc, and I love hearing success stories about how they've gotten over the struggle of bad sleepers! Keep in mind however that we're all different, and our kids are different, and there's no perfect science to bedtime that'll work for everyone. This Johnsons’s® 3-step routine, however, is universal, and really quite simple! And so worth it:) Consistency is the key. Let me break it down for you:

Step 1: Bath 
After dinner and our family activities (or maybe some straightening around the house), I add some Johnsons’s® baby bedtime wash to the tub as I'm filling it up. The lavender smell alone is what sold me on it when we were first-time parents, but it's such a good and gentle clensor overall. Usually I'll do step 1 and 2 with the four older kiddos, and then while they read books or draw, I'll bathe Evie separately in the sink as she still needs my full attention and support.

Step 2: Massage
Once they're out of the bath and getting dried off, it's time for the lotion! I can't resist the smell of my freshly cleaned babies at this point, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that obsession.haha I've loved using the bedtime oil on my littlest ones, but these days I normally just use the baby bedtime lotion for all five of them. I've learned every single one of their most ticklish spots during this ritual:) We all love it!

Step 3: Quiet Time
This is our favorite time of day together. Usually we're in the girls room with me on a bed reading while Marty brushes their hair, one at a time. We'll then sing some songs quietly together or listen to some music. Johnsons’s® recently put together a beautiful global lullaby, and while the song itself is sweet, the 'making of' video actually made me kind of emotional. Anyways, so once all the hair is brushed and the lights are low, we like to talk to the kids a bit about the best parts of the day, as well as what we can look forward to tomorrow, and then have a family prayer. Remember that overall the most important part of quiet-time, is the quiet.haha Don't let the giggles escalate too much, and no running or yelling during step 3:)

And that's the routine! I know that if you're like me than even the word routine may make you smile and shake your head.haha But if we can do it with five different types of sleepers and all of them being so young, then so can you! I may not be very good at sticking to a meal routine or a laundry routine, (and of course, I can't keep our sleep routine 100% of the time), but we take bedtime very seriously around here:)

Alright so are you excited now?! The best thing about the Johnsons’s® Baby 3-step bedtime routine is that it's clinically proven to help babies sleep better at night in just one week, so I really want you to give this a try and tell me how it goes for you too! Moving your kiddos from the bath to the massage, and then to some quiet time right before bed not only helps them fall asleep more quickly, but to stay asleep for longer. Also the free Johnsons’s® bedtime baby sleep app helps you keep track of each of your kids individually, so you can see how their nights improve as you implement your routine.

And that'd better be it for today! I could (and probably will) share additional posts with many more specific tips for infant, babies, and toddlers that've worked for our family, so let me know if that's something you'd like to see, and maybe what age your trouble sleeper is? As usual if you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments, and thank you so much for reading today!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, but our family has loved using the Johnson baby bedtime products for our sleep routine for 6 years, and all words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the partnerships that support The Freckled Fox!