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I don’t think I’d be the only mom to say that bedtime is one of my least favorite parts of the day. For me, it’s always an intense hour (and a half) of 3 tiny people needing and wanting very different things. Even with my husband’s help, it’s a rough go some nights.
But I read somewhere that the first 5 minutes of the day and the last 5 minutes of the day are super important to feeling connected to your child, and vice versa. So I try to keep it positive, even when I’m giving the 5th round of hugs or the 7th drink of water.
I know some people swear by exact times and strict routines but part of having a 3rd child is that she just has to go with the flow. We don’t follow a rigid routine at specific times but we do try to change the mood to set the tone for bedtime.
One of the easiest ways to get baby to sleep without crying is creating positive associations between items and actions with sleep. Emmy gets the comfiest PJs and snuggles in her glider before bed and associates those with sleeping. Our favorite PJs are from BoodyBaby – they’re viscose (made from bamboo) so perfect for any season because they’re cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I also love that they’re a solid color – heirloom pieces for the next baby (someday!) ;). I also have leggings and a scoopneck tee from Boody and they’re SO comfy and stretchy, perfect for lounging around the house and as layering pieces.
Get 20% off your entire purchase with code LUCKYLIFE20 @ boodywear.com.
Of all 3 kids, Emmy at 7 months old is the easiest to put to bed. After having 3 babies, we’ve got the baby bedtime routine down pat. Here’s our easy-to-follow bedtime routine for a 7 month old and how we get Emmy to sleep without crying it out:
7:15-ish
We head upstairs to wind down or for a bath. Emmy hops in with her older brother and sister for a quick scrub and then she’s out of the tub.
7:30-ish
Fresh diaper, brush her hair, put on her PJs – I’m obsessed with the footed sleepers by BoodyBaby. They’re lightweight and SO soft! And the fact that they zip is a game changer – no time for tiny snaps when you have a wiggly baby.
7:40-ish
Read a quick book. Does Emmy actually pay attention? No. Does she try to eat the book? Yes. But it’s still super important to read aloud to babies so we try.
7:45-ish
Turn on sound machine (this is our favorite) and breastfeed. I feed her until she’s finished or until she falls asleep, whichever comes first. If she does fall asleep eating, I just put her in her crib asleep. If she’s still awake, I give her a quick kiss and snuggle and lay her down awake but tired. She almost always falls asleep on her own.
That’s it! Pretty simple, nothing fancy, no tricks or magic. The things that Emmy can always count on that tell her “sleep” are books, nursing in the chair in her nursery, and comfy cozy PJs. Creating a consistent environment of sleep and cues for baby to follow make it SO much easier for her to get to sleep.
Take a peek of the rest of Emmy’s nursery and my newborn sleep tips.
And just a few pics of my girl because I’m just so in love and she’s the cutest in her PJs 🙂
