The Value of a Bedtime Routine

Consistency and routines create a feeling of security and reliability in your child’s life. It’s a very big world and children learn so much every day that they can easily become overwhelmed with the enormity of it all. When certain important key points are always the same, these things create anchors of security. Young children look for these anchors and thrive on their consistency. They enjoy routines and easily adapt to them, and even look for them.

We can take advantage of this natural desire that children have for routine by actually creating a very specific before bed routine that naturally and easily ends with sleep.

Yet more reasons to create a consistent bedtime routine

Beyond the convenience and stability of a regular bedtime routine, there are lots of other reasons why you’ll find this to be a helpful key to overcoming bedtime battles: 

• A consistent, peaceful bedtime routine allows your energetic child to transition from the constant motion of the day to the tranquil state required to fall asleep.
  
• An organized bedtime routine helps you to coordinate the specifics that must occur before bed: bath, pajamas, tooth-brushing, and so on.
  
• A specific bedtime routine helps you to function on auto-pilot at the time of day when you are most tired and least creative.
  
• Following a standard routine every night often replaces a disjointed and unhappy bedtime battle scene with a satisfying and peaceful process.
  
• An established routine helps you to get your child into bed at the same time every night so that he can get plenty of sleep to feel well-rested and happy.

View your routine as a special time to be treasured with your child. The bedtime routine should be as much about enjoying the loving connection between you and your child as it is about pajama donning and tooth brushing.

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