Some of you might know that Augustine hasn’t been the best sleeper. There was a period for several months where we were in his room off and on for 3-4 hours before he would finally fall asleep for a solid chunk of time. During one of those crazed nights, where I felt at wit’s end, I did some Google searching {good ol’ Google always coming through!}. One of the things that mama after mama encouraged was a consistent bedtime routine. At the time we didn’t really have a routine so it was like a big lightbulb went off in my head, “ooooh. That makes sense.” We gave it a try and that is what I credit Augustine’s new and improved sleep to. He’s still up once in the middle of the night, but the going down process is a lot easier. Today I’m breaking down Augustine’s bedtime routine, as it’s changed for us now at the 1 year mark.
Step 1: Bath
Ok this is the only thing that isn’t consistent every single night, but it is something we do every other day. We put Augustine in the sink for a bath, sing “Splish Splash I Was Taking a Bath,” and wrap him up in his cozy towel. He loves playing with the water and then seeing his wet hair in the mirror afterwards!
Step 2: Massage
I know what you must be thinking. Massage? For a 1 year old? But I swear it’s a thing. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos about infant massage and learned how beneficial it is for their little bodies. Our Mommy & Me lead who is an LMFT also recommended it! Massages are incredibly relaxing so it’s a nice way that we can help him unwind. I’ve been using the Live Clean baby products for the past several months and I alternate between two of theirs: the Gentle Moisture Baby Lotion and the Calming Bedtime Lotion. Both smell incredible and I feel like they help with that sleep association. Augustine sometimes gets dry skin so I love that the lotions help with that as well! Also, I know I’ve mentioned it before but, Live Clean is free of harsh chemicals, has natural ingredients, is certified organic, and cruelty-free! The best right?!
After we give Augustine his massage, we put him in a pair of pjs!
Step 3: Playtime
One new step for us at the one year mark is playtime before bed. I know this seems weird to give him a little playtime at night, but since he’s much more mobile now, he wants to explore a little bit before bed. Our Mommy & Me LMFT lead said that giving them time to be themselves, unobstructed, is really beneficial. They can stretch their legs, and get their wiggles out, before their hopefully long nighttime slumber! Augustine will usually crawl over to his bookshelf, pick out some books to read, or crawl over to the ottoman and practice pulling himself up. Since it’s a safe place I let him cruise around and do his thing.
Step 4: Milk & Storytime
Next we sit in his rocking chair while he has his last meal of the day. Then we grab a few books from the bookshelf to read, if he hasn’t brought any over to me already. We usually reader 2 or 3 depending on how tired he is. We always end with Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon, two classics! The copies we read are actually ones that I had as a little girl from my Godmother. It’s so special reading him books that were once read to me.
Step 5: Say Goodnight
After we finish his books, we say a nighttime prayer and then walk around the room saying goodnight to everything from the curtains, to the mirror, to the books, to the baby!
Step 6: Sound Machine, Rocking and Lullabies
Then the white noise machine goes on! I think having a white noise machine helps Augustine fall asleep, and it also muffles the noises in our house. The few times we’ve forgotten to turn the sound machine on, Augustine wakes when he hears Ginger running by his room.
After the sound machine is turned on, I sing Augustine some songs while rocking him in my arms. This one of the moments I look forward to all day long! It’s a special time just the two of us. He’s so busy during the day, so it’s nice to have this time where he can allow himself to be more calm.
Step 6: In Bed, Awake
Putting Augustine in bed awake is key! Once we started doing this, I feel like he started to learn how to self-soothe and put himself to sleep. For the longest time, Augustine needed me to rock or nurse him to sleep but that’s so impractical, and not sustainable over the long run. Once he was able to learn how to do this part himself, I felt like he started sleeping for longer chunks.
Augustine has become a lot more active so around bedtime we try to lower our voices, turn the lights down, get into comfy clothes and set the stage of a house that’s about to go to sleep. I think he picks up on those things. Also, that scent from our LiveClean Calming Bedtime lotion probably helps transport him to dreamland!
Do you have any tips for a nighttime routine? Also, check out more Motherhood Posts + details on Augustine’s Nursery
xox
Disclosure: Big thanks to Live Clean for partnering with me on this post. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. Thanks for supporting my sponsors!
