Bedtime Routine for 3 Year Old
Bedtime routine for 3 year old
The ideal wind down routine which you will learn as part the extended abundant baby sleep course is all about the ideal wind down routine.
This routine begins at three months old and stays with your child until they’re . . . ten!
Ok, so maybe a bit too old by ten but my daughters are still doing the same routine as they did when they were three months old and they are now six years old and four years old.
So, has anything changed?
Not really.
Sure. Your ideal wind down routine may change slightly without you noticing over the months and years. But that’s OK as long as the core of the routine is the same and as long as you are sticking to the golden rules of the perfect sleep environment:
Cool
Silent
Safe
No matter how old your child is the wind down routine is a quiet, relaxed time with hushed voices and dimmed lighting.
As your child gets older they may want to negotiate more and that’s why a bedtime routine for 3 year old can look slightly different.
For example, perhaps your three year old has developed a fear of the dark and so you now leave the door open rather than having it pitch black.
That’s OK as long as it’s as dark as it can be while keeping your child happy.
For clarity, here’s how my wind down routine has changed over the years:
The original bedtime routine which will ensure your child sleeps for 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep EVERY night should start at three months and should look exactly like this:
Bedtime routine for a 3 month old baby
Get your baby ready for bed - no leggings, comfortable baby gro in muted colours, fresh nappy and into their sleeping bag
Feed your baby - on a chair or bean bag, for example
Make sure your baby doesn’t fall asleep during feeding by observing the suction
Give your baby a cuddle standing up and pop them into the cot
Say the night time words - ‘It’s night time now. I love you.’
And leave the room so your baby can fall asleep independently (this ensures if they wake up in the night they will be able to get themselves back to sleep)
Bedtime routine for 3 year old
Get your child ready for bed - Brush teeth, have a bath or shower - keep it a warm temperature. Not too hot. And into PJs
No feeding anymore. In fact, your child shouldn’t eat for a whole hour before bedtime - this gives the body time to digest. As I’m sure you’ve noticed :) your 3 year old no longer needs food as frequently as they did when they were a baby - three meals a day and two snacks are more than enough. The hour before bedtime means their digestive system isn’t in overdrive when they go to bed
Cuddle your child while reading - the bedroom should be a relaxed environment with dimmed lighting
Final pee pees (my toddler still wears a nappy at night but this is a good habit to get into as she is four now and soon will not be wearing a nappy at night)
Back into the bedroom for a final story with the lights off (I snuggle in and tell a story about our day. It’s not War and Peace, though! I keep it to a minute or so long as I am exhausted by this stage and otherwise the girls would find a way to keep me talking).
Say the night time words - now they are ‘What do you do if you wake up?’ Answer - go back to sleep! ‘Well done girls. Thank you for a lovely day. Night night.’
Leave the room - Sometimes your children may have questions. (For me, if this happens they are allowed one question each and I answer in a hushed voice. If the questions are super pressing I allow two!)
NOTE: I have no idea where Question Time has come from but it’s very sweet and perhaps it’s a safe place for my kids to ask questions on things they have seen that day or been thinking about for a while.
I make sure I give a couple of minutes to this but I also keep it to a minimum (unless they are upset about something) as I’ve noticed the more time I give and the more patient I am, the more they want to talk and the later their bedtime happens.
It’s the middle ground - recognising these questions are important but also keeping to the rule of bedtime and a feeling that it is night time now and you are done for the day.
It’s up to you to set the tone of bedtime and let your kids know that it is time to sleep and not talk.
This will ensure they sleep really well for 12 hours every night.
Sleep is the essential staple for absolutely everything. It should take priority over everything.
Whenever my kids haven’t slept well I notice it all day- more arguments, tantrums, less patience, less concentration, more requests for snacks, etc.
Lack of sleep affects appetite, concentration levels, patience, happiness and rationality.
Overtime, the sleep routine may change slightly but generally a bedtime routine for 3 year old shouldn’t be much different to a three month old baby’s routine.
Sure, you’re not feeding them milk anymore and they probably like to chat a lot now. But, the darkened room, hushed environment and soothing routine of showering or bathing and enjoying a story all cuddled up in bed should create the exact same sleepy feelings.
A bedtime routine for 3 year old should give security and confidence as well as helping the brain to release sleep triggers, preparing your child for an excellent night’s sleep.
At this age you can even start preparing for the bedtime routine. I call this the wind down.
What is a wind down?
A wind down is when you start slowing down for the day, preparing for sleep.
Rules
No sugar at least one hour before bed (less throughout the whole day will ensure better sleep)
No food at least one hour before bed (to give the body time to digest before sleeping)
No screens at least one hour before bed (the less screens, the better throughout the whole day)
What makes a good wind down?
Dimmed soft light at least thirty minutes before bed
Lower volume so no loud televisions, music or even hoovering
Read a book, colour or do a puzzle - all quiet activities without screens are encouraged
Everyone should help to show a general feeling of slowing down for the day and becoming tired
A bedtime routine for 3 year old is so important as life becomes busier and your child understands they can have more influence on the world. This is a wonderful thing, however it’s also super important to keep somethings the same. It’s good to know that while your child gets to affect certain events or situations they can’t change some parts of the day like winding down and sleep.
By keeping the wind down and sleep routine the exact same you help your child to feel in control and confident.
They rely on the repetition of the routine and feel safe in the knowledge that it will never change.
Buy the Extended Baby Sleep Course
If you need any help with sleep be sure to check out the extended Abundant Baby Sleep course which works with your child from birth all the way to five years and beyond. A solid bedtime routine is the answer to everything and will be with your child forever.