Bedtime has always been a big thing for us, especially when Isla came around. She was not a good sleeper. But we had set a good bedtime routine with little Noah and so we continued with Isla. Sometimes we wouldn’t be at home, so the routine would vary in terms of location – but wherever we went we made sure bathtime was always an option.

Try and find a time that’s right

Kicking off bedtime at a similar time each night is key. We found this when we tried to wean the children out of night pants too. I have noticed if the kiddies go to bed considerably later, they often wet the bed or wake up earlier. I think it’s important for them to have a routine, to understand what’s coming and when. When it gets to 6pm, they know that the bedtime routine will kick off soon. Staying up later is always a good treat to use too!

A nice warm bath

When the children were little, from birth, they would have a nice warm bath most evenings. There’s something about a hot bath that helps relax you ready for bed. They love a big bubble bath too, like their Mummy. As they have got older bathtime has become a bit of playtime too, Isla brings her dolls to the bath and washes their hair. It’s cute watching her care for her dolls. Noah likes to play with his cars in the bath, or he brings his Marvel characters to the bath too. They still get that hot bath, but they get to play a little too! I have to remind myself they won’t want to lie still in the bath and relax, like I do.

Reading a story

We are a little guilty of not doing this every single night. But we try to do this as much as we can as it really does help. Daddy and I take it in turns to read them a story before bed. We have started purchasing bigger books that we can read over days, like Harry Potter or Enid Blyton’s stories. I do encourage them to read in bed too, if they are full of energy still, it’s a good way of calming them down. They have recently gone into their own bedrooms again, which is helping too. It helped having them together whilst Isla was younger, but now they have their own personalities and routines, it was getting harder at bedtimes. Noah is brilliant, he will go straight to sleep no problem. Whereas, Isla likes to string it out as much as possible. So it was about finding what works for both.

Putting on a night light

Both children have a night light in their rooms. They have had one since they were about a year old and now it’s something that soothes them. They sometimes get a little disturbed by the complete darkness, so we comforted them by using a nightlight. Isla has a tortoise that lights up the walls like an ocean and plays some music. Noah has an egg that lights up the walls in a circular motion. It’s really relaxing. I could fall asleep myself.

My favourite photo of Isla and I…

Finding the right products

We tried product after product. It was only when we found the Johnson’s Bedtime range that we knew we were on to a winner. You can buy the Johnson’s Bedtime range online. We noticed a considerable difference in the length of time the children would be asleep when we used this range, it contains the relaxing NaturalCalm™ aroma. I use it most evenings too, well if it’s good for a baby it’s good enough for me!

Do you have any great tips for the best bedtime routine? What works for some, may not work for others, but isn’t it good to share? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below, or on social media: @mummyconstant.

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