A newborn baby usually does not have a specific sleep pattern, but around four months of age, sleep tends to get a little more structured. Then it may be time to create a sleep routine that signals to your baby that it is time to go to sleep. This usually creates better conditions for a good sleep, both during the day and at night.

One of the biggest challenges for many parents is finding a good sleep routine for their baby. A large part of a good routine is about understanding your baby’s signals and then creating routines based on these. A newborn baby does not have a circadian rhythm, but at about four months of age, babies begin to be able to distinguish between day and night. Perhaps it is only then that you as a parent begin to decipher a pattern in your child’s sleep. Now is the time to create routines for sleep and try to follow set times.

The reason routines are so good for young children is that they do not logically understand what should happen next, for example, that it is time to sleep (even though they are tired). Routines help create security and signal to your baby what to expect.

Sleep routines for babies at night
The most important thing is not what the evening and nighttime routine looks like, rather that it exists at all. What you choose to do must suit your life situation and does not have to be done in a specific way. It is also good to try to get your baby to fall asleep at about the same time every night, as this is also something that signals that it is bedtime. Having said that, we want to give you an idea of ​​what a nighttime routine might look like:

• Eat dinner/porridge, dim the lights, put the toys away, bathe, give them a massage, change their nappy, put on pyjamas, read a book, play music or white noise, breastfeed or drink from the bottle.

Choose about four things that you will always do.
This can help when you are not at home, for example, and the environment is not what your baby is used to. The bedtime routine can give room for flexibility on the part of both parents and their baby, since the pattern of repetitive actions itself signals that it is time to sleep.

Sleep routine during the day
With a good sleep routine during the day, sleep can become more stable and your baby will hopefully also sleep better at night. The routine for sleep during the day does not necessarily have to be the same as the one in the evening, but it can be good to choose a couple of things that signal to your baby that it is time to sleep. This might be going for a walk in the buggy, listening to specific music, or rocking while breastfeeding/bottle feeding. Experiment to see what works best.

A big part of promoting better sleep is also that your baby is full, has a dry nappy and is allowed to sleep in a dark and cool room.

Remember: Routines are good and important, but few parents find that sleep is consistently good. Try to let go of prestige and expectations around sleep, because there is no given template, all babies are different. Sleep will probably be worse at times – and that’s part of the process. Trying to make your baby happy makes you the best parent!