Bed time routines

Bedtime Routines

Developing a bedtime routine will help your child get their body ready for sleep. I recommend the routine be between 30-60 minutes long. Decide on a few calm activities before putting them to bed. Avoid activities that are active, i.e. jumping on the bed.

For example: Brush Teeth, Take a bath, Put on PJ’s, Read books, and go to sleep.

A few other recommendations related to bedtime.

—I recommend meal times and bedtime on a regular schedule, i.e. lunch is at 12pm, dinner is at 5:30pm, and bedtime is at 8:00pm.

—In addition, I recommend scheduling naps according to their bedtime, i.e. napping a child from 12-2pm when their bedtime is at 8pm. Avoid naps from 3-5pm when their bedtime is at 8pm.

—When a child does not seem tired during the bedtime routine, I recommend (after discussing the first two items on this list) the following: maybe the child should not have a nap or a shorter nap, we may need to begin waking the child in the morning a little earlier, review what the child is eating or drinking at least 2 hours before bed.

Additional Stratagies

Building Communication
Strategies to improve communication through changing the environment.

Potty Training
Helpful hints when working on toileting.

Following Directions
Strategies to improve your child's ability to follow your commands.

Reducing unwanted attention seeking or unwanted escape behaviors
"Water the roses and Ignore the weeds" provides you with a stratagy to increase desired behaviors while decreasing unwanted behaviors.


Sleep time routines
These recommendations will help you develop a good bedtime routine for going to bed.

Developing good eating during meal times
Strategies to improve your child's sit and eat during meal times.

Setting limits with your toodler
Redirecting your child is an effective way to teach your child what they can do and when.

Routines and setting rules for you and your child to follow
Setting and following rules during the day will provide your toodler set bouderies and limits.