A bedtime routine is a short series of calm steps you do in the same order every night, so your child learns what comes next and their body starts winding down before their head hits the pillow. It’s one of the simplest, most reliable sleep tools for babies and toddlers alike. This guide is part of our baby sleep guide by age.
Whatever age your child is, the routine ends in a safe sleep space: babies on their back, in an empty crib. Our safe sleep checklist covers the details.
Why a bedtime routine matters
Routines work because they’re predictable. The AAP notes that a predictable nighttime routine helps your child understand and learn to expect what comes next, and may ease the stress some families feel at bedtime. Its own guidance for toddlers also recommends a quiet routine and the same bedtime every night.
The AAP’s Brush, Book, Bed
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Brush, Book, Bed program boils a routine down to three steps:
- Brush: help your child brush their teeth each night. All young children need an adult’s help to brush well.
- Book: read a favorite book or two together. The AAP says reading aloud, even for 15 minutes a day, helps language and social-emotional development.
- Bed: go to bed at a regular time each night.
Many parents add a fourth B, bath, to make the 4 B’s: bath, brush, book, bed. Below, we add two small extras that work beautifully at the end: a few gentle words, and a soft, steady sound.
Step-by-step bedtime routine for toddlers
- Bath or wash (5–10 min). Warm water is a classic wind-down cue. On busy nights, a warm washcloth is enough.
- Pajamas and diaper or potty (5 min). Offer a last drink of water before teeth if your child usually asks for one.
- Brush teeth (2–3 min). Make it a calm, matter-of-fact step.
- Book (5–10 min). One or two books, chosen from a small stack you’re happy with. Dim the lights.
- Affirmations or a lullaby (2–3 min). The same few warm words every night: “You are loved. You are safe. Tomorrow is a new day.” Our bedtime affirmation script gives you ready-to-read words with pacing cues.
- Sound on, lights low, bed. Start the same soft sound, say your goodnight phrase and leave the room calmly.
Real previews from the app. Play them softly.
Bedtime routine by age
| Age | Routine focus | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0–3 months) | Dim lights, feed, swaddle or sleep bag, same soft song or sound | 10–15 min |
| 4–12 months | Bath or wash, feed, brush gums or first teeth, short book, sound, drowsy-but-awake | 20–30 min |
| 1–2 years | Bath, brush, book, one affirmation, sound, bed; offer simple choices | 20–30 min |
| 3–5 years | Routine chart, child-led choices, “I am” affirmations, chat about the day | 20–30 min |
For babies, “bed” always means on their back, in an empty crib with a firm, flat mattress. For toddlers, a comfort object like a teddy or special blanket is fine, according to the AAP.
Sample bedtime routine timeline
Here’s an example for a toddler who wakes around 7 a.m. Shift it earlier or later to fit your family.
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. | Dinner done, quiet play, screens off, lights dimmed |
| 6:45 p.m. | Bath or wash, pajamas, potty or diaper |
| 7:00 p.m. | Brush teeth |
| 7:05 p.m. | Book (one or two) |
| 7:15 p.m. | Bedtime affirmations, sound on |
| 7:20 p.m. | Goodnight phrase, lights out |
Printable toddler bedtime routine chart
Print this page or copy the chart below onto paper with your toddler, and let them draw a little picture for each step. A visual chart is especially helpful for toddlers who stall or negotiate, because the chart, not you, says what comes next.
| ✓ | Step | Picture idea |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Bath time | A rubber duck |
| ☐ | Pajamas on | A shirt with stars |
| ☐ | Brush teeth | A toothbrush |
| ☐ | Read a book | An open book |
| ☐ | Say our words | A heart |
| ☐ | Sound on, lights low | A moon |
| ☐ | Sleep tight | A teddy bear |
What time should a toddler go to bed?
Count back from wake-up time. The AAP-endorsed recommendation is 11 to 14 hours of sleep per 24 hours for children aged 1 to 2 and 10 to 13 hours for ages 3 to 5, including naps (AASM).
Example: your 18-month-old wakes at 7 a.m. and naps for 2 hours. To reach 13 to 14 hours in total, they’d need roughly 11 to 12 hours at night, so a bedtime between about 7 and 8 p.m. If your toddler fights bedtime for an hour every night, they may not be tired enough yet. If they melt down at dinner, try earlier.
How long should a bedtime routine be?
About 20 to 30 minutes works for most families. Shorter can feel rushed; much longer gives a toddler more chances to stall. What matters most is doing the same steps in the same order. Even when you’re traveling or the evening ran late, a shortened version (brush, one book, words, sound) keeps the cue intact.
Screens, sound and the phone at bedtime
Keep the last part of the evening screen-free and dim. Bright screens and exciting shows make it harder to settle. If you use your phone to play sleep sounds:
- Start the sound, then put the phone across the room, out of reach and never in the crib or bed.
- Dim the screen. Baby Mantra’s dim night mode keeps it almost dark while the sound plays.
- Keep the volume around 50 dB or lower, about the level of a quiet conversation. See is white noise safe for babies for the full guidance.
The Baby Mantra app is built around this kind of routine: bedtime reminders nudge you to start wind-down on time, ready-made collections and playlists like Moonlit Lullaby (soft piano) and Sweet Dreams (rain and music box) pair calming sounds with softly spoken affirmations, and the sleep timer fades out after 15 minutes to 2 hours, or plays all night at a low volume. Prefer music? Browse our lullabies for babies, or explore all our baby sleep sounds.
When a routine isn’t enough
A routine won’t stop every night waking, and that’s okay. For the bigger picture on longer nights, read how to get your baby to sleep through the night. If your child snores loudly, has pauses in breathing or seems unusually tired during the day despite a good routine, talk to your pediatrician.
Sources
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Brush, Book, Bed: How to Structure Your Child’s Nighttime Routine.
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Toddler Bedtime Trouble: 7 Tips for Parents.
- Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2016.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics, 2022.
