The last feed is done. The lamp is on instead of the overhead light, and your baby is warm and heavy on your shoulder.
If you have a newborn or a baby under 1, bedtime probably looks different from week to week. That’s expected. With guidance from Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, a board-certified pediatric sleep medicine physician, here’s how a simple bedtime routine can take shape during your baby’s first year.
Does a Newborn Need a Bedtime Routine?
Not a strict one. Dr. Brown describes the newborn stage as a time for a few repeated cues rather than a set schedule.
“For the newborn, as they don’t have a set circadian rhythm yet, the goal is not a rigid routine but consistent cues that begin laying the foundation,” says Dr. Brown. “This can include a feeding, a brief gentle hold or skin-to-skin, dimming the lights, and placing baby down while they are drowsy but awake.”
That’s a short list, and it’s meant to be. On a night when the feed runs long or the cues come late, doing two of the four still counts.
What a Newborn Bedtime Routine Can Look Like
Dr. Brown’s four cues fit easily into an evening you’re already having:
Feeding. The routine can start with the evening feed, wherever and however you feed.
A brief hold or skin-to-skin. A few quiet minutes on your chest or in your arms. Brief is the key word.
Dimming the lights. Switch to a lamp or night light for the last part of the evening.
Down while drowsy but awake. Your baby is calm and sleepy, with eyes still open when you lay them down. Some nights this won’t happen, and that’s okay.
Bedtime Routine for Older Babies
As the months go on, the routine can grow a little.
“For older babies, a great calming bedtime routine can include a nice warm bath, applying lotion or massage, getting them into their pajamas, singing a song or reading a short story, then putting them in their crib while they’re drowsy but awake,” Dr. Brown says. “At this stage, teaching independent sleep is key.”
Each step can be simple:
A warm bath. It doesn’t have to happen every night. On other nights, go straight to the next step.
Lotion or massage. Keep it simple and calm before getting your baby into pajamas.
Pajamas. More on what to choose below.
A song or a short story. Pick one song and sing it every night. It doesn’t need to be a lullaby. A board book with one line per page is plenty.
Into the crib. If you have questions about how to approach independent sleep at your baby’s age, your pediatrician is a good person to ask.
Moving From the Newborn Routine to the Older-Baby Routine
There’s no set day to switch. Many parents add one step at a time: a bath one week, a song the next, then a book once their baby can sit in their lap and look at the pages. If the routine you have is working, you don’t need to change it because of a birthday or a month marker.
What Should a Baby Wear to Bed?
What your baby wears can make nighttime changes a little easier.
Sleeper gowns have overlap shoulders that go over a newborn’s head easily and a cinched hem that opens for a quick diaper change.
The 2-Way Zip Sleep & Play™ unzips from the bottom up so you can change a diaper without unzipping the whole thing.
Sleep & Play™ styles come in zip and snap options so you can pick the closure that’s easiest for you at 2 a.m.
For questions about how warmly to dress your baby for sleep or what belongs in the crib, check with your pediatrician.
Example Baby Bedtime Routines
Use these as a starting point. Your baby’s pace sets the real schedule.
Newborn (order only, no clock)
Step | What it looks like |
1 | Evening feed |
2 | A brief hold or skin-to-skin |
3 | Lights down |
4 | Down while drowsy but awake |
Older baby (about 20 to 30 minutes)
Minutes | Step |
0–10 | Warm bath (or skip on non-bath nights) |
10–15 | Lotion or massage, then pajamas |
15–25 | One song or a short story |
25–30 | Into the crib drowsy but awake |
When Bedtime Feels Hard
Some nights nothing in the routine seems to work, and the next night it all clicks. If you have questions about your baby’s sleep, feeding or anything that feels off, call your pediatrician.
When your baby turns 1, the routine can grow again. See our guide to toddler bedtime routines.
Baby Bedtime Routine FAQs
When should I start a bedtime routine with my baby?
Dr. Brown recommends starting with a few consistent cues in the newborn stage, rather than a rigid routine.
How long should a baby bedtime routine take?
The older-baby example above runs about 20 to 30 minutes with a bath. A newborn routine can be just a few minutes.
Does my baby need a bath every night?
Not necessarily. A bath doesn’t have to be part of the routine every night. On non-bath nights, simply skip to the next step. Ask your pediatrician if you have questions about how often to bathe your baby.
What does “drowsy but awake” mean?
Your baby is calm and sleepy with their eyes still open when you lay them down.
Key Takeaways
For newborns, think in a few repeated cues, not a schedule.
For older babies, the routine can include a bath, lotion or massage, pajamas and a song or a story.
Add one step at a time and keep what’s working.
Choose pajamas that make night changes easier.
Most nights won’t look like the example. A feed runs long, the bath gets skipped, the song gets sung twice. A few familiar cues you come back to each night are enough to start with.
About the expert: Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, MD, is a triple board-certified physician in pediatrics, pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She trained in sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and today runs The Restful Sleep Place, a pediatric sleep practice in Pennsylvania.