Understanding baby bed times.

Should my baby’s bedtime be at 7pm?

In short, no not necessarily.

You may have heard a lot of noise about the 7pm-7am golden baby sleep routine 🌟

However, quite simply this doesn’t work for all families. For example some babies have lower sleep needs and a 7pm bedtime which may result in an early wake after taking the 10.5hours of sleep they need overnight - so an 8pm bedtime may suit them better. ✅️

Consider your baby’s day routine and sleep

Also, you need to consider day routine/sleep and when the last nap ended. If it ended early because you were out and about that day then bedtime may need to move earlier, or if they had a later than usual nap then bedtime, they may need to shift later on this occasion.

Keep things flexible

I am all about flexible bedtimes and going with the flow as no day is the same when kids are involved. I find sticking rigidly to a set bedtime can actually cause more sleep issues for your baby. 😫

That’s not to say that bedtime wont roughly fall around about the same time most nights or certainly within the same hour, for example my children’s bedtime tends to range from around 7pm to 8pm, but I will always bring this forward if needed.

My preference is actually a bit of a later schedule, especially in summer because for my children it often means they sleep later in the morning and also means they can stay up later in the evening, meaning we can fit in a beach evening after school when the sun is shining. ☀️⛱️ (perks of living in Pembrokeshire).

However I have friends who a prefer a 6pm bedtime, so you do you and go with what works for your family and lifestyle (within reason, a 9/10pm will likely become problematic).

Things to consider when thinking about your baby’s bedtime:

💫 Your baby’s individual sleep needs, are they high and need 12-13hours overnight? Or are they on the lower side and do just fine off 10-11hours?

💫 How was day sleep? Did they get all the sleep they needed? Or was it a busy day on the go and naps weren’t as good as usual?

💫If day sleep wasn't great and last nap finished earlier than usual- bring their bedtime forward, as early as 6pm.

💫If they had great day sleep or last nap finished a little later in the day- you could extend their last awake window by up to 30 minutes and a bit of a later bedtime will likely suit them better. ❤️

Focus on awake windows not strict bedtimes

I have worked with some clients who have been super strict on their little ones bedtime being 7pm as they thought this would help them to sleep. However, it actually resulted in their awake window before bed being waaaay to long, meaning by bedtime their little ones were super overtired and parents were experiencing difficult settles, false starts and disturbed nights.

Often by getting the day sleep right and introducing some flexibility around bedtime so that the timings are in line with your baby’s individual needs, helps to improve sleep dramatically.

I hope this has helped ease any anxieties you may have around bedtime and answered some of your questions about whether bedtime should always be 7pm 🤍

If you are in need of some extra support when it comes to tackling bedtime battles and disturbed nights, I would LOVE to help you…

I offer a range of consultations to take a deep dive into your unique sleep situation, with varying support options depending on your individual needs and level of hand holding you would like throughout the process.

OR

If you are more of a go it alone kind of person and feel confident in implementing changes to your little ones sleep once you have the information and knowledge you need, then the instant download sleep plans are PERFECT for you, allowing you to get started straight away and go at your own pace.

If you’d like to chat more about the support available book a FREE 15minute intro call and let’s get started 💥

Lots of Love

Jade x