Bedtime routine for 4-5 month olds. What's yours?

I've read that it is important to establish a "consistent" bedtime routine so that the babies will know that the day is winding down and it is time to go to bed. I feel like our bedtime routine is all over the place. We give baths every other night so that is not consistent. I would read to them but how do you do that with two? Just curious what has worked for you all?? So far I have pretty good sleepers. They both do go down to sleep awake (with little crying) and sleep most of the night so I guess I'm doing something right. I just worry that our nighttime routine is just very scattered. Thanks for reading!

 

I think if they are going to bed awake with little or no crying you are probibly doing just fine! However, since you asked our (very simple) routine is - 6pm - Bath, bottle, up for 10 minutes (they have mild reflux) - swaddle, turn on their sleepy music - kiss - lights out, and out the door! ( I wanted to keep it REALLY simple since my DH travels quite a bit - and I wanted something that would be easy for me to do on my own)

 

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I think if they are going to bed awake with little or no crying you are probibly doing just fine!


Ditto that!

Our routine has always been nurse, baths, feed again, last diaper check, cuddle & sing, down.

 

Our routine at that age (and still to this day) is we have dinner, bath (every second night) if it's not a bath night PJ's go on right after dinner. It's calm down time(bath gets them excited) and we let them crawl around. Bottle in the nursery with low lights. I bottle feed/rock/cuddle one while DH has the other (on nights DH works late the second baby watches from the crib) I do a switch and then it's blankets/lovies. I turn on music and give a kiss and walk out the door. Usually by the time the music stops (5 minutes) they are asleep.

Same routine also for naps...lovies, music and kiss.

 

We have playtime (tummy time) after dinner. Then we take baths and have bottles. And in bed around 9. We started putting babies in bed still awake acouple days ago. Its been great!!!! No more rocking , i miss the cuddle time . My dd actually screams if i try and rock her now. I just lay her down with her taggie and paci and she goes right to sleep.
I've learned with having 4 children, that not every night can we stay on schedule. We just go with the flow. It sounds like things are working for you. Especially with little ones sleeping so good. Mine sleep great also. So i figure if they are doing that, then i must be doing things right.

 

Really if what you are doing works then stick to it. We give bath, take them in their room and just turn on a low lamp. Then we put lotion on and aquaphore on their faces brush their hair and wipe their gums, then put them in warmer sleepers. That's about it then I nurse them and put them down. A lot of times if DH is home with them he gives them a bottle before all of it so they are fussy through the whole routine.

 

Bottle, bath ( not always ), lotion with massage, jammies, story in mommy and daddys bed, 1 song and a lot sof kisses. We then put them in their cribs awake and turn on their light show. 10 minutes later the show ends and they are asleep.