Once you know what your child’s sleep goals are, the next step is building the foundation that supports them: a consistent nighttime routine. In this course, you’ll learn what makes a nighttime routine effective, how to build one that fits your child’s age and your family’s life, and how to use the bedtime fading technique to gradually move bedtime earlier without a struggle.
What you’ll learn:
- The key features of an effective nighttime routine, including timing, consistency, and choosing calming activities over stimulating ones
- What to include in a nighttime routine (like bathing, brushing teeth, and reading) and what to leave out (like screens, video games, or large meals)
- How to set up an age-appropriate nighttime routine, from babies as young as ten to twelve weeks old through older children
- How to use your sleep journal data to tweak an existing routine step by step, with a real before-and-after example
- The bedtime fading method for gradually moving bedtime earlier in fifteen to thirty minute increments
- How to handle exceptions like vacations, sleepovers, or a different caregiver putting your child to bed without losing progress
- How to use reinforcement strategically within the nighttime routine to support cooperation at each step
This course builds directly on Identifying Sleep Goals and sets the stage for the rest of the Sleep Series, where you’ll tackle specific challenges like night wakings and early morning wake ups.
