My son has always been a fairly good sleeper. Sure we have had ups and downs during teething, growth spurts, travel, and DLS, but for the most part, he points to his bed by bedtime and falls asleep within minutes. This hasn’t been the case while moving my now toddler from his crib to a “big bed”.

If you’ve been following along, you know we have recently moved. There’s a new house, a new routine, new friends, a new room and NOW a new bed. With all the newness, I got soft and welcomed each request. “One more book”, “Cuddle me”, “Sing a song”.. the list goes on, and went on until 10 pm one night!

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Here is how I moved my toddler from a crib to a big bed and cut down bedtime in 7 steps:

1. Routine
2. Remind him what happens next
3. Night light
4. Give options
5. Pack and play
6. Cuddle + talk about his day
7. Stick to what I say

Routine

Our routine is simple. We bathe and then have milk while watching a movie or low-stimulation show. Dad usually gets him dressed for bed while I get our baby to sleep. I coax him to his dimly lit room with the excitement of storytime. First, we brush our teeth and do our last potty time. He picks a few books to read together. We read. We might sing some songs. Then it’s bedtime.

It’s important to stick to the routine mostly. Some nights we skip the bath, and some nights he may drink his milk earlier. Some nights he’s way too silly for books and I may only get a page or a song in. However, we do the same flow every night so he knows when to expect it’s time to be in bed. It’s never a surprise.

Finding the right routine for us took time, and I expect it will change as he gets older. Some of these things we have done since he was a baby and it’s slightly evolved.

I learned I needed to add in a “last potty time” because he uses “I need to go potty” to stall bedtime. You’ll find what works for you in time.

What happens next

I remind him of the sequence of events. I often tell him what is next. For example, “Pick out a book so we can read then it’s time to get in bed”. “After you go potty, we are going to brush your teeth, then read books”. This helps to keep him on track.

Night Light

He has always slept in pitch black. I’m not sure if moving to a new house or getting a new bed made him unsure of the dark or it would have happened at this time anyway, but he started to ask me to keep his bathroom light on. His bathroom light is just too bright. So I have found a Paw Patrol projector night light. It scrolls through different characters as you choose. Weeks later he is still excited. I also got him a dump truck night light.

He has not asked for any other lights to be on and is excited to see his lights.

Give Options

I have found giving him options throughout the day when he was younger was effective in making him feel in charge or as if he is making decisions. I implement this at bedtime as well. I let him pick the books, where we read them, and what songs to sing.

But if he doesn’t make a decision promptly then mommy chooses. This pushes him to decide and stop dawdling to stretch bedtime out.

This is where I have found counting to 3 works. If I get to 3 I do it or make the choice. I think he likes the idea of a “race”.

Pack and Play

Another layer to options is his pack-and-play. He gets to pick if he sleeps in a pack-and-play or his bed. If he gets out of his toddler bed, he gets put in the pack-and-play. Some nights he chooses his Pack-and-play. It’s currently set up in his room as an option.

Cuddle + talk about his day

We always cuddle. Whether is while he is watching a show, while reading a book or before I tuck him in bed. It’s a special moment that I know he needs and one day I’ll truly miss. I take this time to fill his cup while he simultaneously fills mine. I always try to ask him about his day or remind him what he did that day. I take this time to tell him things I’m grateful for and encourage him to do the same.

This helps with memory skills, talking and counting blessings, which I believe to be important!

Stick to what I say

This is important. When he realized he could push back and I’d roll with it there were LOTS of pushbacks. Bedtime took forever because I didn’t want him to cry at the end of the night. This is why the routine and reminding him also became important. I do not feel bad when I move on or leave the room after reminding him the sequence of events and following our routine.

My son is aware enough to understand. He likes to test his boundaries, but I can see he is learning where the boundaries are while I follow through with what I say.

These tips helped to move my toddler from a crib to a “big bed” and cut down our bedtime. I’m sure there will be constant changes but currently, this is what works for us.

Do you have any bedtime tips?