Developing your baby sleep routine

When thinking about how to put a baby to sleep, one thing that most parents and experts agree on is developing a baby sleep routine of some kind. “Routine is the key if you want consistency, so try and keep everything the same – the noise, the time, the smells, the behaviour, the actions of the parents, so the child begins to anticipate the next thing is sleep,” says Tracey, children’s nurse and mum of two

Bath water can dry out your baby’s delicate skin, so following with nourishing baby skin care products, like a night time baby lotion, can help replenish and maintain baby’s skin-natural moisture overnight. “Before bed, we coat our son’s skin in baby body lotion. We cover his legs and arms especially,” says Cameron dad of one. Adding Baby Dove Rich Moisture Baby Lotion to your routine will gently soothe and hydrate baby dry skin, helping to support its natural development while your baby sleeps peacefully through the night. Adding its calming scent to your soothing baby massage can help them relax before sleep, too

If your baby isn’t feeling sleepy, lotion is a key ingredient to this helpful trick: massage. Some parents find that following the bath with a gentle baby massage can help baby sleep. By using a baby body lotion with a calming scent, like Baby Dove Sensitive Moisture Baby Lotion, their senses will be soothed while the formula works to nourish skin overnight

How long your overnight baby care routine lasts is up to you. Most parents suggest around 30 minutes, so it doesn’t over-stimulate your little one. It’s down to each individual baby, so read their cues to help baby sleep when they need to: “I would look for tired signs after my daughter had been awake for an hour, rubbing her eyes or rooting for the breast,” says Sanchia, mum of one

However you decide to do it, trust your judgement. “Some parents are lucky – their babies get into a routine very easily, but this is not the case for every baby,” explains dad of one, Sion. “Try not to compare yourself, trust your instincts and do what’s best for you and your baby”