Toddler bedtime routine: a sample chart, what changes by age, and how long it should take
A good toddler bedtime routine is short, calm and the same every night. The NHS suggests starting it about 30 minutes before your child usually falls asleep, and the American Academy of Pediatrics sums it up in three words: brush, book, bed.
A toddler bedtime routine doesn’t need to be clever: dinner, a calm hour, a bath or a wash, teeth, pyjamas, a book or two, a song, lights out. What makes it work is doing the same steps in the same order at about the same time every night – and keeping it from growing.
What a toddler bedtime routine includes
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) runs a programme called Brush, Book, Bed. It recommends a simple ritual at the end of the day: help your child brush their teeth, read a favourite book (or two), and go to bed at a regular time each night. The CDC’s sample day for toddlers fills in the rest of the evening: dinner, bath, calm play or story time, then a bedtime routine of brushing teeth, pyjamas, cuddles and lights out.
Around that core, the health bodies agree on a handful of things:
- Wind down, don’t wind up. The AAP suggests a quiet routine – a story, quiet music or a bath – and warns that active play may leave your child too excited to sleep.
- Screens off early. The AAP says to turn off all screens at least an hour before bedtime and to keep them out of children’s bedrooms; the NHS says no laptops, tablets or phones in the 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
- Same time, same steps. The NHS recommends a calming, predictable routine that happens at the same time and includes the same things every night. A consistent bedtime helps your child know what to expect, the AAP adds.
- A comforter is fine. The AAP says it’s OK for a toddler to sleep with a teddy, special blanket or favourite toy, as long as it has no choking hazards such as buttons or loose ribbons.
- Low light. The AAP suggests dimming the lights before bedtime; the NHS suggests a dim light if necessary, or a nightlight or landing light if your child is afraid of the dark.
- Needs sorted first. A drink of water, a light left on, the door slightly open: the AAP suggests taking care of these before bed so they don’t become reasons to stay up.
Sample toddler bedtime routine with times
This sample is for a toddler who should be asleep around 7:30 p.m. If your bedtime is different, move every step by the same amount.
| Time | Step | About |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner | 30 min |
| 6:30 p.m. | Screens off; calm play, tidy up together | 25 min |
| 6:55 p.m. | Bath or wash | 10 min |
| 7:05 p.m. | Brush teeth, nappy or potty, pyjamas | 10 min |
| 7:15 p.m. | One or two books – agree the number first – and a chat about the day | 10 min |
| 7:25 p.m. | Song, cuddle, comforter, goodnight, lights out | 5 min |
| 7:30 p.m. | Falling asleep, with you nearby or on their own | – |
The last half hour, from bath to lights out, is the routine proper.
How to make a bedtime routine chart your toddler can follow
The early-childhood organisation Zero to Three suggests taking photos of your child doing each step and pasting them in order, so they can see what comes next. A printable chart of your own is quick to make:
- Pick five or six steps from the sample above. More than that is hard to follow.
- Give each step a picture: a photo of your child, a drawing, or a simple symbol – toothbrush, book, moon.
- Line them up in the order you actually do them and put the chart at your toddler’s eye level.
- Let your toddler point to the next step or move a peg along. When you reach the last picture, the routine is over – the chart says so, not you.
Bedtime routine by age: 1-, 2- and 3-year-olds
The steps stay the same; what changes is how much sleep your child needs and when the nap ends. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, whose recommendations the AAP supports, advises 11 to 14 hours of sleep per 24 hours at ages one to two and 10 to 13 hours at three to five, naps included. The NHS gives around 12 to 15 hours after the first birthday, 12 to 14 hours for most two-year-olds and about 12 hours for most three-to-five-year-olds.
To find a bedtime, count back from the time your child wakes up. A toddler who wakes at 7 a.m., naps for 90 minutes and needs about 12½ hours in total needs roughly 11 hours at night – a bedtime around 8 p.m.
Bedtime routine for a 1-year-old
Keep it short and simple: wash, pyjamas, one board book, one song. The NHS’s routine for babies – bath, night clothes, a story, dimmed lights, a goodnight kiss and cuddle, a lullaby – carries over, and the NHS says it can help to keep a similar routine as your child gets older. It is never too early to share books with your child, the AAP adds.
Bedtime routine for a 2-year-old who fights bedtime
Many parents find their toddler’s bedtime the hardest part of the day, the AAP says, so a two-year-old who fights it every night is in good company. Set the limit before you start: the NHS gives the example of reading only one story, then tucking your child in and saying goodnight. And keep the day regular – the AAP recommends the same waking time on weekdays and weekends, which helps bedtime go smoothly. A practical tip on top: offer small choices inside the routine, such as which pyjamas or which of two books, rather than a choice about whether bed happens at all.
Bedtime routine for a 3-year-old
Around three, the nap starts to fade. The NHS says some children aged three to five still need a nap during the day, and advises avoiding long naps in the afternoon. If your three-year-old isn’t tired at bedtime, a shorter or earlier nap is the first thing to look at. A chat about the day – what was good, what wasn’t – makes a natural last step before lights out.
How long should a bedtime routine take?
About 30 minutes for the routine itself. The NHS suggests starting a “winding down” routine around 30 minutes before the time your child usually falls asleep. Falling asleep takes time on top of that – how long is typical, and what to do when your toddler takes forever, is in our guide on falling asleep while putting your toddler to bed.
If the routine regularly runs past an hour, look for the step that keeps growing: one more book, one more song, one more drink. Zero to Three describes bedtime that has turned into an hour-and-a-half process of coaxing and negotiating, after which the parent is too exhausted for anything but bed. The AAP advises not to wait until your child is rubbing their eyes or yawning, which is probably too late; putting them to bed even 15 to 20 minutes earlier can make a big difference.
Bedtime routine for a baby and a toddler
A few practical ideas:
- Start together, finish separately. Dinner, bath and teeth together; then each child gets a short ritual of their own.
- Two adults: one child each. Swap regularly, so both children are used to both of you at bedtime.
- On your own: baby first. Your toddler listens to an audiobook or looks at books meanwhile, then gets your full attention.
- Calm for everyone. Toddlers often resist going to sleep, especially when older siblings are still awake, the AAP notes – so whoever stays up keeps the house quiet.
For the baby, keep the NHS’s safe-sleep advice in mind: for at least the first six months, your baby should sleep in the same room as you, day and night.
After lights out: where your evening starts
The routine ends with goodnight; your evening doesn’t always start then. If you stay until your toddler is asleep, you are sitting or lying in a dark, quiet room, and drifting off yourself is easy. Babyfino’s sleep companion is made for that moment: a gentle vibration on your phone checks in every few minutes, and if you don’t answer, the other parent is told at most about six minutes later, so they can come and get you or let you sleep. Babyfino is coming soon for iPhone and Android.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Brush, Book, Bed: How to Structure Your Child’s Nighttime Routine, 2024 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Toddler Won’t Go to Sleep? 7 Tips to Help End Bedtime Battles, 2026 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?, 2026 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Tips for Relying on Routines and Rules, 2026 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- NHS: Sleep and young children, 2023 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- NHS: Helping your baby to sleep, 2025 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Paruthi and colleagues, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine: Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement, 2016 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Kinsner, MacLaughlin, Zero to Three: The Practical Magic of Daily Routines, 2020 (retrieved 22 October 2026)