# A bedtime routine for toddlers, step by step A good bedtime routine for a toddler is the same few calm steps, in the same order, at the same time every night: screens off, bath or wash, pajamas, brush teeth, a book, a song, lights out. The American Academy of Pediatrics sums it up as "Brush, Book, Bed", and the CDC lists 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day, naps included, for children aged 1 to 2. ## How much sleep toddlers need The CDC, citing the American Academy of Sleep Medicine consensus, recommends 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours for toddlers aged 1 to 2, and 10 to 13 hours for children aged 3 to 5, naps included. To set a bedtime, start from the time your child usually wakes and count back. A child who wakes at 6:30 and naps for 2 hours needs to be asleep by roughly 7:30 to 8:30 to reach 11 to 12 hours in total. ## The routine, step by step - **Screens off at least an hour before bed.** That is the AAP's advice on its healthy sleep page. - **Start at the same time each night.** The AAP suggests consistent bedtimes and nap times; the predictability is the point. - **Bath or a quick wash, then pajamas and a fresh diaper or a last potty visit.** The NHS lists a bath, night clothes and a fresh nappy as simple steps that may help a child settle. - **Brush teeth last thing before bed.** After brushing, only water. Under 3, use a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice. - **Read a book or two.** The AAP suggests reading together for about 15 minutes a day, after brushing and before bed. - **Sing the goodnight song.** The same song every night tells the body what comes next. - **Lights out, a kiss, and leave.** A safe comfort object, such as a soft toy with no small parts, is fine for toddlers. ## Where a song fits Singing a lullaby is on the NHS list of bedtime steps and the Sleep Foundation's list of calming activities. Songs also seem to hold a baby's calm longer than talking: in a 2015 study from the University of Montreal, infants aged 6 to 9 months stayed calm about twice as long while hearing a song in a language they did not know as while hearing speech in that language. That was a lab study of 30 babies, not a sleep trial, so treat it as a hint, not a promise. Keep the song slow and short, sing it at the same point every night, and keep the volume low if you play a recording. Your own voice works just as well as any recording. ## When bedtime turns into a battle The AAP's tips for toddlers who will not go to sleep, updated October 2026, include: - Keep the hour before bed quiet: reading, quiet music or a bath, not rough play. - Keep the same bedtime every night. - Deal with water, a night light and the door before lights out, so they are not reasons to call you back. - If your child calls out and is safe, avoid going back in each time, and be patient while they learn to settle. The Sleep Foundation adds: if you need to move bedtime, shift it in 15-minute steps. ## Making the goodnight song your own Any lullaby works. A song with your child's name and a few of their own details, such as the moon they wave to or their bear's name, can make the last step feel like theirs. You can make one up to a tune you know, or have one made: a [personalized lullaby](/songs/personalized-lullaby) sings the name in a soft adult voice, and a [bedtime story song](/learn/bedtime-story-song) tells a short sleepy story. Brushing comes just before, and a [two-minute toothbrushing song](/songs/toothbrushing-song-2-minutes) can help that step too. ## Questions **What time should a toddler go to bed?** Work back from wake-up time. Toddlers of 1 to 2 need 11 to 14 hours a day including naps, and 3 to 5 year olds 10 to 13 hours, according to the CDC. If your child wakes around 6:30, that usually means lights out somewhere between 7 and 8:30. **How long should a toddler bedtime routine take?** The sources we read do not set a length. Keep it short enough to do every single night: a wash, teeth, about 15 minutes of reading and one song is plenty. **Is it OK to sing the same song every night?** Yes. Repeating the same steps in the same order is what makes a routine work, and the song becomes the signal that sleep is next. **Should screens be off before bed?** The AAP advises turning off all screens at least one hour before bedtime to prevent sleep disruption. **My toddler keeps getting out of bed. What helps?** The AAP suggests a calm routine, a consistent bedtime, taking care of requests before lights out, and not going back in every time a safe child calls. Change takes patience. ## Sources - CDC, [About Sleep](https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html), 2024-05-15. Read 2026-10-17. - American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), [Brush, Book, Bed: How to Structure Your Child's Nighttime Routine](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/oral-health/Pages/Brush-Book-Bed.aspx), 2024-02-02. Read 2026-10-17. - American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), [Toddler Won't Go to Sleep? 7 Tips to Help End Bedtime Battles](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/bedtime-trouble.aspx), 2026-10-08. Read 2026-10-17. - American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), [Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/healthy-sleep-habits-how-many-hours-does-your-child-need.aspx), 2026-08-07. Read 2026-10-17. - NHS, [Helping your baby to sleep](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/helping-your-baby-to-sleep/), 2025-01-28. Read 2026-10-17. - Sleep Foundation, [Bedtime Routines for Children](https://www.sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep/bedtime-routine), 2025-07-23. Read 2026-10-17. - Université de Montréal (via Newswise), [Singing calms baby longer than talking (Corbeil, Trehub, Peretz, Infancy, 2015)](https://www.newswise.com/articles/singing-calms-baby-longer-than-talking), 2015-10-28. Read 2026-10-17. --- Still Morning: one song $29, five songs $49, twenty songs $99 (the same numbers in euros or pounds in Europe and the UK), paid once. No subscription; packs never expire. Made with AI. The words come from an AI writer working from your details, and you approve them. The music and the voice come from an AI music model (not a human singer). Make a song: https://stillmorning.net/create Page: https://stillmorning.net/guides/bedtime-routine-for-toddlers (updated 2026-10-17)