My 10-Month-Old’s 7 PM Bedtime Routine as a Blue-Collar Wife
I feel like I’ve mastered the art of getting my baby girl to bed at 7 PM. Not every evening is like this at all; however, this is the SCIENCE to getting her to bed at a good time. Some mornings, she’ll sleep in until 7:45, which is nice for me, but at the same time, this means she probably won’t go to sleep until 8:30.
You need to be up for the day by 6:30-7 AM for this routine to work
Waking up earlier with her is KEY to this routine. This means 6:30-7 AM. Babies her age need about 12-13 hours after they’ve woken up for the day to go to bed. The discipline of waking up earlier is hard, but it gives me that nice 3-4 hours to myself after bedtime. It’s SO WORTH IT.
I love having the time to work on my hobbies, side projects, TikTok videos, or simply hanging out with my husband and watching movies (when he doesn’t work evenings).
The last nap time needs to end by 3:30-4 PM
Your baby needs at least 3-3.5 hours of wake time before drifting off. If she takes a late nap, it disrupts the routine, and this 7 PM bedtime will get pushed until 8, 9, or sometimes even 10 PM.
On frustrating evenings when your baby refuses to go to sleep, I recommend letting it go. Put on a movie or take a bath together. And don’t even try to do your evening hobbies at the same time she’s awake. Been there, done that, it’ll just make the both of you upset.
This routine can 100% be done solo
Half of the week, my husband doesn’t come home until after bedtime. Therefore, this 7 PM bedtime routine is done by myself. Oddly enough, it can sometimes be easier when it’s just me and her. I can focus on what needs to be done, and I don’t get distracted by my husband, lol!
7 PM bedtime routine with timestamps
5 PM: Dinner
When it’s just me and my girl, I make something SUPER simple. It’s almost always pasta with a jarred sauce (Rao’s, obviously) and either grilled chicken or ground beef. Anything that is a one-pot meal is perfect!
5:30-5:55 PM: Independent play and kitchen cleanup
I take her out of her booster seat and clean her up over the sink. She will typically play by herself for a bit, while I get a second to clean the kitchen, take out the trash, empty the coffee maker, etc.
6-6:15 PM: Bath time
My baby LOVESS bath time. If I get her in the bath earlier, I try to keep her in there longer since she loves playing in the tub. It’s a good way to get some extra energy out before bedtime.
6:20-6:30 PM: PJs, massage oil/lotion, diaper change
Always a struggle to put on her pajamas! Let’s not even mention putting on her diaper, haha! If I have extra time I massage her with baby oil. We are both in love with the Zarbee’s Lavender Baby Massaging Oil. It smells so good!
6:30 PM: Feeding
I’ve mostly been nursing my baby to sleep lately, so usually, I give her her last “main” feed about 20-30 minutes before she goes to bed.
6:40-7 PM: Prayer time, tidying up play area, storytime.
Lately, I’ve been more intentional about praying every evening with my girl. It’s either a whole Rosary or just an “Angel of God” prayer or “St. Michael the Archangel” prayer.
I take a few minutes to put away toys so it doesn’t look like a complete disaster when my husband comes home.
My favorite part of the evening is reading to my 10-month-old. I can tell she loves hearing me tell her the different stories and looking at the pictures.
7-7:10 PM: Last feeding, bedtime
I take her to our rocking chair and start nursing her to sleep. I haven’t sleep trained her, I’ve been probably feeding her to sleep about 80% of the time.
After she is done, I transfer her to her crib.
7:30-10 PM: Self-care for mom: Showering, skincare, blogging, editing TikToks, reading, watching TV
The absolute BEST feeling is putting down your happy baby to sleep and having 3-4 hours of whatever you want to do! This is why I consider having a good naptime routine/bedtime routine self care (Check out my post on 27 Self Care Essentials for Moms for ideas!)
I use this time to either take a bubble bath, wash my hair (an arduous process, if you have curly hair you know!), film or edit TikToks, do freelance work, or watch TV and sip a glass of wine.
An early bedtime routine is a non-negotiable
I firmly believe that early wakeups and early bedtimes make life as a mom MUCH easier. Before I became a mom, I thought I could be “cool” and not be strict on naptimes and bedtimes.
However, now, I realize how important it is to have a schedule (as often as you are able) for your own sanity. Yes, sleep regressions and leaps will certainly mess up your routine. However, the MAJORITY of the time, do your best to stick to certain wake times and bedtimes.
Make your SAHM life easier with a routine
Trust me, your life as a stay-at-home mom will be so much more enjoyable. You will be able to fit in hobbies or work that you can’t do during the day or is very short-lived during naptime. And you and your husband will be able to have more one-on-one time, which is another plus!