Finding the most suitable sleep routine for your baby is a big challenge, because what a kid might like another kid won’t. So, this might leave you frustrated and exhausted sometimes, and you would keep thinking, when will I sleep for one whole night!? Well, the good news is there are a lot of success stories about sleep routines and sleep training, and what is better is that the people who succeeded are moms, just like you! So, maybe here in this article, you will find comfort and support.

“I started with bedtime routine with my kids as early as the age of 3 months. In the beginning, it included breastfeeding in the living room followed by a bath and then singing a certain lullaby that they like while dressing them in their pajamas. I made sure they had separate outfits for bedtime that differ than day outfits, so they can differentiate daytime from night time. After that, I would put them in their bed, sit next to them sing the same lullaby for five minutes and then I leave. Sometimes they would fall asleep right away and other times I would have to go back and forth for a few times. Each time I would sing the same song. It is hard work and requires persistence and patience, and sometimes will have to start all over again but it is worth it. I am a mother of two beautiful children, and they were both sleeping on their own in their own bedroom by the age of one.” Mona Said

“I am a mother of two, with my first child, I used to take her the bedroom, feed her a bottle, hug her then let her sleep in my arms while singing a lullaby till she falls asleep, I then put her to bed beside me, we used to co-sleep by the time she became 8 months old she started sleeping through the night. I moved her to her own room when she became 18 months old. But, with my second child, I change the routine now, I feed him, hold him, sing to him till he sleeps, I put him in his own bed by my side, by the time he became 3 months old, he started sleeping through the night and he still does, he is 11 months now, but have not moved him yet to his room.” Sara Khairy

“My Two-year-old slept in her bed from day one, I used to put a used shirt of mine underneath her to soothe her which gave me the chance of sleeping 3-4 hours straight in the first three months, and when she became 4 months old I added a white noise machine and surprisingly it was very helpful, 15 minutes of wind sound or waterfall sound, so when she would fall in deep sleep I would go and turn it off. As for our bedtime routine, when she was 3 months old it consisted of a warm bath, breastfeeding then bed. And now that I have weaned her, I feed her (yogurt or cheese sandwich) then give her a bath, put her to bed and switch all the lights off, I also give her a small teddy bear to cuddle with while I pat her back.” Heba Hesham Shawkat

“First let us say that our babies’ first year will never go in the sleeping syllabus; as they get out of our wombs which they consider as their whole wide world. They sleep and wake up whenever they want for 24 hours a day, they know nothing about day and night, so they will never get that they should sleep because mommy wants to sleep too. After 6 months of age; some babies do understand the concept of NAPPING but not night bedtime routine and even toddlers sometimes do not. But let me tell you what really worked with me; waking the babies/toddlers up very early and involving them into activities the whole day will make them, surely, fall asleep at night easily cause their brains and bodies begin to turn off gradually.” Reham Adel M.roushdy

“My baby is 9 months old now, I started with a bedtime routine when she was 3 months old; I used to put her in the bouncer, sing to her and lower the lights, she would fall asleep and then I would take her to her own bed beside me. But, when she became 5 months old, I changed the routine to giving her a warm bath, let her play with my toothbrush while I try to massage her on the bath chair, after that I feed her, dim the lights, she plays with my face and then she sleeps. Sometimes she cries after she finishes her bottle, so I hold her and walk her for a bit repeating the sound “Shhhhhh”. We still do not have a fixed time for sleeping as it depends on when we get back home.” Yomna Osama

“My baby is 4 months old now. Every day and before bedtime, I give him a bath, change his diaper, then feed him a bottle. My secret is that I use the smell method where I put on him baby cologne, hug him before I put him to bed, turn off the lights. Some nights I swaddle him and other nights I do not, singing to him is always an option. But, I do not give him the pacifier so it takes him 20 minutes to actually fall asleep sometimes, and if he wakes up in an hour or so, I keep the lights off, I hold him tight, walk him till he goes back to sleep. My rule is that whatever happens I never turn on the lights!” Hadeer Ahmad  

*This article was published in collaboration with The Mommy Club.