The Routine Calms the Chemistry
A study in the journal *SLEEP*, highlighted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, found that a consistent nightly routine improved toddlers' sleep onset and night wakings — regardless of what the routine actually included. Those late bursts of energy aren't defiance. They're a body that hasn't gotten the signal yet.
Try this
Same Three Steps, Same Order
Try picking three small moves — dim lights, familiar book, quiet toy swap — and doing them in the exact same order every night. The body learns the pattern faster than it learns the clock.
Watch the Clock, Not the Energy
Some families start the wind-down before the zoomies hit, since waiting for calm to show up on its own can mean waiting a while.
Where does your wind-down actually begin?
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Created by the Do What Kids Do team in collaboration with artificial intelligence. How we make our posts
