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How a Bath & Diaper Routine Support Better Sleep with Tiny Transitions

From diapers to dreamland, the goal for every new parent. Looking for something, anything that can be a predictable part of the chaos that ensues when you bring a newborn home from the hospital.  

As an expert Baby & Toddler Sleep Consultant & the mother of two myself, I know the exhaustion clients face those first weeks or months with a baby. You come home from a whirlwind two days in the hospital, where the nurse is just a buzz away, and suddenly, you are home with a baby who seems to have woken up more to the world & you just don’t know what to do. How often should I bathe a newborn? Are they tired? Should I feed them again, and why won’t this baby stop crying? 

A day in the life of a new parent is, well, a lot. Still, I am here to help show you how you can make some minor changes, understand what your newborn or infant needs & support their developmental changes with some structure, routine, and consistency that can go a long way in balancing their temperament, support your stress levels and give everyone the confidence that you need to give everyone the gift of sleep.   

How Often Should Newborn Diapers Be Changed?

In the newborn stage, babies often need diaper changes every 1–3 hours for wetness and about 2–5 times daily for bowel movements; the frequency usually declines as infants get older. Regular changes help prevent diaper rash and infections and cut down on leaks and messes, since soiled diapers harbor bacteria.

Should I Change a Baby's Diaper Before or After Feeding?

You should check often and change promptly, always change poop right away. After feeding, a baby also might have been more likely to have a soiled diaper, so it’s a good habit to check, change then prepare your little one for their naptime. A quick, low-stimulation diaper routine keeps the bum protected, and when done after eating but before going to sleep, can prevent any sleep associations from forming. 

What is the Best Naptime Routine for a Newborn?

While nap routines are great, sometimes it’s not until naps become less frequent that you can have a consistent routine. Why, well, a newborn's awake windows are brief. For the first 8 weeks of life, babies should only be awake about 45 - 60 minutes between sleep, which prevents overtired, which can lead to overstimulation. 

As they grow, and awake windows lengthen, a predictable routine becomes more feasible. You can still do an abbreviated one, so let’s look at the best flow for it. 

• A Diaper “quick check” before the feed

• Poop or very wet? Change before feeding.

• Lightly wet? Go ahead and feed first.
  
  

• Feed in just a diaper

• Keeps baby a bit more alert and reduces dozing at the breast or bottle.

• Change after the feed

• Fresh, dry diaper + a thin barrier cream, then pajamas or a sleep sack.

• Down awake

• Dim the lights, offer a brief cuddle or cue phrase, and place the baby in the crib/bed drowsy, on their back, with nothing else but them in the sleep space. 

It’s important to understand a few things about newborn sleep, which can ease this process for you as well. First, newborns spend 50% of their time in REM sleep and 50% of their time in non-REM sleep. This changes around 3 months old, where they move to cycle-based sleep and their circadian rhythms develop and begin to normalize. How long an infant can be awake between sleep changes quickly, but our sample schedule generator can help. 

Intake-wise, babies need 24-32 oz of breast milk or formula in 24 hours - when they get more in the day as their belly grows, they can sleep longer stretches at night. Here is a breakdown of their stomach size and intake amount by age.

After 3 months, things begin to normalize, and your baby will start to sleep more, eat more at one time, and consolidate periods of rest. Most babies we work with here at Tiny Transitions will have a balanced intake in the day & a developed skill of sleep, allowing them to wake as appropriate to eat {every baby is different and goals of familes are too, we adjust to their goals while supporting babies natural development} or support their ability to naturally sleep through the night by 4 to 5 months old. There is no sleep training away wakings; it’s teaching skill, balancing intake, and aligning a schedule. Consistency and routine are key to setting everyone up for success, remembering that it takes balance and grace. Babies, especially newborns, are sometimes unpredictable and more sensitive, so take it one day, even one nap at a time.  

What Should Be in a Bedtime Routine for a Baby? 

I like to say that a consistent bedtime routine is the key to success with sleep, because it’s the start of the process that, from a young age, babies begin to recognize. You get to determine what the best bedtime routine is for your family, but here are a few suggestions from experience. 

A Bath or Warm Washcloth to the Face

A nightly bath isn’t required; if timing doesn’t work or your baby has sensitive skin, it’s fine to skip and focus on quick clean-ups. I love a warm washcloth to the face and fingers, with a gentle cleanser, to remove the mess from the day that’s lingering, but it also can become a signal, much like the bath, that sleep is coming. 

When it is time for a bath, start by managing water temperature using the Stingray Thermometer to ensure water isn’t too hot or cold for babies' sensitive skin. The sink bather is also a great product you want to be sure you have on your registry, as babies' baths, especially as newborns, are short and sweet. 

A New Diaper & Hold Off on the PJ’s for a Minute

Let me explain. When a baby is clean, dry and chilling in a diaper, they may have had time to unwind in the bath, but for the bedtime routine, they are likely hungry and letting you know. Many of the sleep associations we see at Tiny Transitions happen because babies eat to sleep, as a mechanism for soothing rather than nutritional intake, which causes things that you often need to fix through sleep training later. 

We want to help you avoid needing us, so that’s why we suggest this, because it creates a nice transition from a full, alert feed, to a burp, dressing for sleep. 

Pajamas & a Sleep Sack or Wearable Blanket

Following the Safe Sleep Guidelines, we love a good onesize and the appropriate sleep sack for baby, remember that back is best and that babies should always be placed in a crib or bassinet for sleep, on their back. Our Baby Dressing Blog can help you ensure your baby is dressed for the season and temperature where you reside.   

A Book, Song, or Prayers 

While a newborn isn’t ready to tackle Harry Potter quite yet, a short book, song, or prayers as a part of the bedtime routine is a great way to unwind, in a dimly lit room, calm and cuddled. My children are 9 & 11, and we have read to them or incorporated a story or prayers every night, with the expectation of about 5 times, since they were born. It’s a staple in our routine. 

Now, when overtired comes into play, which is will, a more expedited book or story is called for to just get them down. When they are overtired, believe me, sleep is more important. 

Down to Sleep in their Bassinet or Crib

Aim for a calm, predictable routine that runs about 30 minutes from start to lights out. That sweet spot is long enough to cue the body for sleep, yet short enough to avoid overstimulation or a second wind. The consistency helps your baby know what’s coming, lowers cortisol, and supports the natural rise of sleepy hormones.

Upgrade Your Routine!

If you're looking to upgrade your bath or diapering routine to help support better sleep, check out our great selection of Ubbi products designed to make bath time and diapering easy for parents.

About Courtney Zentz

Courtney is the founder of Tiny Transitions and a Certified Sleep Consultant, Certified Lactation Counselor and Postpartum Doula. Tiny Transitions certified Pediatric & Adult Sleep Consultants specialize in gentle, effective methods that are customized to fit each family’s unique needs as part of their mission to ensure no new parents ever felt as lost, alone, and unprepared for the biggest job of their life.