Managing Bedtime When a New Sibling Arrives
What Worked For Us (and Can Work For You)
If you’re staring down the 6–7 pm toddler bedtime while holding a newborn, you’re not alone. I was nervous too especially doing solo bedtimes during rugby season. The good news? With a simple plan that changes as your newborn grows, evenings can feel calm again (and yes, you can get them both down early).
Weeks 0–5: Keep It Easy
In the first few weeks, your newborn’s “bedtime” is naturally later (often 9–10 pm). I leaned into that.
Newborn in the lounge bassinet for the evening.
If she needed a feed right as I started toddler bedtime, I simply brought her with me.
Toddler (Marley) kept her usual 6–7 pm bedtime routine.
Result: Toddler bedtime stayed familiar and easy. Newborn was flexible and portable.
6+ Weeks: Shift Baby to a 6 pm Bedtime
By 6 weeks, many babies can start consolidating night sleep earlier. I set Sadie’s bedtime to 6 pm—and yes, it’s absolutely possible. That creates a small clash with the toddler, but it’s manageable and so worth it for free evenings.
How we made it work:
Stagger the evening flow.
5:00–5:30: Toddler dinner while baby chills nearby.
Bath overlap: Baby bath in the kitchen while toddler finishes dinner.
5:45: Take baby to bed for feed, cuddle, wind-down.
Toddler gets a short, intentional TV block or quiet play during baby’s settle (this is your “bridge”).
Communicate with your toddler. “I’m going to tuck baby in. If she needs a quick settle, I’ll pop back—then it’s your turn for stories.”
Then it’s a breeze to move straight into the toddler’s bedtime, with fewer interruptions.
Some nights I needed to pop back in to resettle Sadie. Because I’d set the expectation with Marley, it never derailed us.
If You Have a Partner: Divide & Conquer
When both of us are home, we take one child each and meet on the couch at the end. With Sadie going down at 6 pm since six weeks, we get our evenings back for connection or sleep (both are gold).
Toddler Tactics That Make a Big Difference
Manage expectations:
“First I tuck in baby, then it’s your special story time. If baby needs me, I’ll be quick and then it’s back to you.”Team jobs: Let your toddler choose baby’s sleep sack, carry the book, or turn on white noise.
Read to baby: Toddler “reads” a book to the baby during the last feed keeps them involved and calm.
Age-appropriate independence: A simple quiet basket (2 books + 1 puzzle) or a short TV block while you settle the newborn.
Together time: Shared bath or PJs at the same time when it’s practical.
What If Things Go Sideways? (Troubleshooting)
Baby wakes as you start toddler stories: Do a quick, calm resettle and narrate to your toddler: “Two minute baby tuck, then back for our story.”
Toddler gets clingy or jealous: Offer a predictable token “When baby is tucked in, you choose the first book.”
Overtired baby at 6 pm: Start wind-down 10–15 minutes earlier, ensure a timely last nap that ends by 5 pm, and use strong sleep cues (dark room, white noise, swaddle).
Toddler bedtime drifts later: Protect their routine anchor points (dinner time, teeth, two books, song). Keep it steady and simple.
Why Early Baby Bedtime Changed Everything
Getting Sadie down by 6 pm from six weeks gave us our evenings back. It’s exactly why I created my Newborn Sleep Guide—to help you shift bedtimes earlier without guesswork so you can enjoy your partner time…or go to bed early yourself.
Ready to Make Evenings Easier?
Join the waitlist for my Newborn Sleep Guide and be first to grab it when it drops. I’ll walk you step-by-step through moving your baby to an earlier bedtime (hello, 6 pm!), settling tools that work.
