Disclosure: This is a sponsored partnership with JOHNSON'S.  

Bedtime is kind of a big deal around here.  We take it seriously - I feel like when Chip and I sleep well, we are just plain better parents.  Of course, there are the inevitable interruptions like newborns, sickness, or bad dreams, but overall we work hard to get our kiddos sleeping hard and long.

Since this week is actually Sleep Awareness Week (I can totally support that!), I'm sharing a little about our bedtime and what we do to make everyone, including ourselves, sleep sweetly at night.

I completely underestimated how sleep deprived I would be before having Vivi.  My complete lack of experience with babies + a hard case of baby blues + sleep deprivation was a terrible combination for me.  I wasn't myself, and I was anxious and sad.  I read somewhere about starting a bedtime routine, but it kind of sounded hopeless to me when a full night (or more than a couple of hours) of sleep felt like years away.  And since days feel like years when you have a newborn, I thought I had missed the boat when Vivi was three weeks old and I had no routine.

But, I tried anyway.  And it worked.  With parenting (and most things in life), you really do have to begin with the end in mind.  Even though it feels like you are so far away from a good night's sleep, you establish habits and routines that will get you there, and that will be part of your family culture when things are running more smoothly.  A great routine to start is bedtime + massage + quiet time, and this is actually JOHNSON'S clinically proven 3 step bedtime routine.

We start with a relaxing bath to wash off the day (love this JOHNSON'S Bedtime Baby Wash that has a very calming, soothing scent and has No More Tears to be gentle on baby's eyes!) and give Ellie the cue that bedtime (or "tuck tuck" as we call it in our family!) is starting.

Next, we move to the changing table to dry off and get a little massage before putting on pj's.  The JOHNSON'S Bedtime Baby Lotion is great for moisturizing baby's skin to keep it from getting dry and hydrates throughout the night, and the calming scent gets us all ready to head to bed.

My favorite part of our routine is the snuggles before bed, when I can smell her sweet little head after she is all clean.  We have a little quiet time in Ellie's chair, where we read a book, snuggle, sing, and say prayers.

Eleanor means "light," so my favorite songs to sing are "This Little Light of Mine," and "You are My Sunshine."  We also say our family rules before bed with the big girls, and will be introducing those to Ellie soon - it's such a  great way to reinforce our family values and talk about what we are working on and how our day went.  The girls memorize them and say them each night; they are "Don't hurt yourself, don't hurt others, because we are Lays and Lays are kind to people.  Obey Mama and Daddy the first time, and let your yes be yes and your no be no."  This has been so valuable to point back to if we have struggles during the day!

After some rocking and singing, I lay sweet little Ellie down to sleep with her "babies" - her Lamb and her Bunny, and tuck her in with her favorite blanket.  (Note: She is 16 months - it is recommended not to put soft items in the crib with babies under one year!)  

Bedtime is honestly my favorite part of the day.  It feels like no matter how the day went or how crazy it was, everything gets wiped away with a comforting routine and lots of snuggles.  It's been so good for us to make it a priority to be consistent; the girls always respond well, and they thrive on routine.  Plus, it makes it easier for travel, too, when you have a set routine you can follow regardless of where you are!

This week is Sleep Awareness Week, so it's a great time to start a bedtime routine if you haven't!  Rest is so important for the littles (and, um, mamas, too!), and I love doing all I can to make sure they get it!