Most parents know that bedtime routines help children fall asleep. But did you know that a regular bedtime routine can also change how your child behaves during the day? Children who go to bed at the same time each night tend to listen better, stay calmer, and handle frustration more easily.
The way your child sleeps affects everything else. When children get good sleep on a regular schedule, their brains work better. This means they can control their emotions, follow directions, and get along with others more easily.
Consistent bedtime routines directly improve the quality of children's sleep. When children go to bed at the same time each night, they fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply through the night. A large study involving over 10,000 children from 14 different countries found that children with a consistent bedtime routine sleep for more than an hour longer each night compared to those without any routine.
The extra sleep matters because children's brains need sleep to function properly during the day. When children get adequate, uninterrupted sleep, their brains have the resources to handle challenges and control impulses. Without enough sleep, children become more reactive and struggle to manage their emotions.
But the keyword here is consistency. It's not just about having a routine—it's about doing the same routine every night. Research from Penn State University found that children whose bedtimes vary wildly from night to night show more impulsivity and less self-control than children with consistent sleep times.
A child whose bedtime varies by just 20 minutes each night typically shows better behavior control than a child whose bedtime shifts by two hours across the week.
How Sleep Helps Emotional Regulation
One of the most important behavioral benefits is improved emotional regulation. Children with consistent bedtimes are better able to manage their feelings and reactions. When they feel frustrated or upset, they don't explode as quickly into tantrums or aggression.
This improvement comes from how sleep affects the parts of the brain that control impulses and emotions. When children don't get consistent, quality sleep, these brain regions don't develop as well. But when bedtime is predictable, children's brains build stronger connections in areas responsible for thinking before acting.
Studies tracking children over time show real reductions in behavioral problems when families establish consistent bedtime routines. Toddlers with regular bedtime routines at 12 months show fewer behavior issues by 15 months and continued improvements by age 24 months.
Parents also report fewer tantrums, less bedtime resistance, and fewer instances of children calling out or getting out of bed during the night.
The benefits don't stop after one good night's sleep. Children who have consistent bedtime routines from infancy show better behavior and emotional control years later. Research found that consistent bedtime routines at age three predict fewer behavior problems by the time children reach fifth grade.
Getting Started With a Routine
A bedtime routine doesn't need to be complicated. The goal is simply to do the same calming activities in the same order every night. This might include giving a bath, brushing teeth, reading a story, or singing a song. The specific activities matter less than the consistency and the fact that they're calming rather than stimulating.
Starting a routine early—even in infancy—sets the stage for better long-term outcomes. But it's never too late to begin. Children show improvement whenever a consistent routine is introduced, even if they had an irregular schedule before.
