Last week, shortly after putting Macks down to sleep, I heard him crying from his room. Not again, I thought to myself. I just put him down and yet he was already up crying for me. It was the beginning of a cycle that seems to have no end.

He’s never been a great sleeper. And I’ve been too worried about my sleep to really stay disciplined about his sleeping habits.

He cries from his room, I go in and put him in bed with us. He snuggles up next to me and we quietly both go back to sleep. This has been our routine since the day he was born.

But last week was much worse. While I usually don’t mind him seeping next to me, this time I did. I’d been taken over by food poisoning and was in the bathroom every 20 minutes. Macks doesn’t like to be too far away, so he just kept following me back and forth. I wasn’t getting any privacy while being sick and he wasn’t getting any sleep. That’s when I knew that things had to change. As much as he is my little cuddle buddy, I also need to set good sleep habits so that he can successfully sleep through the night and we can both get a good night’s sleep.

Last week JOHNSON’s hosted an event to share their tips on how to help your children get started on the right path to great sleep. JOHNSON’S knows that every baby is different, but that all little one’s need to get their sleep. That’s why they’ve come up with a clinically proven way to get kids to fall asleep and stay asleep, with their 3-Step Bedtime Routine.

While we know that our little one’s love to sleep (usually it’s at times when we need to be awake,) sleep is critical for them. Sleep helps you child’s brain development and it fosters better cognitive development. Sleep is essential for your child’s emotional and social development. Studies show that babies who sleep more cry less. They also have better social skills and better maternal interactions.

One of the most important things in teaching your child good sleep habits is a routine. A consistent bedtime routine is super important because it helps your baby separate day and night time. It also helps provide special family time.

During the week, our bedtime routine is pretty set and I absolutely love it. It’s the only time during the day that all of us are totally focused on one another. It’s time for cuddles, books, and moments that can’t be interrupted.

JOHNSON’s suggests starting your little one’s bedtime routine with a bath. Bath time is so much fun in our house, especially with Macks being a little bit older now. All three kids get in the bathtub together and they splash around, play with toys, and have fun. Getting them clean each day isn’t a chore, it’s a time for me to watch my children have genuine fun together. It’s another chance for us to bond.

After bath time, it’s time for a massage. Macks has always had bad eczema, so I have always given him a massage after bath time. By massaging him with lotion while he’s still damp, it helps keep the moisture in his skin and keeps him from drying out. Not only is this helping his skin, but the massage helps him relax and get into a much calmer state before I put him in his crib.

The last step in JOHNSON’S 3-Step Bedtime Routine is quiet time. Our quiet time usually ends in all of us cuddled on the couch together while Harlan reads us a book. We usually have soft music playing in the background.

JOHNSON’s created their own Tonight We Sleep Lullaby which was designed with baby in mind. In fact, it’s the first lullaby grounded in science and crowd-sourced sounds from moms around the world. The lullaby features unique sounds used to help baby fall asleep around the world including television and radio static, heartbeat, the ocean, a fan, forest animals, and an air conditioner. We had the chance to hear YouTube star, Kimberly Henderson, sing her original song to the Tonight We Sleep Lullaby and we are more than happy to listen to that to fall asleep every night.

You can listen and download the Tonight We Sleep™ Lullaby on the JOHNSON’S® BEDTIME® baby sleep app.

Thanks to JOHNSON’s, I know that I am setting the right stage when it comes to instilling good sleep habits in Macks, it’s just sticking to that routine that helps promote better sleep. With a consistent routine, he’s more likely to fall asleep each night and stay asleep.

Sleep (or the lack of it) is one of the biggest changes in our schedules when we become parents. While a lot of us have gone without sleep before, it’s usually been on our schedule and we’ve had the opportunity to catch up on it. With babies, we have to abide by their schedule. There’s no chance for catch-up on the lack of sleep that we are getting. That’s why it’s so important to start early on those good sleep habits with our little ones.

Here’s to more restful nights ahead for all of us!