How to create the ultimate sleep routine with Sleepy Friends Tonies

A regular bedtime is key to setting your kiddo’s internal clock, making it easier for them to fall asleep and wake up at the right time. We know it’s not always practical (or easy) but keeping bedtime roughly the same time every night, even on weekends, is really helpful to their routines.

This may change as your kids get older, drop naps, start school or hit other milestones as their sleep needs change and while there are some helpful rules of thumb, every child is different. If you’re finding that their usual bedtime isn’t quite cutting it – either they’re too tired to make it to bedtime or they’re struggling to get to sleep you may want to adjust this a bit. Paying attention to signs of tiredness like rubbing eyes, getting overly hyper or loud, will help you figure this out. If they’re stalling by asking loads of questions, try gently setting a limit of three questions tonight, and say you’ll answer the rest in the morning. 

Around 30 minutes or so before bedtime, start winding things down a bit. This doesn’t have to be a complicated ten step routine, choose what works for your little snoozer. Some families find warm baths with dimmed lights are enough, others have their kids say goodnight to their loved ones and cuddly toys to help them transition to bedtime.

To make this ritual even more effective, pop on a Sleepy Friends Tonie – our tonies® families have found that since introducing Sleepy Friends, 90% have seen improvements in their child’s bedtime routine! Doesn’t that sound dreamy?

Our Sleepy Friends Tonies are designed to bring calm to bedtime. Whether you use just one or mix and match them all, they help create a cosy wind-down, snuggle up, and drift off routine that makes bedtime smoother for the whole family.

A dark, quiet, and cool room helps little ones sleep better. Dimming the lights and playing soothing sounds from the Toniebox can reinforce those sleep cues. It’s a bit trickier to get their rooms completely dark at naptime and when the sun sets later in the day, but if they’re struggling to fall asleep you could add black-out blinds to their windows. That being said, whilst total darkness is always better, some little ones need a bit of light to help them feel safe and that’s where night lights come in.

There are lots of other ways you can use their rooms to support good sleep habits too. Whether it’s avoiding over-stimulating decor or making sure the room is not too hot and not too cold – between 18–20°C is ideal.

Once little ones are a bit older, encouraging them to settle themselves back to sleep if they wake in the night can be a game-changer. The Toniebox is so easy to use that they can simply squeeze an ear to start their Sleepy Friends Tonies playing again and snuggle back down. For younger children, or those who need a little extra comfort, parents can simply pop in, give them a reassuring cuddle, and restart their Tonies Box – it’s quick, simple, and helps little ones drift off again feeling safe and soothed.