Your baby will be more relaxed if she knows what’s coming next. The more relaxed she is, the more likely she’ll go to bed easily and fall asleep quickly. Stick to your routine as best you can even when you’re not home — it can make it easier for your baby to settle down in unfamiliar surroundings.

The sooner you establish a bedtime routine, the better. When your baby is as young as 6 or 8 weeks old, start following a set pattern every night; she’ll quickly come to appreciate the consistency and predictability. And remember that a bedtime ritual is often good for parents, too. It’s a special time set aside for you to spend with your baby, something you can plan on.

Make sure to start early enough in the evening so you have time to get through the sequence before bedtime. For young babies especially, you may find that it’s best to keep it short and simple: washing up, diaper and jammies, and a story or song in the rocking chair.

And while you can certainly start your ritual in the bathroom or the living room, it should end in your baby’s bedroom. It’s important to teach your baby that her room is a nice place to be, not just where she’s “banished” at bedtime