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The Perfect Short Story For Bedtime
If you are looking to add some bonding, focus, wonder, and calmness to your bedtime routine with your toddler then you are in the right place!
In this blog post, I share 5 original short stories for bedtime that your child is sure to learn from and love!
Each short story for bedtime listed below will help your toddler settle in, get calm and cozy, and transition to sleeping.
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Short Story For Bedtime #1:
What My Body Feels Like When I'm Sleepy
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Short Story For Bedtime #2:
Grateful For My Cozy Bed
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Short Story For Bedtime #3:
The Magic Of Sleep
Goodnight brain.
Goodnight bubs.
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Short Story For Bedtime #4:
The Busy Browns Get Ready For Bed
They dim the lights to prepare for story time.
When both books have been read, mommy turns the lights all the way down while baby brown turns on his sound machine.
Mommy asks baby brown what he wants to dream about tonight.
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Short Story For Bedtime #5:
What I Love Most About Sleeping
Phew, what a day!
It’s time for all the children around the world to get into their beds for resting. Soon, moms and dads will get in their beds, too.
After a long day, sleeping feels so nice.
When Should I Start Bed Time Story?
You can start doing bedtime stories as young as you’d like, making it a time to bond and wind down with your baby.
Your voice, tone, and energy will soothe and comfort your baby around bedtime, and stories are a great way to settle down and get ready for resting.
These calm, connected times are just as important for you.
Depending on the communication style you have with your toddler, 1.5-2 years old would be a great time to start getting into the habit of reading these stories at bedtime.
At this age, your toddler will be more aware and responsive to stories and routines.
It’s important to know that even if your toddler is moving around or looking elsewhere, they can still absolutely hear and absorb the stories that you are sharing. So, don’t worry if they don’t sit, starting at you, like an adult in a meeting would.
Also, a helpful thing to do at bedtime, like any other time with toddlers, is to set rules. This creates for flow for everyone. Then, remind and lovingly enforce the rules you set.
For example, you might set bedtime rules like these:
- We turn the lights down low when we go into our room for bedtime
- We turn the sound machine on after reading
- Our bedroom is a quiet resting place. We don’t shout or jump around in our room. If we have wiggles to get out, we do that before we come into our room.
Then, your toddler can grow into becoming a part of the routine and creating new habits – helping turn down the lights, turning on the sound machine… And you can remind them “Remember, it’s quiet time in our room for sleeping. Let’s get our last wiggles out before getting cozy in bed.”
A dance party, running around the kitchen island, or scootering around the living room for a minute are go-tos that my twins do to get their wiggles out.
That last exertion of energy can be hugely helpful with a calmer bedtime, as opposed to telling a rowdy toddler to calm down.
Giving them the time and space to release their energy might just do the trick for making bedtimes smoother!
After they’ve been able to release what they need to, the likelihood that they will be ready to wind down and listen to a short story at bedtime – and go to bed in general – is much greater!
What Is The Most Famous Bedtime Story?
There isn’t a single “most popular” bedtime story for kids, as it varies depending on culture, age, and personal preference.
However, “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown is a very famous and popular bedtime story for toddlers.
Here is a list of some other beloved classic bedtime stories:
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
- Corduroy by Don Freeman
- Curious George by H.A. and Margret Rey
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
- The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
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Do Bedtime Stories Work?
Yes!
Research suggests that reading bedtime stories to children can have numerous benefits, such as promoting language development, improving cognitive skills, and enhancing parent-child bonding.
Additionally, it can help children develop a love for reading, which can have positive effects on their academic performance and overall well-being.
Bedtime stories can not only be effective in helping children fall asleep, but they can also be a great help in transitioning both your child and you from the busy-ness of each day to relaxing restfulness, and a calmer state.
What a win!
All of these reasons are why bedtime stories can make a wonderful part of your parenting routine!
Toddler Bedtime Routine Tips
As the owner of a Montessori-inspired daycare and preschool and the mom of twin toddlers, I could talk endlessly with you about baby and toddler sleep habits, tips, routines, what not to do – all the things. See this blog post if your toddler is fighting nap and bedtime.
For now, here are some simple toddler bedtime routine tips that can make bedtime smoother and calmer for your family:
- Follow a routine that aligns with your child’s sleep needs and family’s lifestyle/schedule (maybe 2 nights a week your child(ren) go to bed early so you have time with your partner and 2 nights a week you stay up a little later to wait for dad to get home. Maybe one child needs more sleep than the other, so you put them to bed earlier.)
- Start winding down at least 30 minutes before bedtime (lower noise, dim lights, don’t start any new games, have child choose the last 2 things they want to do before bedtime…)
- Use low lighting and calming activities inside of the 30 minute window before bedtime (lighting can make ALL the difference – set the tone and set up your space for wind down, relaxing success!)
- Avoid stimulating activities such as screen time (some children aren’t as sensitive to screen time before bed, some are. Observe your child and do what is best for them and works best for you, too.)
- Encourage independent self-care, such as brushing teeth and changing into pajamas (giving your toddler freedom to choose and do things, within limits you set, can be a HUGE help with tantrums, power struggles, and behavior in general. Plus, it builds great habits and a sense of pride and belonging.)
- Read a bedtime story – or 3 – together (use the stories from this list! Bond, relax, wind down, connect, decompress, build memories you both will cherish….)
- Sing a lullaby or play calming music (we love to make up our own songs. The children love to hear their own names and experiences in songs and stories. It’s special and soothing for them. Sometimes, we listen to the rain or an audiobook, too.)
- Use a relaxation technique, such as deep breathing or visualization (I love this book and this book for bedtime meditation with my twins. We also do voo breathing regularly, together. It is incredible. Voo breathing triggers the vagus nerve, signaling your body to de-stress, regulating the nervous system. It feels so good and is extremely effective for adults and toddlers alike.)
- Offer a comfort item, such as a stuffed animal or blanket (letting them choose each night what they want is helpful. Having a special blanket and pillow can add to their routine, make it more enjoyable and special, too.)
- Provide a safe and cozy sleeping environment (avoid treating sleep times like a hassle or a punishment or chore. Instead, frame it as something enjoyable, important, wonderful, and helpful for our bodies and days. Bedtime stories, enjoyable routines, special sleep aides like lovies and a sound machine, can make for a cozy sleep environment.)
Final Thoughts On Short Stories For Bedtime With Toddlers
Short stories for bedtime with toddlers can bring so much connectedness and peace to your family’s routine. Plus, the benefits for your child’s development are undeniable.
Make up a story about your child, their day, or reminisce on a memory of a trip or a day you had together. Or, use the short bedtime stories from this list!
Your toddler is sure to have their favorites. As are you 🙂
If you set up your toddler’s sleeping space for calm, restfulness, and remind your toddler of bedtime rules, and frame bedtime as a beautiful thing, you will have calmer, smoother bedtimes most nights. And, you all will enjoy bedtime stories more, too.
Hooray for that!
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