For many families the bedtime story is the most dependable reading of the day. It is also a powerful part of the bedtime routine itself. Here is why it helps children sleep, and how to keep it calm when the requests for "one more" begin.
In a large international study of young children, families with a consistent bedtime routine reported that their children fell asleep faster, woke less in the night and slept longer, and the more nights a week the routine happened, the better the results.
A predictable sequence, such as bath, pajamas, teeth, story, lights out, tells a child's body and mind that sleep is coming. Research led by sleep psychologist Jodi Mindell found that consistent bedtime routines were associated with better sleep in young children across many countries, with a "dose" effect: more consistent routines, better sleep. Reading is one of the most common and calming parts of these routines.
For most young children, 10 to 15 minutes of reading is enough, within a total routine of about 20 to 30 minutes. Agree the number of books before you start ("two books tonight") so the end is not a negotiation.
If you read a digital book at bedtime, turn the brightness down, use night mode if available, and keep the device in your hands rather than the child's. Finish screen time before the very last minutes of the routine if your child is sensitive to it, and keep devices out of the bedroom overnight.
For help picking the right bedtime for your child's age, our sister site Child Sleep Calculator works it out from wake-up time.
This guide is general information for parents and carers. If you are worried about your child's development, speech or reading, talk to their teacher or doctor.
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