The Power of the Bedtime Story

We’ve talked a lot about bedtime stories here at SleepBetter.org.  That’s because it’s a great idea for families!  Settling down for the night is a key part (perhaps the most important part) of executing a bedtime routine for your child, and a bedtime story is a fantastic and fun way to start that settling down process.

For many kids, the time right before bedtime is energetic time. Even the younger ones seem to know instinctively that they only have a little bit of time left to run around and play.  The bedtime story signals that it’s time to settle down and prepare for bed, and a child that is relaxed at bedtime is a child that is more likely to sleep well.  How important is a good night’s sleep for a child? For the answer, let’s look at some of the articles we’ve posted here at SleepBetter.org:

Babies Learn Better When They Sleep
A study at the University of Arizona showed that babies who take naps during the day are more able to retain information they’ve learned.

Sleep Instruction for Kids in the UK
A school system in the UK thinks sleep is so important that they’re actually including sleep education as part of the curriculum.

Child Sleep Problems Linked to Headaches, Stomach Pain
Children who have trouble falling asleep or wake up often at night are much more likely to have headaches or to regurgitate food, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Unrelated to sleep, it’s been proven that children who are read to are more successful at learning how to read to themselves.  On top of that, it’s simply a fun way for a parent and child to bond.

A national survey on bedtime stories from SleepBetter.org showed that families overwhelmingly prefer the stories that parents made up for them.  Have you made up your own bedtime stories for your family?