Benefits of Bedtime Reading

Many parents read to their kids as part of the bedtime routine, and it’s a popular pre-bed activity for good reason. Children will lie still and listen to a book, which allows them to relax and become sleepy. Reading is a peaceful way to end the day, and it is key to a child’s academic success. Bedtime reading rituals guarantee that children will get their daily reading time.

Why Should You Read at Bedtime?

There are many reasons to include reading time as part of your child’s bedtime routine:

• Reading stories about real situations helps your child understand life situations and feelings she experiences.
• Reading aloud to your child promotes bonding by providing undistracted attention.
• Reading keeps an active child still and quiet enough to calm down, physically prepare for sleep, and become drowsy
• Reading to your child expands her vocabulary and her attention span, and develops imagination, empathy and curiosity.
• Reading is the number one key for later academic success, and bedtime is a perfectly undisturbed time for reading

Make sure that you allow enough time for a significant reading session. You don’t want to feel rushed, and you want everyone to be able to relax and enjoy story time for at least fifteen minutes, or a lot longer, if you’re like me and love reading time.

Plan to have reading time occur at the very end of the bedtime routine while your child is drowsy and snuggled in her bed. It is calming to listen to a parent’s voice, and you don’t want to have to rouse your child to brush her teeth or use the toilet after all of that relaxing!

What if My Child Isn’t Sleepy after Reading?

Some children cannot fall asleep while there is any activity going on, yet they also struggle to turn off their brain once the lights are out. For these kids, after reading books, you can try a short story-telling session when the lights are out. Perhaps your children can choose their own adventure, and you can tell a simple tale that will delight them. Children love when you use them as the main characters in the story. And topics are endless: go to the zoo, the beach, or even fly to visit magical places. Many children fall in love with these simple stories and ask for them nightly!

Once you’ve told your story, and your child is still wide awake, try playing a child’s audio-book as the final reading session of the night. There are many wonderful options out there, so this could become a perfect end to your day. I suggest you buy audio-books of stories you already know and listen to a bit in advance to be sure it’s appropriate for your child and the reading voice is pleasant for bedtime. As your child gets older you might find this become a marvelous and enriching bedtime ritual.

Tips are from The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers by Elizabeth Pantley