Books for Bedtime

Establishing a bedtime routine and sticking to it every night can help make the end of the day peaceful instead of a struggle. Try a few different schedules to figure out what works at your house. Include brushing teeth, changing into pajamas and reading books. Once you find a schedule that works, stick to it. That way, your child will know what to expect and be ready to sleep. When your little one has a good night be sure to praise her, reinforcing the positive behavior for the future.

Here are a few great books to snuggle up and read with your toddler:

• Tuck Me In by Dean Hacohen,
• Peekaboo Bedtime by Rachel Isadora
• Sleepy Me by Marni McGee

These are fun ones for preschoolers:

• The Napping House by Audrey Wood
• Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
• Night Knight by Owen Davey
• Where’s My Teddy? by Jez Alborough

When it’s time to move from a crib to a big kid bed try:

• Timothy Tugbottom Says No! by Anne Tyler
• A Big Bed for Jed by Laurie Friedman

If your little one has trouble sleeping in his own bed all night these stories might help:

• Back to Bed, Ed! by Sebastion Braun
• Your Own Bed by Rita Bergstein
• Little Bunny’s Sleepless Night by Carol Roth

For more information on bedtime battles check out the Mayo Clinic’s article.

Keep reading aloud to your child even after he is old enough to read on his own. Let your child choose what to read or share a book you loved as a child. One of my favorite memories from my childhood was sitting on the couch at night listening to my dad read from his childhood favorite, The Hardy Boys series.