My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Parenting

what book to read at bedtime that will make my child sleep

39 replies

angel24711 · 27/07/2015 19:55

Anyone have any recommendations for books that will encourage/ make my 2.5 year old boy sleepy that I can read to him at bedtime. He's just moved to a toddler bed and we've found - 'a bed of your own' - Kelly Mij quite good, but we've done it every night for 2 weeks now.

I'm currently doing 3 books a night a the mo, I'd love it to be less, but he's used to 3 currently. So we read something short first ( like 'the very busy spider'), exciting next (like 'the snail and the whale' and then I need recommendations for books that will make him sleepy and help me exit the room with minimum grumbling/protests!!

OP posts:
meglet · 27/07/2015 20:46

'tell me something happy before I go to sleep' is lovely.

boardblonde · 27/07/2015 20:52

My daughter loves Five Minutes to Bed. It's about pirates and rhymes.

Iggly · 27/07/2015 20:54

I know of no story to make my DCs sleepy. Nothing exciting obviously. They need to lie down in the dark (with me) to wind down and relax. Usually we have a little chat about the day.

HeyMicky · 27/07/2015 20:56

Could you make up a story? I tell DD (2.10) a short story every night about her toy rabbit.

Sometimes he does what she has done during the day, sometimes I use it to reinforce ideas, sometimes I foreshadow big activities or changes that are coming up.

But often it's a really dull, quiet tale about him having a picnic or doing some gardening. Very easy to make it boring if required

beanandspud · 27/07/2015 21:07

DS had a Gro-clock which came with the Sleepy Farm book.

Night after night we read about grumpy old Percy the Pig but it did the trick and became the signal that it was time to sleep.

MoominaMama · 27/07/2015 21:22

We read Goodnight Moon as our last story everynight.

ch1134 · 27/07/2015 21:25

At the moment my 18 month old falls asleep every night to 'Guess how much I love you', but maybe that's a bit young for you?

domesticslattern · 27/07/2015 21:30

Goodnight Moon

JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/07/2015 18:53

Lord of the Rings. It makes me fall asleep after about half a page...Grin

knittingbee · 28/07/2015 20:11

Dictionary over the back of the head? ;) jokes!

Goodnight Moon worked for us, it goes around and says goodnight to everything in the room.

TravellingToad · 28/07/2015 20:14

The night night book

JamHoneyMarmite · 28/07/2015 20:18

Another vote for Goodnight Moon here Smile

FadedRed · 28/07/2015 20:18

Hansard - politics is soooo tedious Grin

RainbowRoses · 28/07/2015 20:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lozzapops · 28/07/2015 21:41

I keep hearing people talk about a book called The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep. Not used it myself, but apparently it works wonders at helping kiddies relax and settle to sleep.

KatharineClifton · 28/07/2015 21:50

Pride and Prejudice. Our whole A Level class fell asleep once reading it.

Clutterbugsmum · 28/07/2015 21:50

I resorted to using story CD's. I would (still do Dc are 6,7 and 11) read a book or 3 then put on a story CD for them to listen too.

TheFirstOfHerName · 28/07/2015 21:53

I lived with my grandmother when I was a child. She used to read The Song of Hiawatha to get me to go to sleep. If I hear it now, I immediately start to feel drowsy.

minipie · 28/07/2015 21:54

Ha - I read Goodnight Moon as DD's last story for ages, then she started crying as soon as I opened it! (she's always been a sleep fighter, sigh)

I tend to find it's more about the tone of voice than the book itself iyswim? I always turn the light down for stories and read the last one very softly and sleepily (whatever it is!). That said, I suggest:

Bear Snores On
Any of the Big Bear and Little Bear ones (eg Can't you sleep, Little Bear)

Strawberrybubblegum · 28/07/2015 22:46

Another vote for Goodnight Moon. I really like it and it always calms DD down ready to sleep, but 2.5 is probably at the upper end of the age range.

'Bear on a bike' also has a very soporific effect on DD but I'm not sure why. It's a really lovely book, but again at 2.5 it's perhaps a bit young to buy now.

I used to make up boring stories like HeyMicky too. It worked pretty well for a while - but now she refuses them and demands a book! Sadly, I don't think my story telling skills are up to the job!

Hippymama · 29/07/2015 11:21

My 3 year old loves on the night you were born and guess how much I love you

Happy36 · 29/07/2015 16:21

I read in the "sleepy voice". Slow and a little groggy.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

ditavonteesed · 29/07/2015 16:32

this one is


PS dont open it when little people are around its sweary.

whatsagoodusername · 29/07/2015 16:33

We do a lot of AA Milne poetry or Winnie the Pooh. The rhythm of classics seems to send DS2 to sleep.

We do Goodnight Moon, too. The DC are 4.5 and 3.5 and still enjoy it, but doesn't put them to sleep anymore.

Mummy2ben14 · 29/07/2015 20:15

What the ladybird heard here. DS gets all excited when I pick it up :)

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.