To think that a child listening to an audiobook isn’t as bad as watching TV to fall asleep?

[Careerhelpppp]

My DC is 5. They always watch TV to fall asleep at night.

I’d like to try and break this habit as I don’t think it’s great. I am considering buying a YOTO box/Tonie Box so that they can listen to an audiobook whilst falling asleep.

Is this better than watching the tv? DH thinks it’s just swapping one bad habit for another.

I think it’s a great idea - and definitely not a bad habit! You listen with your eyes closed and use your imagination to create the story. Much better than the spoon fed tv. Also they will drift off naturally- great idea

Not a bad habit at all. It’s giving their eyes a rest and allows their brains to do something different and relax.

My son listens to radio 4 extra to fall asleep to lol.

Audio books are far more restful as they don't have stimulating moving images and light.

They also have the literacy benefit of vocabulary, and language structures that TV often doesn't have. TV is often faster paced than audio books too.

Ime it's not very easy for DC to fall asleep to a story (too exciting!) But the sleep radio and sleep sounds on our yoto are brilliant.

DS currently likes the sound "camping in the rain in france" and DD likes the sleepy songs.

I think as DC needs to stop the TV sleep cycle your plan sounds good

My 4 year old falls asleep listening to his Yoto every night and I’ve never considered it could be a bad thing. What is your husband worried about? DS can sleep just fine without it when he needs to.

Seems fine if he needs it. I'd recommend a Yoto over Tonie box for that age, you'll get longer out of it.

My daughter is 6 and we do reading, audio books then guided meditation all through the night.
She takes a long time to settle and be ready for sleep. She's always been a low sleep needs child.

Watching a screen gives blue light which keeps the brain awake.

We don't have a stand alone device we have a Bluetooth speaker in her room and play a mix of things from cbeebees bedtime stories, audio books on Spotify or borrowed from the library through borrow box. She now asks for audio books during the day and sits on her bed listening to them. There are also children's shows on BBC sounds which she loves too.

No TVs in bedrooms, even for adults.

Ive always used audio books to sleep, well originally it was tapes in my Fisher Price tape player 😂

All my kids (and many of their friends) have Yoto players, the mini is also used with headphones for travelling.

It’s much better! It’s the light from the screens that is particularly bad from sleep, plus the noise etc. can be very stimulating. A audiobook is much more conducive to sleep and better for them all round.

My Dd is 30 and we did this i think it was v tech thingy then she moved onto an Audio book it is great for them to relax and drift off to sleep.

We had the fisher price tapes for my eldest and we played them in the car, she didn't like any noise at bedtime.

Audiobooks are far less stimulating than a screen with moving pictures and a bright screen.

As long as it's not going all night long (can disrupt sleep cycles) it's completely fine. If DH is worried he can always be the bedtime settler from now on.

True. Good idea.
No blue light activating brain wakefullness.

She can be in her bed, maybe with a red light string on in her room, and use her imagination until wearily dropping off to sleep.

Some radio channels are good.

it’s a great idea my 4 year old has a tonie box - it creates imaginative children and there are such lovely books and narrators -i avoid the disney stuff etc as i want them to not attach all entertainment to capitalism trying to sell them things - the brilliant thing is you can get blank tonies and record things onto them with your phone - so my LO has me and her family reading her books she likes or chatting to her as well

Mine unfortunately won't t listen to his tonie box to fall asleep, it has to be the TV. He is nd though so perhaps it's different for an nt child

Yep yoto is a great idea.
Soundscapes etc as well as stories.
Dd12 has been listening to a story at bedtime since she was 6. She chooses to listen to the same story every night, so not exciting at all 😅
She recently brought hers for a residential trip she was worried about; used with headphones.

Mine unfortunately won't t listen to his tonie box to fall asleep, it has to be the TV. He is nd though so perhaps it's different for an nt child

Mine falls asleep to her Yoto!

My children always listened to audio books at bed time when they were little. We had some brilliant ones! You're a Bad Man, Mr Gump! was one of their favourites as I remember.

There’s quite a lot of information around screen time and young brains.

The same doesn’t seem to apply to sensible audio.

You can try the yoto app without buying a device I think.

Yoto is brilliant.Our DGD(7) has been using it at bedtime for years.She's built up quite a library of cards and they make nice gifts too.

I used to listen to radio (talk or music) and now listen to podcasts going to sleep. DD used to listen to radio 5 live for years going to sleep, once we had moved on from audiobooks. DH listens to comedy from radio 4 - which I also enjoy but I listen to history and politics things when I am alone. (Or sometimes watch the 1990s BBC version of Pride and Prejudice if I am really sleepless, as I know that by heart and it works).

We all listen to talking to fall asleep in our family. Not all the time but it’s there as an option. It started for me when I had insomnia after my first baby was born and i got really stressed lying in the dark listening for her breathing. My kids like audio books - usually ones they have listened to before multiple times. I like gentle Radio 4 comedies and my husband likes history books. If my husband and I are going to sleep at the same time (which is the majority of nights) we put on something we both like and we cuddle and listen until we drift off.

I generally agree with all of the above, but I have a bit of an issue with my 10yr old and audio books. She likes to listen to Harry Potter on repeat, which she’s read a million times, when doing anything that she could feel a bit bored doing. Like chores, being in the bath, baking. I feel she’s on the adhd side of life, not exactly diagnosable, but it worries me that she seems to feel unable to just be alone with her thoughts and needs this stimulation to feel ok. She has said she needs it to block out if she’s worried about something. She also reads less physical books than she used to.

It’s not your question exactly op, but I think this is a society-wide problem these days, the need to constantly distract ourselves from ourselves. I do try to limit her audiobook use a bit for this reason as she’d listen constantly if allowed and my instinct is in her case it’s a bit unhealthy. I don’t allow it for falling asleep but she does listen most evenings.

My older child does this most nights. She falls asleep probably 5 out of 7 nights while the story is on. The other 2 we just go and turn it off after X amount of time.