How to Make a Bedtime Routine Book for Your Child

A bedtime routine book is a short picture book that shows your child's own bedtime, step by step, in the order you really do it: bath, pajamas, teeth, story, lights out, song. A personalized one uses photos of your child, their bathroom and their bed, so the book and the real evening match exactly. That makes bedtime more predictable, and predictable is easier for most young children.

What is a bedtime social story?

A bedtime social story is a bedtime routine book written in your child's voice, in first person and present tense. It describes what happens each evening and what your child can do, in calm and literal words. The social story format was developed by Carol Gray, and our guide to writing a social story for kids explains how it works.

You do not need a special reason to make one. Many children simply like seeing themselves in a book and knowing what comes next.

What should a bedtime routine book include?

Include every step of your real routine in order, plus how the night ends and what happens if your child wakes up. Most bedtime books cover:

• The signal that bedtime is starting. Dinner is done, the timer rings, or the toys go in the basket.
• Bath or washing up. On the nights you do it, and a simple line if it is only some nights.
• Pajamas and potty. Changing clothes, a diaper change or a last trip to the bathroom.
• Brushing teeth. Who helps and how long.
• Story time. How many books, and where you read them.
• Lights, song and goodnight. Night light on, the song or prayer you use, hugs and kisses.
• Staying in bed and waking up. What your child can do if they wake in the night.
• Morning. A happy last page, so the story ends with the sun coming up.

A page-by-page outline you can copy

This 14-page outline is written in first person. Change the steps and the order to match exactly what happens in your home.

1. Cover: "[Name]'s Bedtime", with a photo of your child in pajamas.
2. Opening: "My name is [Name]. Every night, I get ready for bed. Here is how I do it."
3. Bedtime starts: "After [dinner], [Mommy] says, 'It's bedtime.' I put my toys in [the basket]."
4. Bath: "On [bath nights], I take a bath. I wash with [my yellow washcloth]."
5. Pajamas: "I put on my pajamas. Tonight I pick [the rocket ones]."
6. Potty: "I go potty and wash my hands." (Or: "[Daddy] changes my diaper.")
7. Teeth: "I brush my teeth with [Daddy]. We brush the top and the bottom."
8. Stories: "I choose [two] books. We read them in [my bed]."
9. Cuddle: "I get into bed with [Bunny]. [Mommy] tucks the blanket around me."
10. Lights and song: "We turn off the big light. The night light stays on. We sing [our song]."
11. Goodnight: "[Mommy] says, 'Goodnight, I love you.' I say, 'Goodnight.'"
12. Quiet time: "I close my eyes. My body gets quiet and sleepy."
13. If I wake up: "Sometimes I wake up in the night. I can hug [Bunny] and close my eyes again, or I can call [Mommy]."
14. Morning: "In the morning, [the sun comes up]. I slept in my bed all night. Good morning."

If your child is also moving out of the crib, a separate big kid bed book can tell that story while this one stays focused on the nightly steps.

Words that help for the hardest pages

The end of the routine, when you leave the room, is usually the hardest part. Keep it literal and reassuring, and only write what you will really do.

After goodnight, [Mommy] goes downstairs. [Mommy] is still in the house. I am safe in my bed.

Sometimes I don't feel sleepy yet. That is OK. I can lie quietly with [Bunny] and look at the night light until I get sleepy.

If I wake up and it is still dark, it is still night. I can stay in my bed and go back to sleep.

When and how should I read a bedtime routine book?

Read it every night at the same point in the routine, for at least a few weeks. The book works by repetition: the more often the pages match the evening, the more your child knows what comes next.

• Pick one spot in the routine for the book, either first as a preview or last as the bridge to lights out.
• Let your child turn the pages and tell you what comes next before you read it.
• Point back to it. If a step gets skipped or argued over, say, "Let's check the book," and turn to that page.
• Update it when the routine changes, such as a new sibling, a new bed or a later bedtime, and print a fresh copy.
• Share it with sitters and grandparents, so the routine is the same no matter who puts your child to bed.

If you have concerns about your child's sleep, talk with your pediatrician. A bedtime book is a gentle tool, not a sleep treatment.

How to make it on makeabook.fun

makeabook.fun is free, runs in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer, and does not need an account.

1. Open a blank book. Go to "A blank book" for twelve empty pages, then add a couple more if you need them.
2. Take the photos tonight. Snap your child at each step of the real routine: bath, pajamas, teeth, books, bed.
3. Write one step per page in first person, following the outline above.
4. Upload the photos and drag to reposition and zoom so your child is the focus of each page.
5. Add a drawing. Your child can draw the moon or stars on the built-in drawing pad for the goodnight page.
6. Choose soft page colors and a clear font. Andika, designed for children learning to read, works well for early readers.
7. Read it in the flip-through reader, then download the free print-at-home PDF.

Looking for more ideas for everyday books? Browse our list of children's book ideas.

Printing your bedtime book

The free full-color PDF prints each page on US Letter or A4 paper with small corner trim marks; see how to print a picture book at home for paper and binding tips. A book read every night takes a lot of handling, so the Keepsake edition ($2.99 once per book) can be worth it: print-shop quality at the exact book size, no makeabook.fun mark, a fold-and-staple booklet layout, and free re-downloads whenever you update the routine.