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Bedtime routine chart

Picture cards your child turns over one by one at bedtime, from bath to lights out, in your family's order.

Saved on this device.

How it works

Each step of bedtime is a picture card in your family's order. Press "Start bedtime" and the first card fills the screen. When your child has done that step, they tap the card: it turns over to a star and the next card comes up. A card can have a timer, which says "Time's up" and nothing more; the chart never says anyone is late.

The starter cards follow the AAP's Brush, Book, Bed (teeth, a book, bed at a regular time). In a 2009 study of 405 babies and toddlers, a consistent routine improved falling asleep and night waking within two weeks, and a 2015 survey of 10,085 children linked more routine nights a week with better sleep.

A screen at bedtime is a trade-off: the AAP advises screens off an hour before bed, and young children's melatonin responds even to dim light. So you can print the cards instead. On screen, the chart stays dark, the last card fades it to a night sky, and then it lets the device sleep; it can't turn your brightness down. Hold the button for 3 seconds to leave. Nothing about your child is recorded.

Questions people ask

Does a bedtime routine help children sleep?
In the studies we found, yes. In a 2009 randomized study of 405 babies and toddlers, two weeks of a consistent routine (a bath, a massage or lotion, quiet time, lights out within 30 minutes) improved how quickly children fell asleep and how much they woke at night, and their mothers' mood. A 2015 survey of 10,085 young children in 13 countries found that the more nights a week with a routine, the better the sleep; that study shows an association, not a cause.
Is a screen at bedtime a bad idea?
It's a trade-off. The AAP advises turning all screens off at least an hour before bed and keeping them out of children's bedrooms, and in a study of 36 preschoolers an hour of even dim room light (5 to 40 lux) before bed lowered melatonin by about three quarters. You can print the cards instead; on screen, this chart stays dark, darkens further at lights out and then lets the device sleep.
What order should a bedtime routine go in?
There's no single right order. The AAP's Brush, Book, Bed puts brushing teeth first, then a book, then bed at a regular time. Our starter goes bath, pajamas, toilet, teeth, story, cuddle, lights out, and you can change any of it.
How long should a bedtime routine take?
Long enough to do the same steps every night without rushing. In the 2009 study, lights went out within 30 minutes of the end of the bath. If you give each card a time and set a lights-out time, the chart tells you when to start.
Where are my routines saved?
Only in this browser on this device. Nothing about your child is recorded: no times, no history.

Sources

  1. HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Brush, Book, Bed
  2. HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Healthy sleep habits, how many hours does your child need?
  3. Mindell et al. 2009: A nightly bedtime routine, impact on sleep in young children and maternal mood (Sleep)
  4. Mindell et al. 2015: Bedtime routines for young children, a dose-dependent association with sleep outcomes (Sleep)
  5. Mindell and Williamson 2018: Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children (Sleep Medicine Reviews)
  6. Hartstein et al. 2022: Melatonin suppression by evening light in preschool-aged children (Journal of Pineal Research)
  7. Hartstein et al. 2025: Evening light spectra in early childhood (Journal of Biological Rhythms)