Eyes-Closed bedtime Stories: Easing Preschoolers Into Sleep

What is an eyes-closed bedtime story? You know the bedtime routine for many young children: the grown-up reads picture books while the child sits up in bed, and they look at the illustrations together. When the books are done, the child must move around to snuggle down in bed, perhaps becoming a little more awake in the process. That's where an "eyes-closed story" comes in. The adult promises "one last story" after the child is tucked in with closed eyes. The "last" story doesn't have illustrations, because "the pictures are in your imagination." The twenty stories in this book are meant for children (hopefully) drifting off to sleep. The stories are whimsical and engaging, with low tension to encourage sleep. Each one takes less than ten minutes to read aloud. Each story is complete in itself and they can be read in any order. Children at this age already have vivid imaginations. These stories encourage them to connect their imaginations to what they're hearing, to create and populate their own imaginary worlds. And, if you're lucky, to fall asleep before the story ends!