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A Bedtime Story About Waking Up at Night
Everybody wakes up a little in the night, between one stretch of sleep and the next. Most grown-ups do not even remember it. A young child, though, can wake up in the dark, not know what to do next, and call out, every night, sometimes several times a night.
This story gives them something to do instead. It walks through waking up in the night as a small, ordinary routine: find the nightlight, find the toy, find the blanket, take three slow breaths, and go back to sleep. Read it at bedtime, more than once, so the steps are already there when they wake.
✨ Or make one starring your child, free in seconds ↓
What will happen, in order
- Wake up in the dark
- Find the nightlight
- Hug Bunny, find the blanket
- Three slow breaths
- Back to sleep
Read the steps together in the daytime, more than once. The free printable below has these steps at the top and the bedtime story underneath.
Ivy and the Middle of the Night
A free story to read aloud tonight
In the middle of the night, when the house was dark and quiet, Ivy woke up. She did not know why. Her eyes just opened, and there was the ceiling, dark gray instead of white.
Ivy remembered the plan. First, find the nightlight. There it was, a little orange moon glowing by the door, exactly where it always was. That meant this was her room, and it was still night.
Next, find Bunny. Ivy patted the bed. Bunny had slipped down by her feet. She pulled him up by one long ear and tucked him under her chin. Next, find the blanket. It had wriggled off one side, so she pulled it back over her shoulders, all the way up.
Then the last part of the plan: three slow breaths. In through her nose, like smelling a flower. Out through her mouth, like blowing a dandelion. In, and out. In, and out. The house made its quiet night sounds, the fridge humming, a car going by far away.
Ivy did not need to call for anybody. Everything she needed was right there: the orange moon, Bunny, the blanket, and her breathing. Mama and Daddy were asleep just down the hall, and in the morning they would all have pancakes.
Ivy’s eyes got heavy. Her breaths got slower all by themselves. And in the middle of the night, warm and safe, with Bunny under her chin, Ivy went back to sleep.
Why does my child keep waking up at night?
Everyone wakes briefly between sleep cycles, and young children often have not yet learned to settle themselves back to sleep. A change at home, a new fear, teething or being unwell can all make it more frequent. If night waking goes on for weeks, or comes with loud snoring or pauses in breathing, talk to your pediatrician.
How do I teach my child to go back to sleep on their own?
Many families find it helps to give the child a short, repeatable routine of their own for the middle of the night, like the one in this story, and to keep their own visits quick, calm and boring. A dim nightlight and a familiar toy within reach make the steps easier to follow in the dark.