Climbing into bed, cuddling a favourite soft toy and listening to a bedtime tale as you gently drift off to sleep. Is there a more magical experience to have as a child?
Bedtime stories have a lot of incredible benefits for the whole family… not just little ones but parents, grandparents and siblings, too!
Let’s look at why bedtime stories are such an essential part of life for both children and adults.
Bedtime stories bring us closer together
In a world of mobile phones, on-demand television and computer games, it’s important to put time aside to feel closer together.
Reading a book with your little one lets you cuddle, smile and make wonderful memories that you will cherish for a lifetime.
60% of parents use books as a way to get children to open up to them and inspire conversation, meaning that bedtime stories can be a wonderful opportunity to get closer together.
Bonding with parents, grandparents and other adults helps children to express their emotions and understand all about healthy relationships and boundaries.
Bedtime stories help develop our imagination
Reading helps boost creativity and imagination in children. They get to ponder how a character sounds and what they look like, letting them develop their abstract thinking skills. These are excellent skills that kids can apply to their day-to-day life, whether they’re at school or playing with friends.
As well as helping little ones develop their thinking skills, stories can stimulate new ideas in adults too; perfect if you have an important meeting at work the next day!
Bedtime stories help exercise our brains
Bedtime stories are great for giving the brain a big workout, and the great thing is that both adults and little ones can benefit.
Reading and listening stimulate the brain, helping us to enhance writing skills and process verbal information. While these skills are greatly beneficial to a child’s development, they can also help adults in their day-to-day lives too!
Bedtime stories help us wind down after a busy day
Kids can sometimes have trouble getting enough rest, and it can be a challenging night ahead when they refuse to turn in. A bedtime story is excellent for helping them chill out. Listening to a loved one’s relaxing voice can help set the ideal atmosphere for dropping off.
Children that enjoy reading are three times as likely to have good mental well-being than children that don’t. Why is this the case? A well-rested child is a happy child, with sleep helping to improve their attention span, memory and behaviour.
A little bedtime reading can help grown-ups to relax too. Cuddling and smiling all provide a boost of serotonin, the hormone that stabilises our mood and helps us feel happy.
Bedtime stories help us laugh and have fun
Sometimes when you’re looking after a child, you have to be strict and tell them that they must follow the rules. However, bedtime stories mean you can both laugh, bring out the crazy props and put on silly voices!
Being able to laugh is great for children’s development as it helps them develop their creativity and empathy, react to stress as well as adapt to trauma.
Having a good laugh is a great stress reliever for adults as well as little ones. It soothes tension, lifts your mood and can even give your immune system a boost!
Plus, is there any sweeter sound than the sound of children laughing? We don’t think there is!
Create the perfect bedtime story with Bookbildr
If you have a wonderful idea for a bedtime story, bring it to life with BookBildr.
Create your story and include thousands of photos and illustrations from our gallery to make it jump off the page. Whether you write about a trip to the zoo, a journey to outer space or a jelly-eating competition, the only limit is your imagination!
We will professionally print your book and send it anywhere in the world for you. This is a great option for those who prefer real books to ebooks. Alternatively, you can then download it, ready to snuggle up and start reading!
