The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has recently released a pair of free ebooks designed to promote healthy sleep habits in young children. This publication comes as more and more readers, kids and adults alike, swap out their traditional print texts for electronic ebooks. So where does that leave the humble bedtime story?  

The New Release: Sleepy Animals

The AASM’s new picture book apps are sure to be a hit with young kids. Both books, “I See Animals Sleeping” and “The Animals Sleep” deal with the sleep patterns of different furry and feathery creatures. The simple, rhyming words are paired with detailed, colorful illustrations of cute, drowsy wildlife. Unlike traditional picture books, these stories are highly interactive: they provide the option to read the story on your own or to have a recording take over, panoramic pictures that scroll back and forth, and sound effects corresponding to the animals’ characteristic noises.

The fun doesn’t stop with the actual ebooks; each story comes with related activities, like a card-matching game, pictures to color and print, and a simple quiz. Grown-ups even have their own extras: the apps contain a special page of information tailored to parents about children’s sleep patterns and the mission of the AASM.

The apps are available for iPads, Androids, and the Kindle Fire. You can download the free ebooks and find more information here on the AASM website.

The Wider Context: The E-Reading Revolution

It’s common knowledge by now that more and more children are gravitating towards digital platforms like the Kindle, Nook, or even their phones for their reading material. According to a study conducted by PlayCollective, two-thirds of children under 13 years of age read digital books. This trend is changing the way bedtime stories are read. A study carried out in the UK by the literacy charity The Reading Agency found that half of bedtime stories are now read in ebook format.

For parents with their child’s health in mind, this poses something of a dilemma. On one hand, bedtime stories have undisputed benefits for developing children. Research shows that habitual bedtime stories stimulate mental growth, improve language comprehension, facilitate parent-child bonding, and naturally foster a love for reading. Moreover, the incentive of this nighttime ritual can help kids get to bed at a regular hour—a necessity that in itself has been linked to improved behavior and health. The technology-based ebook format may get children excited about the idea of reading while making make it easier and more convenient for parents to find a story.

However, making the transition from a print book to a digital book could have negative effects on your child’s sleep. It is a well-known fact that technology in the bedroom can be disruptive to rest, for multiple reasons. Most notably, the electronic light from the screen has a arousing effect on the brain, and the wealth of distractions available on a device like an iPad may lead to a postponed bedtime. (We actually have a whole blog post on media in the bedroom—check it out here!) So what’s a parent to do?

Our Recommendation

We think that ebooks are a great way to get more kids reading, and that the AASM’s apps are an amazing resource to teach your children about the necessity of a healthy night's sleep. However, the electronic format and wealth of fun-filled games don’t make them a great choice for right before bedtime. Consider sharing a teaching moment with your child during the day and giving them some time then to explore the interactive activities. Or, if you’re trying to transition from screen time to shared reading time, this is the perfect resource to intrigue your child and also establish a tradition that will be fun and beneficial for both of you.

Happy reading and sweet dreams!

If you’ve downloaded “The Animals Sleep” or “I See Animals Sleeping”, let us know in the comments what you thought and how your child liked them!

Photo Credit: Grace and Viv, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine