Short Stories About Bedtime
Ages 2–8
Sometimes you have five minutes, not twenty — and that's still enough for a story that helps with winding down for sleep. Every pick here reads in about five minutes or less: slowing everything down for sleep, with nothing padded or rushed.
How do you sleep?
Ages 3–7 · 5 min
Flying High
Vidya Tiware
Ages 3–6 · 4 min
Bath time for Chunnu and Munnu
Rohini Nilekani
Ages 1–4 · 5 min
The Adventures of Supercow
Danielle Bruckert
Ages 3–6 · 5 min
Sleepy Mr Sloth
Ages 3–7 · 5 min
Questions to talk about together
- What was the sleepiest part of the story?
- What was your favourite part of today?
- What shall we dream about tonight?
Common questions
- How long do these bedtime stories take to read?
- Every book on this page reads aloud in roughly five minutes or less. They're full picture books about winding down for sleep — just naturally short ones, chosen for nights when time is tight.
- Are these books really free?
- Yes. Every story here is openly licensed (Creative Commons) and reads in full on Right Book — no ads, no paywall, and no account needed to start reading.
- What ages are these bedtime books for?
- Most picks suit children aged roughly 2 to 8; each book shows its own age range on the card. Shorter stories tend to hold younger listeners especially well.