Child Psychologist Shares 45 Minute Bedtime Routine To Improve Your Child's Sleep & Morning Mood

Most parents don’t notice the exact moment their child falls asleep.

It usually happens between reminders about brushing teeth, packing school bags, and switching off the lights. Sometimes, it happens right after a correction. Or a difficult conversation. Or a small scolding meant with love.

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The lights go off. The house grows quiet. A child turns to their side, replaying the words, “We’ll talk about your mistakes tomorrow.”

But the mind doesn’t switch off as easily as the room does.

What if those final 45 minutes quietly shape how a child wakes up the next day?

In the rush of homework, dinner, and unfinished conversations, bedtime often becomes just another task to tick off. But according to child psychologist Dr Riddhi Doshi, who works extensively with parents and young children on emotional wellbeing, the 45 minutes before a child falls asleep are far more powerful than most families realise.

“What a child falls asleep thinking about doesn’t stop at sleep — it multiplies,” she explains.

When children drift off carrying worries, corrections, or emotionally heavy conversations from the day, their minds continue processing those thoughts through the night. The result? Restless sleep, uneasy dreams, or mornings that feel irritable and heavy for no clear reason.

Why the final 45 minutes matter

Sleep is not just physical rest — it’s emotional processing time. The last thought of the night often becomes the first thought of the morning. If a child sleeps feeling criticised, anxious, or overstimulated, that emotional state can quietly shape how they wake up.

Dr Doshi advises parents to be especially mindful about what fills those final moments.

Avoid:

• Discussing the day’s mistakes
  

• Correcting behaviour
  

• Revisiting unfinished homework
  

• Asking probing or analytical questions
  

• Introducing stimulating conversations
  

Even a simple “Let’s talk about what happened today” can sometimes trigger overthinking just when the brain needs to slow down.

What to do instead

Rather than filling the space with discussion, fill it with presence.

Dr Doshi recommends using those 45 minutes to create emotional safety and calm.

You can:

• Sit quietly beside your child
  

• Cuddle or offer a reassuring touch
  

• Give positive affirmations or gentle encouragement
  

• Practice a few minutes of deep breathing together
  

• Try a short, simple meditation
  

• Play soft instrumental music
  

The goal is not productivity — it’s about building connection. No analysis and no fixing, just warmth and reassurance for the child.

When a child’s nervous system relaxes, sleep becomes deeper and more restorative. And when sleep improves, so does mood, focus, and emotional regulation the next day.

A gentle reset every night

Parenting doesn’t always need grand changes. Sometimes, it’s about protecting small, intentional rituals.

Instead of ending the day with corrections or conversations, end it with calm.

By sitting close to them and helping them drift off comfortably, they feel safe, seen and soothed. Over time, you may notice the difference — lighter mornings, easier wake-ups, and a child who begins the day with a smile.

Because how a child feels in those final quiet moments doesn’t end at bedtime — it gently carries forward into the way they greet a brand-new day.