Bedtime Routine Chart (Free Printable Maker)

How to make a bedtime routine chart

A simple seven-step routine is loaded to start you off. Change anything you like, and the preview updates as you type.

1. Open Add steps from the picture library and tap the pictures you want. Tap a picture again to remove that step.
2. Use the arrow buttons next to each step to put them in the order you actually do them at home. Rename any step, for example "Bubble bath" instead of "Bath time", and the picture stays the same.
3. Type your child's name. The title becomes "Mia's Bedtime Routine" and the chart ends with "Sweet dreams, Mia!"
4. Pick a layout and a color theme, and decide whether you want the sleepy frog in the corner.
5. Print the chart or download the PDF.

You can also type steps straight into the list box, one per line. Add a time after a bar, like "Bath | 7:00 PM". A line that ends with a colon, such as "After dinner:", prints as a small heading that groups the steps below it.

Three layouts

Step by step

A tall strip with one big card per step: a number, a picture, the words and a star to color in when it is done. This is the clearest layout for toddlers and preschoolers, and it is the one most families stick on the bedroom door.

Two-column grid

Larger pictures in a grid of cards. It suits children who cannot read yet, because the picture does most of the work. With six steps or fewer, each card is big enough to see from across the room.

Weekly tick chart

Every step down the side and the seven days across the top, with a circle for each day. Children tick or sticker each step every night, which turns the routine into a small streak to be proud of. The week starts on Sunday on US Letter paper and on Monday on A4.

The Show a time for each step option adds a time pill to each card. Leave the time empty in the list and the pill prints blank, so you can write times in by hand.

Why a routine chart helps

Bedtime goes more smoothly when the steps happen in the same order every night. A consistent routine is one of the main habits the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests for helping young children settle and sleep well (HealthyChildren.org). A picture chart makes that order visible. Instead of hearing "brush your teeth" for the fourth time, your child can check the chart and see what comes next.

Pictures matter most for children who cannot read yet. A toddler can point to the toothbrush and know it is teeth time. Older children like the independence of running the routine themselves, and coloring in a star when each step is done gives a small, satisfying sense of progress.

Keep the chart short. Five to seven steps is plenty for most young children, and three or four big steps can be enough for a two-year-old. Our toddler picture chart is set up with six large pictures and very few words.

How much sleep do children need?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine published recommended sleep hours for children in 2016, and the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed them. The ranges are per 24 hours and include naps:

• Infants 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours
• Toddlers 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours
• Children 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours
• Children 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
• Teens 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours

Source: the AASM consensus statement in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine and the AASM summary. To plan a bedtime, count back from the time your child needs to wake up and leave room for the routine itself, which usually takes 20 to 45 minutes.

This page is general information for parents, not medical advice. If you are worried about your child's sleep, snoring, night waking or daytime tiredness, talk to your pediatrician.

Tips for making the routine stick

• Make it together. Let your child pick the color theme and help choose the pictures. Children follow a chart they helped design.
• Start calm steps early. Put screens off and quiet activities near the start, so the last half of the routine is all winding down.
• Use the same words every night. If the chart says "Pajamas on", say "pajamas on" too.
• Praise the steps, not just the result. Pointing at the chart and saying "You did teeth all by yourself" works better than a reward for a perfect night.
• Update it as they grow. A four-year-old may be ready for "Pick out tomorrow's clothes" or "Pack my bag". Reprinting takes a minute.

Printing and displaying your chart

The chart prints on one page of US Letter or A4. For a chart that lasts, print it on cardstock, or slide it into a clear sheet protector and let your child mark each star with a dry erase marker, then wipe it clean in the morning. A laminated chart with a few magnets lives happily on the fridge.

The color themes are soft pastels that print well on home inkjets. Choose Black and white or turn on Ink saver if you would like a coloring version: the outlines stay crisp and your child can color the pictures in. Your last chart is saved in this browser, and Copy share link creates a link that rebuilds it on another device, handy for a grandparent or babysitter.