Bedtime routine chart with pictures: a calmer end to the day

Why a bedtime routine helps

The end of the day is often when everyone is most tired and has the least patience. At the same time, bedtime asks for a lot: stopping screens or play, a series of self-care tasks, and then being alone in a dark room. For many children, including many autistic children and children with ADHD, that is a big transition.

A bedtime routine chart makes the evening predictable. The same steps, in the same order, every night. The child can see how many steps are left and what comes last. Many families find that this makes evenings calmer, simply because there is less to argue about: the chart says what is next.

A routine does not solve sleep problems on its own. If your child has ongoing trouble falling or staying asleep, talk to your family doctor or pediatrician.

Step 1: Choose a starting point

A bedtime routine needs a clear start signal. Examples:

• After dinner, at a fixed time
• When the timer for screen time goes off
• "Bath time" as the first step, every evening

Having a fixed start stops bedtime from sliding later and later. It also gives you one clear transition to prepare for, instead of a vague "soon".

Step 2: Pick 5 to 7 steps that get calmer

Put active and stimulating things at the start, and quiet things at the end. The routine should feel like slowing down.

Example: a bedtime routine in 7 steps

1. Screens off and tidy up toys
2. Bath or shower
3. Pajamas
4. Brush teeth and toilet
5. Get tomorrow's clothes ready
6. Story in bed
7. Lights out

The step "get tomorrow's clothes ready" is optional, but it makes the next morning much easier. See our morning routine chart guide for how the two routines connect.

Step 3: Keep the order the same every night

The value of a bedtime routine is its predictability. If the story is sometimes before the bath and sometimes after, the child cannot rely on the chart. Keep the order fixed, including on weekends where possible. If a step changes (no bath tonight), show it on the chart by removing or covering the card, so the change is visible rather than just announced.

Step 4: Use clear pictures and the same words

Give every step a pictogram or a photo of your child's own things: their toothbrush, their pajamas, their bed. Put a short word under each picture and use those same words out loud.

For more on choosing pictures, see pictograms for visual schedules.

Step 5: Make the end point unmistakable

The last card should be the end of the routine: "lights out" or "sleep". After that card, there are no more steps. That makes it easier to hold the line on "one more story" or "one more drink": you can point to the chart and show there is nothing after lights out.

Some families put water and a toilet trip into the routine explicitly, so they are not reasons to get up again later.

Step 6: Hang the chart where the evening happens

Bedtime happens in several rooms: living room, bathroom, bedroom. Options:

• One strip on the bathroom door, where most of the steps happen
• Two short strips: one downstairs (screens off, tidy up), one upstairs (bath, pajamas, teeth, story, lights out)
• A small chart on a ring that your child carries with them

Hang it at your child's eye height.

Winding down from screens

For many families, the hardest step is the first: turning off the screen. Things that can help:

• Use a visual timer so the end of screen time is visible, not a surprise.
• Give a warning a few minutes before: "Five minutes, then screens off."
• Use a first-then: "First screens off, then bath with your boat."
• Always end screen time at the same point in the evening.

Our guide to making transitions easier goes deeper into warnings and first-then boards.

A calm room

The chart is one part of the evening. The room itself can also help or hinder:

• Dim lights in the last half hour
• A predictable, quiet activity in bed: a story, an audiobook, a favorite soft toy
• Clothes and bedding that feel comfortable; some children are very sensitive to labels or seams
• As few changes to the room as possible

Common mistakes

• Too many steps. A long list at the end of a tiring day is too much. Keep it short.
• Screen time as the last step. Screens right before lights out often make settling harder. Put quiet activities at the end.
• A different routine every night. Consistency matters more than the exact steps.
• Negotiating at every step. Let the chart decide what is next, and keep your words short and friendly.
• Starting when everyone is exhausted. Introduce the chart on a calm evening, and walk through it together.
• Forgetting the weekend. If weekend bedtimes are later, keep the same steps, just start later.

Adapting the routine as your child grows

A bedtime routine for a four-year-old looks different from one for a ten-year-old. As your child gets older, you might:

• Replace pictures with words, or a mix
• Let your child tick off steps on their own
• Add reading time alone before lights out
• Move from a wall chart to a small checklist or a watch

Make a printable bedtime routine chart

The free visual schedule maker includes a ready-made bedtime routine you can adapt. Change the steps, choose a strip or cut-out cards and print. It is saved in your browser, so you can change it later.

If your child uses a smartwatch, GentleTime can show the bedtime steps one by one with a gentle vibration at each change, and once it has synced it keeps working offline.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a bedtime routine take?

Many families aim for about 20 to 45 minutes from the first step to lights out, but it depends on your child and your evening. What matters most is that it is roughly the same length every night.

What should be in a bedtime routine chart?

Typically: ending screens or play, bath or wash, pajamas, teeth and toilet, a quiet activity such as a story, and lights out. Add what matters in your home, such as a drink of water or getting tomorrow's clothes ready.

My child keeps getting out of bed after lights out. What helps?

Make "lights out" the clear last step, and build drinks and a toilet trip into the routine before it. Respond calmly and briefly if your child gets up, and use the same words each time. If sleep stays difficult, talk to your family doctor or a sleep specialist.

Should the bedtime routine be the same on weekends?

Keeping the same steps and order helps a lot, even if the start time is later. That way the routine keeps its meaning, and Monday evening does not feel like a new routine.

Can older children and teens use a bedtime chart?

Yes, often in a more grown-up form: a written checklist, a note on the phone or a watch that shows the next step. The idea is the same: a fixed, calm sequence with a clear end.