Books about sleep and rest (plus, a free download!)

Winter feels like the season of rest. With darker nights and colder mornings it is more important than ever to have good sleep and rest routines. For children, sleep takes on an even more important role in development and health. Without a good night’s sleep, children can find it difficult to learn to their full potential.

Of course, we know that some families have disruptive home lives and good sleep is tricky for those children. These stories will help you to explore some of those themes and gently introduce the topic.

Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story by Sean Taylor, Alex Morss, Cinyee Chiu, et al.

Age Range: EYFS/KS1

Join this sweet story as it follows a young boy and his grandma as they learn about how animals go to sleep. After the story, detailed illustrations give more detail about hibernation.

Orion and the Dark a book by Emma Yarlett.

Age range: KS1

A wonderful story for any child who feels scared of the dark. The book has been beautifully adapted into a film on Netflix, too.

Arlo The Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep by Catherine Rayner.

Age range: EYFS/KS1

Beautifully illustrated and nominated for a Kate Greenaway Medal, this book supports children who find it hard to sleep.

The Girl and the Dinosaur a book by Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini.

Age range: KS1

Explore the magic of dreams with this beautiful book about one girl’s imagination and her love for dinosaurs!

The King Who Banned the Dark a book by Emily Haworth-Booth.

Age range: KS1

What happens when the king bans the dark and nobody can sleep? Find out in this amusing and thought-provoking tale about embracing the dark to find the light.

Peace at Last a book by Jill Murphy.

Age range: EYFS/KS1

A book that features in The Story Project curriculum! We are big fans of this classic story about a parent and his quest for some rest. This is a great option for talking about the impact of not getting enough sleep, approached in a gentle way for younger readers.

Did you know you can get a free resource to accompany Peace at Last, created by The Story Project! Our free trial lesson resource includes:

– A Unit Overview, so you know what PSHE objectives you are teaching

– Lesson plans and resources with an easy one-page-per-lesson format

– A PowerPoint to making teaching easier! 

Head to Free Trial with The Story Project to download