The Sleep Book That Really Works

My husband told be about The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep. He was thinking it would make a funny Christmas present for our eldest, a perpetually sleep-deprived college student. I laughed at the idea that a book could put a child to sleep.

I laughed.

And then today, when my four year old was fighting a nap with all the vehemence that a sick sleep-resistant pre-schooler can muster, I broke down and bought it on Kindle. It was a desperate move on my part. We’d already read Harold and the Purple Crayon, which is her very favorite book, and she was still trashing and insisting that she was not tired at all. And then she would yawn, rub her eyes, and tell me more about how she wasn’t at all sleepy.

It is not a great story. I wasn’t really surprised that a gimmick book wouldn’t rely too much on its prose. It is a long and pointless tale about a rabbit who wants to sleep. The gimmick is in the power of suggestion, relaxation techniques, and the  reader’s tone of voice and key phrases to impart the idea that “sleeping. Now.” would be a good idea.

Whatever its magic is, it worked. My sleep-fighting girl was out before we were halfway through the book, and I am happy that I set it down before nodding off myself.

I don’t know that it will work for everyone, or that it will be our new favorite bedtime story. I do know that if I had to wrestle her into bed again, I’d try this sooner rather than later. At $1.99 for the Kindle version, it’s a bargain if she has more naps like this one.