Leo loved bedtime stories more than anything. His favourite way to listen was sometimes on his parent's phone. The phone screen was bright and colourful, and the stories had fun pictures that lit up. Lots of nights, Leo would cuddle up and watch the stories on the little screen. It was exciting!
But some nights, after the phone story was finished, Leo’s eyes felt a little tired, and his mind still felt wide awake and buzzy. It was like the bright lights and quick pictures made it hard for his brain to settle down for sleep. He would toss and turn, even though he was ready for dreams.
One evening, as bedtime came around, Leo’s parent said, "Tonight, let's try something different for our story." Leo looked curious. "What do you mean?" he asked. His parent smiled. "Let's choose a book from your bookshelf. A real book with pages we can turn. Or, how about I tell you a story from my own head? Or we could just have some quiet cuddle time and talk about your day."
Leo thought about the bright screen and the buzzy feeling. He looked at his bookshelf filled with colourful covers. "Okay," he said slowly. "Let's pick a real book tonight."
He chose one about a little bear who loved stars. Leo snuggled into bed, and his parent sat beside him, holding the book. The light wasn't bright like the phone, just a soft lamp glow. Leo watched his parent's finger follow the words on the page. He could look at the pictures for as long as he wanted.
As the story went on, a different feeling settled over Leo. It wasn't buzzy and exciting; it was calm and warm. He could hear the gentle sound of the page turning and feel his parent's arm around him. It felt very cozy and peaceful.
When the story ended, Leo didn't feel wide awake at all. He felt perfectly sleepy. His parent kissed him goodnight, and he snuggled down under his covers. His mind felt quiet, ready for sleepy adventures.
As he drifted off to sleep, Leo thought that while phone stories were fun sometimes, the quiet book, the soft light, and the cuddles felt just right for bedtime. He knew now that getting ready for sleep wasn't always about the brightest lights, but sometimes about the quietest, coziest moments.