Bedtime

Look up bedtime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Bedtime (also called putting to bed or tucking in) is a ritual part of parenting to help children feel more secure^[1] and become accustomed to a more rigid schedule of sleep than they might prefer. The ritual of bedtime is aimed at facilitating the transition from wakefulness to sleep.^[2] It may involve bedtime stories, children's songs, nursery rhymes, bed-making and getting children to change into nightwear. In some religious households, prayers are said shortly before going to bed.^[3] Sleep training may be part of the bedtime ritual for babies and toddlers.^[4]

In adult use, the term means simply "time for bed", similar to curfew, as in "It's past my bedtime". Some people are accustomed to drinking a nightcap or herbal tea at bedtime. Sleeping coaches are also used to help individuals reach their bedtime goals.^[5] Researchers studying sleep are finding patterns revealing that cell phone use at night disturbs going to sleep at one's bedtime and achieving a good night's sleep.^[6]

Look up lights out in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

In boarding schools and on trips or holidays that involve young people, the equivalent of bedtime is lights out or lights-out - this term is also used in prisons, hospitals, in the military, and in sleep research.

Print newspapers, usually a daily, was "put to bed" when editorial work on the issue had formally ceased, the content was fixed, and printing could begin.

• Crib talk
• Lullaby
• Sleep cycle

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