I have mentioned recently that we have had sleep issues with both boys; we made some changes to Noah’s routine so it was different to Jacob’s (where we had the most issues) and he does seem to be better at bed time, though sometimes he can be a proper little monkey (like a few nights ago when he headbutted me in the mouth – ouch). In order to try and improve this some more, a few weeks ago we added a new bedtime story to his routine – The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep.

I had seen a lot of rave reviews about The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep book so I was desperate to try it out with both boys. I was seriously considering laying out the funds to purchase it, when we were offered the chance to review it so of course I grabbed it with both hands – literally, as it’s a big book! Though it is quite a thin paperback, I was surprised when I opened it to find out how long the story actually was. I did predict that I might have fallen asleep before the boys…

I did find it useful that at the beginning there is a handy guide telling you how to read the words when you come across them printed in italic or bold. These instructions are important as the way you read them is vital in helping your child to fall asleep. There are also points at which you can read your child’s name so it feels more personal to them, and like the rabbit is actually their friend.

So what is the story actually about? Well – a rabbit called Roger who wants to fall asleep of course, but he just can’t as he can’t switch his overactive mind off. So one day his mum decides to take him to see magical Uncle Yawn, and along the way they meet a number of other creatures who also give them help in falling asleep. The theory is that by the end of the story, the child should have fallen asleep or be in such a relaxed state to be able to do so easily.

So the verdict with Noah (aged almost 2). I was utterly surprised when on the first evening he fell asleep around midway through the book – I couldn’t believe it! At the very beginning he was more interested in the pictures (which in honesty are a little ‘freaky’ looking) but then he started shuffling to get comfy and rubbing his eyes, then bam! Asleep! I continued this routine for a week and every evening he fell asleep before I finished the story, even if he’d already had a little nap during the day.

And the verdict with Jacob (aged almost 4). He was really eager to read this and he was really immersed in the story, but the further I got into it, the more I realised it just wasn’t going to work for him. He didn’t fall asleep before the end, but he was more relaxed than usual afterwards, and fell asleep better than usual. Not one night did he fall asleep before the end though and some nights he would just do his usual messing about after the story had finished.

I’m not sure whether it was just coincidence with Noah and that he was just really tired, but with it not having the same effect on Jacob, I’m not completely convinced that it can make any child fall asleep. I would say it is worth a try though if you are at the end of your tether and can afford the book.

As a final thought I will say that we haven’t read it every night since the week we did it solidly, because it is so long it does get a bit monotonous and even I was getting bored of reading it.

Age – 3-6 years
RRP – £7.99

Our rating – 3/5

Disclosure
I was sent this book free of charge to review. All thoughts and opinions are honest & my own.