How Do I Help My Child Wind Down Without Screens? 

Parenting Perspective 

Calm nights must be actively built; they cannot merely be wished for. A child who relies upon screens to switch off is typically seeking easy distraction, rather than true, restorative rest. Your fundamental job is to offer a gentle, repeatable slide into sleep that the child’s body begins to trust. Begin by naming the value without drama: “Night is for settling hearts and resting bodies.” You must then make the routine small and identical every school night so that it establishes a predictable climate, not a subject for argument. 

Replace Stimulation with a Steady Slide 

Shift the environment from one bright, changing input to one predictable, soothing cues. 

• Fixed Timing: Park all devices outside the bedroom at a fixed time each evening. 

• Environmental Shift: Dim one lamp, lower your voices, and keep your movements slow. 

• Bridge Routine: Use the same two-minute bridge every night so the nervous system learns the gentle slope: drink a glass of water, gently stretch the shoulders, and take three slow, conscious breaths. 

Give Hands and Senses a Quiet Job 

Offer one low-arousal activity that never changes. The aim is gentle repetition, not entertainment. 

• Activity Box: Keep choices minimal and confined to one “night box” placed by the bed. Activities should include a short paper book, simple colouring, quiet journalling, or using tasbih (prayer beads) for soft dhikr (remembrance of Allah). 

• Repetition Over Excitement: The routine’s repetition, rather than the content’s novelty, is what the body will rely on for relaxation. 

Anchor the Mind with a Calming Script 

Children generally settle much faster when they know what calming words to repeat to themselves. 

• Whispered Line: Teach one line they can whisper as they breathe out: “Long exhale, loose jaw, heavy shoulders.” 

• Paired Breathing: Pair this phrase with a simple count, such as four counts in and six counts out, repeating this for five rounds. 

• Praise Precision: Offer praise for the execution of the skill: “You did your five breaths beautifully, and I noticed your shoulders softened immediately.” 

Protect the Room’s Rhythm 

Bedrooms should distinctly signal sleep by being cool, dim, and uncluttered. 

• Remove Distractions: Remove any toys that could invite play at bedtime. Use the same scent or sound each night, such as a brief fan or white noise that ends on a timer. 

• Safe Alternative: If restlessness arises, offer a safe alternative to sneaking screens: “Read two more pages in your book, then close your eyes.” 

Keep it short and consistent. Fifteen calm minutes of routine are far more effective than an hour of restless drifting. The order of the steps is the ultimate teacher. Over a few weeks, the lamp, the bridge, the breath, and the book become a powerful body memory that screens simply cannot compete with. 

Spiritual Insight 

Set the intention softly before starting the wind-down: “We want Allah Almighty to love how we end our day.” Place a foundational verse at the centre of the routine, so the heart sees night as a mercy to be honoured, not as a gap to be filled. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Nabaa (78), Verses 9–11: 

‘And We designed your sleep (as a form of) rejuvenation. And We designed the night as a veil (for your respite). We designed the day for (you to earn) your livelihood. And we constructed over you seven strong (layers of universal existence).’ 

Let your child understand that a calm, intentional wind-down is an act of living this divine rhythm with gratitude. Then, add a Prophetic bedtime practice that anchors the hands and the tongue in remembrance: 

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6318, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Shall I not direct you to something better than a servant? When you go to bed say “SubhanAllah” thirty-three times, “Alhamdulillah” thirty-three times, and “Allahu Akbar” thirty-four times.’ 

Weave them into one family line: “Night is for rest by Allah Almighty’s design, and our tongues end the day with dhikr.” Keep the routine small and faithful to that line. In that rhythm, screens lose their emotional pull, the room learns to exhale, and your child discovers a peaceful way of switching off that soothes the body and nourishes the soul.