Chapter 1: Try Your Sleep

Chapter Introduction

This chapter is for a grown-up and child to read together. Some lessons are good to read at bedtime — the Cat's favorite time.

---

You are a second grader.

You have been sleeping for as long as you have been alive — every single night.

You have grown a lot during those nights.

Hi. I am the Cat. We have met before. Two times before, actually.

You met me in Kindergarten. I told you about sleep. About bedtime. About curling up. About how sleep is a kind of magic that helps you grow.

You met me again in Grade 1. We noticed sleep together. You noticed your tiredness. You noticed how your day and your night were connected. You noticed how sleep helped your brain, your feelings, your moving, your eating.

I am the same Cat. Same soft fur. Same slow blink. Same warm purr.

But you have grown. You can do more for your own sleep now.

This year, in Grade 2, we are going to try.

Try noticing your tiredness — really noticing it.

Try a bedtime routine — small steps that help your body know sleep is coming.

Try a quiet hour before bed.

Try noticing how you feel in the morning after a good sleep — and after a hard one.

Try a comfort tool when sleep is hard.

Trying is a kind of growing-up. Kindergarteners meet things. First graders notice them. Second graders begin to do them, in small careful ways, with grown-ups close.

The Cat is glad you are back. Let us begin slowly.

---

Lesson 2.1: Try Noticing Tiredness

Learning Goals (for the grown-up to know)

By the end of this lesson, the child will:

• Try noticing the signals that tell them they are tired
• Know that tiredness comes in waves through the day (not just at night)
• Know that ignoring tiredness makes everything harder
• Try taking a small rest when their body asks for one

Key Words

• Tired — when your body wants to rest or sleep.
• Signal — a message your body sends you.
• Yawn — a long open-mouth breath your body does when you are tired.
• Wave — something that comes and goes — like waves at the beach.
• Rest — a short stop to refill your energy.

Your Body Sends You Tiredness Signals

Just like hunger and fullness, tiredness has signals.

The Cat has been watching kids for many years. Tiredness shows up differently in different kids — but here are the common signals.

You might feel tiredness in:

• Your eyes — heavy eyelids, blurry vision, eyes burning a little
• Your mouth — yawning, mouth feels less wet
• Your head — a little fuzzy, harder to think clearly
• Your body — heavy arms, heavy legs, wanting to lie down
• Your mood — crankier, more easily annoyed, more easily sad
• Your listening — words from grown-ups sound far away
• Your movement — clumsier, dropping things, slower

These are all tiredness signals. They are wise. They are how your body asks for rest.

The Cat wants you to try noticing them.

Before you push through tired and pretend you are fine — stop. Notice the signal. Say it: "I'm getting tired."

Just naming it helps.

Tiredness Comes in Waves

Here is something the Cat thinks is important.

Tiredness is not just for bedtime. Your body gets tired in little waves all through the day.

For most kids:

• Early morning: a wave of sleepiness on first waking up — that's why coffee is a thing for grown-ups
• Late morning: more awake, focused
• After lunch: a soft wave of sleepiness (kids and grown-ups both — this is normal!)
• Mid-afternoon: another awake wave
• Early evening: starting to settle
• Late evening: real tiredness arrives

If you ignore the small waves, the bedtime wave gets bigger and trickier.

If you honor the small waves — by taking a short rest, drinking water, going outside for fresh air, slowing down for a few minutes — bedtime is easier.

Try Small Rests

A rest is not the same as sleep.

A rest is a short pause — five or ten minutes — where your body can refill.

Small rests look like:

• Lying on the couch for a few minutes
• Sitting outside under a tree
• Putting your head down at your desk during a quiet moment
• Reading a book quietly in a comfy chair
• Doing a "boring" thing on purpose — like just staring out the window
• A small cat-nap — yes, that is what cats do all day. They take many tiny naps. That is why cats are wise.

You do not have to sleep during a rest. You just have to slow down.

Try this: when you notice tiredness during the day, ask a grown-up if you can take a small rest. Or do it on your own if you have a chance.

A small rest in the afternoon can save you from being too tired at dinner. From a tired meltdown. From a hard time falling asleep at bedtime.

Pushing Through Tired Is Not Strong

Some grown-ups say things like "push through it" or "be tough." The Cat has thoughts about this.

Pushing through tiredness is not strong. Listening to your body IS strong.

When you ignore tiredness:

• You get crankier
• You make more mistakes
• Your feelings get bigger
• You can hurt yourself doing things (the Lion would say)
• You don't actually do better — you do worse
• Falling asleep at night can get HARDER, not easier

The body that pushes through is just a body that pays for it later.

The Cat has napped many times in many sunbeams. The Cat is patient. Listening to your body is the wise way.

Lesson Check

1. Where do you usually feel tiredness in your body? (Eyes, head, mood, body, other?)
2. What is the difference between sleep and a rest?
3. What is one small rest you could try today?
4. What does the Cat say about pushing through tired?

---

Lesson 2.2: Try a Bedtime Routine

Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, the child will:

• Know what a bedtime routine is and why it helps
• Try making their own bedtime routine with a trusted grown-up
• Know what helps the body settle (dim light, calm activities, no screens, quiet room)
• Know what makes sleep harder (bright lights, screens, big stuff, sugar/caffeine, too-warm room)

Key Words

• Bedtime routine — small steps you do every night that help your body get ready for sleep.
• Routine — something you do the same way often.
• Wind down — to slowly settle, like a top spinning slower and slower.
• Comfortable — feeling good and at ease in your body.
• Cool — a little cold but not very cold.

What Is a Bedtime Routine?

A bedtime routine is small steps you do every night, in the same order, around the same time.

A bedtime routine is one of the best gifts your family can give your sleep. Scientists have studied this — kids with steady bedtime routines fall asleep faster, sleep better, and wake up happier [3].

The Cat agrees completely. Cats have routines too. Every cat the Cat has ever known has a settling-down routine.

What Helps a Bedtime Routine Work

Three things make a bedtime routine helpful:

1. Same steps, most nights. The body learns the order. After a few weeks, your body STARTS getting sleepy when step 1 happens — because it knows what is coming.

2. Gentle steps. Not exciting things. Calm things. The opposite of running around or playing wild games.

3. Ends in your bed. The routine should land you in your bed with the lights low.

A bedtime routine usually takes 30-60 minutes. That is a lot of time! But that whole time is part of helping your body and brain settle. It is not wasted time.

Try Building Your Own Bedtime Routine

The Cat wants you to try making a bedtime routine with a trusted grown-up.

Here are pieces many families use. Pick what fits your family:

The Calm-Down Hour (about 1 hour before bed):

• Screens off — phone, tablet, TV all put away (the Rooster knows this — screens are bright tricky light)
• Dim the lights in the house
• Quieter activities — drawing, puzzles, reading, quiet play
• A small bedtime snack if hungry (real food — the Bear approves)
• A warm bath (the Elephant approves — warm baths help the body settle)
• Brushing teeth
• Putting on pajamas

The Right-Before-Bed Wind-Down (about 15-20 minutes):

• Bedroom is dark or dim
• Tucking in
• A few minutes of reading together with a grown-up — or alone if you are a confident reader
• A glass of water by the bed
• A few slow breaths (in for 3, out for 4 — the Turtle's tool)
• A short talk about your day with your grown-up (what was good? what was hard?)
• Lights out

Some families add:

• A favorite stuffed animal or blanket
• Soft music or a quiet sound machine
• A small night light
• A goodnight song
• A prayer or gratitude moment
• A goodnight word ritual ("I love you" "I love you too" "Sleep well" "Sleep well")

Make YOUR routine. Write it down with a trusted grown-up. Try it for two weeks. See how you sleep.

You can change it if a step is not working. The Cat is not strict about which steps. The Cat is strict about steadiness — same steps, same order, most nights.

What Makes Sleep Harder

Just as a bedtime routine helps, some things make sleep harder. The Cat wants you to know them so you can avoid them in the hour before bed.

Things that make sleep harder:

• Bright lights in the hour before bed. The Rooster taught you this — bright tricky light makes your body think it is still day.
• Screens — phones, tablets, TVs. Same reason. Plus the content (exciting shows, scary videos, fast games) wakes the brain up.
• Big feelings that have not been talked about. Arguments. Worries. Sad things. The Turtle would say: name the feeling, share with a grown-up, BEFORE bedtime if you can.
• Sugary snacks right before bed. Sugar makes the body more revved up. A small real-food snack is okay — the Bear approves.
• Caffeine — found in coffee, energy drinks, regular tea, chocolate (a small amount), and some sodas. Caffeine wakes your body up. The Cat says: caffeine is for grown-ups. Kids do not need caffeine. It can keep you awake at night even if you had it hours earlier.
• A too-warm room. Your body settles best when the room is a little cool — not freezing, just cool. Your body actually needs to cool down a bit to fall asleep.
• Loud noise — TV in the next room, music with words, people arguing nearby. Your sleep-brain can hear all of it.
• Worrying about being late for sleep. This is funny but real. If you worry "oh no, I won't fall asleep in time!" — that worry itself can keep you awake. Just lying calmly in bed is restful. Even without sleep.

Steady Bedtime Helps

Going to bed at about the same time every night helps your body learn.

This does not mean to the exact minute. But within 30 minutes most nights.

When your bedtime is all over the place — 8:00 one night, 10:00 the next, 7:30 the next — your body cannot get into a rhythm. The Cat sees this all the time.

Pick a bedtime with your grown-ups. Stick to it most nights. Weekends can be a little later, but not by much.

Steady bedtime is one of the easiest helps for sleep.

Lesson Check

1. What is a bedtime routine?
2. What are three things that help a bedtime routine work?
3. What are three things that make sleep harder?
4. Why is a steady bedtime helpful?

---

Lesson 2.3: Try Waking Up Well — and What to Do When Sleep Is Hard

Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, the child will:

• Try noticing how they feel after a good sleep vs a hard sleep
• Try a comfort tool when sleep is hard
• Know what to do if they wake up in the night
• Know that bad dreams are normal and pass
• Know when to tell a trusted grown-up about sleep

Key Words

• Wake up — to leave sleep and become alert.
• Morning — the first part of the day.
• Dream — a story or picture your brain makes while you sleep.
• Bad dream — a dream that feels scary.
• Comfort tool — something that helps you feel safe and calm.
• Sleep walking — when a person walks while still asleep (rare, but happens).

Try Noticing the Morning

The Cat has noticed: kids who pay attention to mornings learn a lot about their sleep.

After a good sleep, you might feel:

• Awake without too much trouble
• Calm in your body
• Hungry for breakfast (the Bear approves)
• Ready to talk and listen
• Steady moods through the morning
• Curious about the day

After a hard sleep, you might feel:

• Heavy. Hard to get out of bed.
• Cranky for no clear reason
• Not very hungry
• Easily annoyed
• Headache
• Wanting to lie back down all morning

The Cat is NOT saying every morning needs to be perfect. Some mornings are hard for many reasons — a big day, a new place, an early start. Hard mornings happen. The Cat wants you to try noticing and connect the dots.

If you have many hard mornings in a row — your sleep is asking for some attention. Talk to a trusted grown-up about your bedtime routine and your sleep.

When Sleep Is Hard

Sometimes sleep is hard. Even with a good bedtime routine.

You might not be able to fall asleep. You might wake up in the night. You might wake up too early. You might have bad dreams.

This is normal. It happens to every kid sometimes.

The Cat has comfort tools for hard sleep nights.

Try These When Sleep Is Hard

Tool 1: Slow breath. The Turtle's tool. In for 3, out for 4. A few of these in your bed can help your body settle.

Tool 2: Body relaxation. Start at your toes. Squeeze them, then let them go soft. Move up — feet, legs, belly, chest, arms, hands, face. Squeeze each part, then let it go soft. By the time you get to your face, your body is often much heavier and more ready for sleep.

Tool 3: Boring thoughts on purpose. Lying in bed and thinking exciting thoughts ("what if I get a puppy!?") wakes you up. Try BORING thoughts on purpose. Count backwards from 100. List your stuffed animals by name. Name fruits that start with each letter of the alphabet. Boring thoughts help the brain settle.

Tool 4: A stuffed animal or comfort object. Most kids have one. A bear, a bunny, a blanket. Holding it can help the body feel safe.

Tool 5: A glass of water by the bed. Sometimes a small sip of water settles the body.

Tool 6: Stay in bed. Even if you cannot sleep right away. Lying calmly in bed is restful for your body, even without sleep. Trying to read a book or do something fun makes the brain wake up more. Just lie there. Eyes closed if you can.

Tool 7: Tell a grown-up if it is really bad. If you cannot sleep for more than 30-40 minutes and you are upset, you can call out for your trusted grown-up. They will help you settle.

When You Wake Up in the Night

Sometimes you will wake up in the middle of the night. This is normal — the body wakes up a little a few times a night without us noticing.

If you wake up and feel okay:

• Roll over. Use slow breath. Boring thoughts. You will fall back asleep.

If you wake up scared, or because you have to use the bathroom:

• Use the bathroom if you need to. Quietly.
• Get a sip of water if it helps.
• Climb back into bed.
• If you are still scared, call out softly for your trusted grown-up.

If you wake up from a bad dream:

• Bad dreams are normal. Every kid has them.
• Take a slow breath. Remind yourself: "It was a dream. I am safe."
• Tell yourself the safe truth: "I am in my bed. My grown-up is near."
• If you need a grown-up, call out softly. They will come.
• Some kids talk about the bad dream the next morning. Some don't. Both are fine.

When Sleep Is Hard a Lot

If sleep is hard for many nights in a row — not just one tricky night — tell a trusted grown-up.

There are real things that can make sleep hard for kids. Most are fixable. Some need a doctor's help.

Things that can make sleep hard:

• A new worry or big feeling (cross-walk to the Turtle)
• Too many screens before bed (cross-walk to the Rooster)
• A too-warm room
• A snore that wakes you up (sometimes kids have this — a doctor can help)
• A bigger thing going on at home or school
• A sickness coming on

Your trusted grown-up will help figure it out. Sometimes they will take you to a doctor. That is okay. Doctors know about sleep. They have helped many kids.

A note from the Cat about really big sleep problems:

Sometimes a child's body has trouble breathing during sleep — they snore loudly, they stop breathing for a moment, they wake up gasping. This is rare but real. If this happens to you, your trusted grown-up needs to know — and they will probably take you to a doctor. This is one of the very few sleep things that grown-ups treat seriously and might even need 911 for if a child stops breathing entirely. If you ever cannot wake a sleeping person — they will not respond — that is a 911 grown-up situation.

This is not common. Most kids will never need to worry about it. But the Cat wants you to know the safety net is there.

Sleep Is Yours

The Cat wants to close this chapter the same way the Cat closed in K and G1.

Every kid has their own sleep.

Some kids sleep 9 hours. Some sleep 11 hours. Some kids are early-to-bed early-to-rise. Some kids are slower in the morning. Some kids dream a lot. Some kids do not remember dreams. Some kids can sleep through anything. Some kids need quiet.

All of these are real ways to sleep. All of them are okay.

Your sleep is yours. You can care for it. You can build it. You can listen to it.

The Cat has been napping for thousands of years. The Cat is proud of you for paying attention to your own sleep.

Sleep well, little one.

Lesson Check

1. How might you feel in the morning after a good sleep? After a hard sleep?
2. What are two comfort tools to try when sleep is hard?
3. What do you do if you wake up scared in the night?
4. When should you tell a trusted grown-up about your sleep?

---

End-of-Chapter Activity: Make Your Bedtime Routine

The Cat has a Grade 2 activity for you.

With a trusted grown-up, build your bedtime routine. Write it down.

Use a piece of paper or a small notebook. Write the steps in order. Use the time hints if it helps.

A possible template:

Your times will be your family's times. Your steps will be your family's steps.

Hang it on your bedroom door or somewhere you and your grown-ups can see it.

Try it for two weeks. Notice how you feel.

If a step is not working, you can change it.

After two weeks, see how your sleep feels.

The Cat is proud of you.

---

Vocabulary Review

---

Chapter Review (for grown-up and child to talk about)

1. What is the Cat teaching this year?
2. Where in your body do you usually feel tiredness?
3. What is a bedtime routine? Why does it help?
4. What are three things that help sleep? What are three things that make sleep harder?
5. What is your bedtime routine?
6. What is one comfort tool to try when sleep is hard?
7. What do you do if you wake up from a bad dream?
8. What does the Cat say about every kid's sleep?

---

Instructor's Guide

Important: this Instructor's Guide carries load-bearing parent-education work — pediatric sleep guidance (AAP 9-12 hours for ages 6-12), pediatric sleep-disorder vigilance (sleep apnea, nightmares, sleepwalking, night terrors warning signs at G2 register), bedtime-routine construction guidance (LOAD-BEARING because G2 introduces TRY A BEDTIME ROUTINE as a new architectural deepening), screen-time-and-sleep guidance, K-12 morning-sunlight protocol-firewall preserved at parent-only level, parent-only crisis resources, NEDA non-functionality flag.

Pacing recommendations

This G2 Sleep chapter is the THIRD chapter of the G2 cycle and the third chapter in the Cat's K-12 spiral. Three lessons. Spans six to eight read-together sessions of ~15-20 minutes each. The chapter is especially well-suited to bedtime reading — particularly Lessons 2.2 and 2.3.

• Lesson 2.1 (Try Noticing Tiredness): two sessions. Tiredness signals. Waves through the day. Small rests. "Pushing through is not strong."
• Lesson 2.2 (Try a Bedtime Routine): two to three sessions. NEW G2 ARCHITECTURAL DEEPENING — first agency in sleep practice. Build YOUR bedtime routine. What helps, what makes sleep harder. Steady bedtime.
• Lesson 2.3 (Try Waking Up Well — and What to Do When Sleep Is Hard): two sessions. Noticing the morning. Comfort tools when sleep is hard. What to do if you wake up scared / from a bad dream. When to tell a grown-up.

Approach to reading

This chapter benefits from being read in pieces. Lesson 2.1 can be read at any time. Lesson 2.2 is great to read in the early evening BEFORE bedtime — let the chapter inform the routine you build together. Lesson 2.3 is wonderful for bedtime itself, especially the comfort-tool sections.

The chapter introduces a bedtime routine. Try to actually build one with your child during the chapter. The end-of-chapter activity makes this concrete.

Lesson check answers (for grown-up reference)

Lesson 2.1

1. Open-ended. Sample: eyes (heavy eyelids), mouth (yawning), head (fuzzy), body (heavy arms/legs), mood (cranky), listening (far away), movement (clumsy).
2. Sleep is the full nighttime state. A rest is a short pause (5-10 minutes) to refill energy without sleeping.
3. Open-ended. Sample: lying on couch, sitting outside under tree, head down at desk, reading quietly, a cat-nap.
4. Pushing through tiredness is not strong. Listening to your body is strong. The body that pushes through pays later — cranky, mistakes, bigger feelings, harder to sleep.

Lesson 2.2

1. Small steps you do every night, in the same order, around the same time, to help your body get ready for sleep.
2. (1) Same steps most nights. (2) Gentle steps. (3) Ends in your bed.
3. Sample three from: bright lights, screens, big feelings unspoken, sugary snacks, caffeine, too-warm room, loud noise, worrying about being late for sleep.
4. The body learns the rhythm. Your body cannot get into a rhythm if bedtime is all over the place.

Lesson 2.3

1. Good sleep: awake without trouble, calm, hungry for breakfast, ready to talk, steady mood. Hard sleep: heavy, cranky, not hungry, easily annoyed, headache.
2. Sample two from: slow breath, body relaxation (squeeze and release), boring thoughts on purpose, stuffed animal, water by bed, stay in bed, call a grown-up.
3. Take a slow breath. Remind yourself: "It was a dream. I am safe. I am in my bed. My grown-up is near." Call a grown-up softly if needed.
4. When sleep is hard for many nights in a row. When you keep waking up scared. When something is going on with breathing during sleep. When you have lots of hard mornings.

Pre-Chapter Conversation for Parents

Before reading the chapter together:

• The Cat returns. "The Cat is back — for the third time. The Cat teaches about sleep. This year we're going to TRY making your sleep work for you."
• Bedtime routine. "We're going to build YOUR bedtime routine together — what helps your body get ready for sleep."
• Hard sleep nights. "We'll also learn comfort tools for when sleep is hard — slow breath, body relaxation, boring thoughts on purpose."
• Mornings. "And we'll notice how mornings feel after good sleep vs hard sleep."

Pediatric Sleep Guidance for G2 (Parent Reference)

For G2 kids (ages 7-8):

• AAP recommends 9-12 hours of sleep per 24 hours for ages 6-12 [1, 2]
• Most G2 kids do well with 10-11 hours of sleep, including any short rests during the day
• Steady bedtime (within 30 minutes most nights) is the single most actionable lever for school-age sleep
• Steady wake time is also important, even on weekends (a 1-2 hour shift on weekends is okay; bigger shifts disrupt the body clock)
• Sleep needs vary by child — pay attention to morning energy, attention at school, and mood as guides

For school-age sleep:

• Bedtime routine is research-supported as one of the most effective sleep interventions [3]
• Screen-time within an hour of bed is associated with delayed sleep onset and shorter sleep duration [4, 5]
• Caffeine should be avoided in children — caffeine half-life is 5-6 hours, and even afternoon caffeine can affect sleep
• Bedroom should be cool (around 65-68°F), dark, and quiet
• Naps in school-age kids are usually unnecessary if night sleep is adequate; if a G2 kid needs a daily nap, something may be off with their nighttime sleep

Bedtime-Routine Construction (Parent Reference — LOAD-BEARING)

This chapter introduces TRY A BEDTIME ROUTINE as the G2 architectural deepening for Sleep. It is the first time the Library asks the child to actively help construct their own routine.

A good G2 bedtime routine has:

• A consistent start time (typically 30-60 minutes before lights-out)
• 3-7 steps in the same order
• Calming activities, not exciting ones
• A clear ending in bed with lights low
• Caregiver involvement at the end (reading together, brief talk, lights out)

Sample bedtime routines for G2 kids:

Routine A (longer, calmer):

1. 7:30 — Screens off
2. 7:35 — Warm bath
3. 7:50 — Pajamas + teeth
4. 8:00 — Pick a book + climb into bed
5. 8:05 — Read together
6. 8:20 — Slow breath + lights out

Routine B (shorter, school-night):

1. 8:00 — Screens off + teeth
2. 8:10 — Pajamas + climb into bed
3. 8:15 — Read alone or together
4. 8:30 — Hug + lights out

Routine C (with extra wind-down for sensitive sleepers):

1. 7:00 — Calm activity only (drawing, puzzles)
2. 7:30 — Warm bath
3. 7:50 — Pajamas
4. 8:00 — Reading time with grown-up
5. 8:20 — Slow breath + body relaxation
6. 8:30 — Lights out

Help your child write THEIR routine. Adjust as needed. Stick to it for at least two weeks before evaluating. Pediatric sleep changes show up over weeks, not nights.

Common Pediatric Sleep Issues (Parent Reference)

Bedtime resistance is the most common school-age sleep issue. Causes range from screen exposure too close to bedtime, to anxiety, to inconsistent bedtimes, to too-early bedtime, to a need for more wind-down time. A bedtime routine usually helps.

Nightmares are common in G2 — about 50% of kids 6-8 have occasional nightmares. They usually happen in the second half of the night, the child wakes up scared and can recall the dream, and they need comfort to return to sleep. Frequent nightmares (weekly+) over months may indicate stress; consider a pediatrician conversation.

Night terrors are different from nightmares. They usually happen in the first 1-3 hours of sleep; the child appears terrified, may scream, may sit up with eyes open, but is NOT awake and will not remember the event the next morning. Do not try to wake them — keep them safe, let it pass. Night terrors run in families and usually resolve by adolescence. Consider a pediatrician conversation if frequent or accompanied by injury risk.

Sleepwalking affects about 5-10% of school-age kids. The child gets out of bed and walks around while still asleep — eyes may be open. Keep them safe (lock doors and windows, install safety gates if needed). Guide them back to bed gently. Do not try to wake them. Usually resolves by adolescence.

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects about 1-4% of children and is often under-diagnosed. Signs include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, pauses in breathing, restless sleep, bedwetting after age 5, daytime sleepiness, behavior or attention issues, and growth concerns. OSA in children warrants a pediatric workup — usually starting with the pediatrician, sometimes referring to ENT, and may include a sleep study. The kid-facing body lightly references this ("a snore that wakes you up — sometimes kids have this — a doctor can help"). Severe OSA is associated with cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental concerns; treatment (often adenotonsillectomy) is highly effective.

Bedwetting (enuresis) affects about 10% of 7-year-olds and decreases with age. Most cases resolve on their own. Pediatric conversation if persistent or if it returns after a dry period.

Screen Time and Sleep (Parent Reference)

The AAP recommends [4]:

• No screens within 60 minutes of bed when possible
• No screens in the bedroom at bedtime
• No screens during the night (no phone next to the bed for school-age kids)
• The "light" in screen light contributes to sleep delay, but more importantly the content (exciting, fast-paced, social) wakes the brain up

For G2 specifically:

• Many G2 kids do not have personal devices yet — keep it that way if possible
• If shared family devices are in use, set "screen sunset" as a family rule
• Communal devices in communal spaces (not bedrooms) helps

K-12 Morning-Sunlight Protocol Firewall (Parent Reference — Preserved at Parent-Only at K-G2)

The body clock that drives sleep is most powerfully set by light. The Library teaches the basic framework at G2 register — open curtains in the morning, dim evenings, dark bedroom for sleep — without prescribing any specific protocol.

Adult-marketed morning-sunlight protocols (specific minutes, lux measurements, sunglasses-on/off prescriptions) are NOT appropriate for K-G2 kids. At Grade 5, the Library makes this firewall visible to kids in body content. At K-G2, it lives entirely at parent level.

Crisis Resources

At G2, the chapter continues the G1 pattern: 911 framing appears in body content with strong trusted-grown-up routing. In this chapter, 911 framing appears very lightly — only in the "if you cannot wake a sleeping person, that is a 911 grown-up situation" framing (very rare but real). Sleep itself is not a high-acute-emergency surface.

Other crisis resources remain parent-only at K-G2:

• 911 for medical emergencies including breathing emergencies during sleep, severe asthma during sleep, seizures
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 (operational and verified May 2026)
• Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741
• SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders — (866) 662-1235

The older NEDA helpline number 1-800-931-2237 is NO LONGER WORKING. Use the National Alliance for Eating Disorders number above instead.

What This Chapter Does Not Teach (Full List for Parent Reference)

• Melatonin, circadian rhythm, clock cells, ipRGC vocabulary (G4/G5 functional; G6+ technical)
• REM, NREM, deep sleep, light sleep — sleep stage naming (G4+ territory)
• Insomnia, sleep apnea, parasomnia — clinical naming (parent-only at K-G2)
• Specific sleep aids / supplements / melatonin gummies for kids (the Library's editorial position: no supplemental melatonin for kids without pediatric guidance)
• Specific sleep protocols
• Adult-marketed sleep biohacking (sleep tracking, sleep-app prescriptions)
• Sleep restriction therapy or CBT-I terminology
• Pandemic-era topics
• Branded protocols or contemporary popularizers

Discussion Prompts

1. What part of your day does tiredness usually show up?
2. What is YOUR bedtime routine?
3. What is one part of your routine you really love?
4. What is one part of your routine you would change?
5. What is your favorite comfort tool when sleep is hard?
6. What is the best feeling about waking up after a great sleep?
7. Have you ever had a bad dream? What helps you feel safe after?

Common Kid Questions

1. "Why do I need so much sleep when grown-ups need less?" — Kids' bodies are GROWING. Growing happens mostly during sleep. The body builds bones, muscles, brain connections, immune system — all during sleep. Grown-ups have already grown, so they need a little less. Kids need more sleep because they are still building themselves.

2. "What if I just don't feel tired at bedtime?" — Try lying in bed quietly anyway. Do not get up to play. Eyes closed if you can. Lying calmly in bed is restful even without sleep. The body learns slowly. After a few weeks of a steady routine, the "not tired" feeling usually fades.

3. "Is it okay to be afraid of the dark?" — Yes. Many kids are. A small night light is a great tool. So is a soft stuffed animal. So is calling for a trusted grown-up. Being afraid of the dark is something most kids grow out of with time — but it is real and okay while it is happening.

4. "What if my bedroom is loud because of brothers or sisters?" — Talk to your trusted grown-ups. Sometimes a sound machine helps — a steady soft hum that covers up other noises. Sometimes a bedroom rearrangement helps. Trusted grown-ups have ideas.

5. "What is happening when I dream?" — Your brain is doing important work — sorting your day, making connections, building memories. Dreams are a side effect of all that work. Most kids dream every night, but only sometimes remember.

6. "Why do bad dreams happen?" — Sometimes when your brain is sorting through worries or scary things from the day. Sometimes for no clear reason. Bad dreams are normal. They are NOT a sign something is wrong with you. If they happen a lot, tell a trusted grown-up.

7. "What if I wet the bed?" — It happens to many kids. It is nothing to feel embarrassed about. Tell a trusted grown-up. They will help you change the sheets and figure out what is going on. If it keeps happening, the doctor may have ideas. Bodies are still learning. You are not broken.

8. "What about kids who have to share rooms?" — That is most kids in the world! Sharing a room can work great if everyone follows the bedtime routine. Talk with your grown-ups about how to make the room work for everyone's sleep.

Family Activity Suggestions

• Build the bedtime routine. Do the chapter's end-activity. Hang it on the bedroom door.
• Two-week try. Stick to the new routine for two weeks. Notice how everyone sleeps.
• A morning notice-the-feeling journal. Each morning for a week, ask your child: "How do you feel right now?" Together, jot it down briefly. Notice patterns.
• A bedroom check-up. Together with your child, walk through the bedroom. Is it dark enough? Cool enough? Quiet enough? Any small adjustments needed?
• A no-screen-hour-before-bed family rule. If your family does not already have one, propose it together. Lead by example.
• A comfort-tool exploration. Try different comfort tools across a week. Find what works for your kid.
• A bedtime conversation ritual. Each night, ask: "What was good today? What was hard today?" Two minutes. Builds connection AND helps process the day before sleep.

Founder Review Notes — Safety-Critical Content Protocol

This chapter is flagged founder_review_required: true because it covers safety-critical content categories:

• Age-appropriate health messaging. Late picture-book pacing with FK 2-3. G2 register calibrated.
• Sleep safety (light-touch). Sleep apnea referenced lightly in body with strong trusted-grown-up routing; detailed parent reference in Instructor's Guide. Bedtime safety preserved.
• Body image vigilance. "Every kid has their own sleep" preserved. No comparison framing.
• Neurodiversity inclusion. Different sleep needs explicitly acknowledged.
• Crisis resources — 911 in body very lightly in body (cannot-wake-a-sleeping-person framing). Other crisis resources parent-only. NEDA non-functional flag preserved.
• Parent education (load-bearing). This Guide handles pediatric sleep guidance, sleep-disorder vigilance at G2, bedtime-routine construction (load-bearing), screen-time-and-sleep guidance, and the K-12 morning-sunlight protocol-firewall preservation.

Cycle Position Notes

THIRD chapter of the G2 cycle. Third in the Cat's K-12 spiral. The Cat-Rooster day-and-night twin partnership preserved at G2 register. The G2 cycle continues with G2 Move (Lion), then G2 environmental coaches (Cold, Hot, Breath, Light) and closes with G2 Water (Elephant) — which will close the entire K-2 tier.

Parent Communication Template (send home before reading)

Dear families,

This week our classroom is reading the G2 Sleep (Cat) chapter — Try Your Sleep. This is the third chapter of the Grade 2 Library.

The Cat deepens what your child learned in K and G1:

• Try noticing tiredness signals — eyes heavy, yawning, fuzzy head, heavy body, cranky mood. Tiredness comes in waves through the day, not just at night.
• Try a bedtime routine — small steps you do every night in the same order. Research shows steady bedtime routines help kids fall asleep faster, sleep better, and wake up happier. The chapter helps your child build THEIR routine with you.
• Try waking up well — notice how you feel in the morning after good vs hard sleep. Try comfort tools when sleep is hard (slow breath, body relaxation, boring thoughts, stuffed animal).
• When to tell a grown-up about sleep — many hard nights in a row, snoring that disrupts sleep, persistent scary dreams.

Pediatric sleep guidance for ages 6-12 is 9-12 hours per 24 hours. Most G2 kids do well with 10-11 hours including any short rests. Steady bedtime is the single most actionable lever.

The chapter does NOT teach:

• Sleep-stage vocabulary (REM, NREM — G4+)
• Clinical sleep-disorder naming (insomnia, sleep apnea, parasomnia — parent-only at K-G2)
• Melatonin or sleep supplements for kids (the Library's editorial position: no supplemental melatonin without pediatric guidance)
• Adult sleep-tracking / sleep-biohacking

The chapter DOES teach:

• "Every kid has their own sleep" preserved from K and G1
• "Pushing through tiredness is not strong — listening to your body IS strong"
• Bedtime-routine construction as a kid-led practice
• Comfort tools when sleep is hard
• Cross-coach connections (Rooster's screens-before-bed, Bear's snack/caffeine, Turtle's slow breath, Elephant's warm bath)

At home, you can:

• Build the bedtime routine together (chapter activity)
• Stick to it for two weeks
• Notice morning energy patterns
• Check the bedroom environment (dark, cool, quiet)
• Make a no-screens-hour-before-bed family rule if you don't have one
• Watch for sleep warning signs (loud snoring, gasping, persistent nightmares, daytime sleepiness affecting school)

Detailed pediatric sleep guidance, sleep-disorder vigilance, bedtime-routine construction, screen-time-and-sleep guidance, and the K-12 morning-sunlight protocol-firewall preservation are in the full Instructor's Guide.

Thank you for reading the Library with your child.

---

Illustration Briefs

Chapter Introduction

• The Cat returns (G2 opening). Peaceful nighttime bedroom scene. Child slightly older than G1 version in bed, partly tucked in, reading by the soft light of a bedside lamp. Cat curled on bed beside them, purring with eyes half-closed. Bedroom calm — soft colors, no bright screens visible, glass of water on nightstand. Mood: cozy, beginning-to-try, peaceful.

Lesson 2.1

• Tiredness through the day. Four-panel illustration of the same kid noticing tiredness at different times — morning yawn over breakfast, midday heavy eyes at school, late-afternoon sprawled-on-couch sleepiness, evening sleepy-smile while being read to. Cat in a corner of each. Caption: "Tiredness comes in waves through the day."

Lesson 2.2

• The bedtime routine. Friendly multi-panel illustration of a bedtime routine progression — kid putting away tablet, calm activity (puzzle/coloring), warm bath, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, in bed being read to by grown-up, lights low, kid asleep with Cat curled at the foot of the bed. Each panel labeled with simple time hint. Caption: "Try the same steps in the same order most nights."
• Helps vs makes harder. Two-column illustration. Left "Helps sleep": dim lamps, paper book, warm bath, slow breath, calm grown-up nearby, glass of water, cool room. Right "Makes sleep harder": bright phone screen, sugary snack, loud TV, hot stuffy room, unspoken big feelings (sad face). The Cat in the middle gesturing toward both. Caption: "Some things help. Some things make it harder."

Lesson 2.3

• Morning notice. Two-panel split. Left: morning after good sleep — kid stretching up in bed with small smile, sunlight through curtain, Cat purring on the bed. Right: morning after hard sleep — same kid still curled up, eyes half-shut, looking tired, Cat also sleepy. Caption: "Notice how your morning feels."
• Night wake-up. Nighttime scene of a child waking up in bed. Room dimly lit by a small night light. Child looks a little startled but not panicked. Reaching for a glass of water, favorite stuffed animal nearby. Cat curled at foot of bed watching with calm eyes. Caption: "If you wake up, take a slow breath. Call for a grown-up if you need to."
• Sleep well (chapter closing). Wide warm closing illustration. Child sleeping peacefully in a darkened bedroom — soft night light, glass of water, stuffed animal nearby. Cat curled on the bed. Through a window, stars visible. The Bear, Turtle, Lion, Penguin, Camel, Dolphin, Rooster, and Elephant visible as soft silhouettes outside the window or as faint friendly shapes in the night sky — watching over the sleeping child. Mood: deeply restful, protected, loved. Caption: "Sleep well. The Coaches are with you."

Activity / Closing

• Build your bedtime routine. A child and trusted grown-up at a table with paper and crayons, writing/drawing the routine together. Both engaged and happy. A finished routine visible on the wall behind them. The Cat watching from a sunny window or shelf. Caption: "Build YOUR routine. Try it for two weeks."

Aspect ratios: 16:9 digital, 4:3 print. Diverse skin tones, body sizes, hair textures, gender expressions, abilities (wheelchairs, walkers, prosthetics, glasses, hearing aids, sensory tools), family compositions, and bedroom-setups throughout. The Cat's character design is consistent with K and G1 Sleep, with slightly more "wise elder cat" presence at G2.

---

Citations

1. American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Sleep Medicine. (2016). Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785-786. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866
2. Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. (2015). National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health, 1(1), 40-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010
3. Mindell JA, Williamson AA. (2018). Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 40, 93-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2017.10.007 (Foundational research on the developmental value of bedtime routines — applied at G2 register.)
4. American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Communications and Media. (2016). Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(5), e20162592. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2592
5. Hale L, Guan S. (2015). Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 21, 50-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2014.07.007
6. Beebe DW. (2011). Cognitive, behavioral, and functional consequences of inadequate sleep in children and adolescents. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 58(3), 649-665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2011.03.002 (Parent reference on consequences of inadequate sleep in school-age children.)
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Sleep in Middle and High School Students. Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sleep.htm