A Sunnah Bedtime Routine for Kids (Wudu, Three Quls, Right Side)

Bedtime in our house used to be a battle: one more drink, one more question, one more trip to the bathroom. What finally brought calm was not a sticker chart. It was turning bedtime into a set of small Sunnah steps the children could do themselves, in the same order every night.

Here is the routine in brief: bring the children in at Maghrib, pray ‘Isha and wind down, make wudu, dust off the bed, recite the three Quls into cupped hands and wipe over the body, recite Ayat al-Kursi, lie on the right side, and say the sleep duas. Every step below comes from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, or a narration graded sahih. Nothing here is a made-up “Islamic bedtime ritual”.

Below is each step with the exact Arabic, followed by a short version for toddlers and a full version for older children.

Sleep is a sign from Allah

Before the steps, a thought to share with your children:

وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًۭا

“And We made your sleep a means of rest.” (an-Naba’ 78:9)

وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ مَنَامُكُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱبْتِغَآؤُكُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ

“And of His signs is your sleep by night and day and your seeking of His bounty.” (ar-Rum 30:23)

Sleep is a gift, and the Sunnah shows us how to receive it.

Step 1: In at Maghrib

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

إِذَا اسْتَجْنَحَ اللَّيْلُ أَوْ كَانَ جُنْحُ اللَّيْلِ فَكُفُّوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ تَنْتَشِرُ حِينَئِذٍ، فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ سَاعَةٌ مِنَ الْعِشَاءِ فَحُلُّوهُمْ

“When night falls, keep your children close to you, for the devils spread out then. When an hour of the night has passed, you can let them go.” (al-Bukhari 3280)

In the same hadith he told us to close the door, put out the lamp, tie the water-skin and cover the vessels, mentioning Allah’s name each time. So at Maghrib, our children come in from the garden, the door is shut with Bismillāh, and the evening begins. It is also the natural end of outdoor play.

Step 2: ‘Isha, then wind down

The Prophet (ﷺ) “disliked to sleep before the ‘Isha prayer and to talk after it” (al-Bukhari 568).

We pray ‘Isha together and then keep things quiet: no screens, no rough play, no big conversations.

What we do in the quiet time: a story from the Seerah or the Prophets, a little Qur’an revision, brushing teeth, pyjamas. No music, and no cartoons as a “wind-down”.

Step 3: Wudu before bed

Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (ﷺ) told him:

“Whenever you go to bed, perform ablution like that for the prayer, lie on your right side and say…” (al-Bukhari 247)

Children usually love this “grown-up” step. If wudu is new to your child, our wudu for children guide walks through it.

Step 4: Dust off the bed

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“When any of you goes to bed, let him dust off his bed with the inside of his lower garment, for he does not know what has come onto it after him.” (al-Bukhari 6320)

Little ones love this one. Hand them a cloth or the edge of their blanket and let them brush the bed three or four times. It’s practical too.

Step 5: The three Quls, blown into the hands

‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that every night when the Prophet (ﷺ) went to bed, he would cup his hands together, blow lightly into them, recite Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, Sūrat al-Falaq and Sūrat an-Nās, then wipe his hands over as much of his body as he could, starting with his head, face and the front of his body. He did this three times (al-Bukhari 5017).

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ · قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ · قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ

For toddlers who don’t know the surahs yet, recite them aloud yourself as they lie down. They’ll pick them up within weeks.

Step 6: Ayat al-Kursi

In the story of Abu Hurayrah and the one who came to steal from the charity food, he was told: “When you go to your bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi, for then a guardian from Allah will stay with you and no devil will come near you until morning.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “He told you the truth, though he is a liar” (al-Bukhari 2311; also 3275).

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

(al-Baqarah 2:255)

Children are always struck that the ayah says Allah is never overtaken by drowsiness or sleep, lā ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa lā nawm, right as they are falling asleep themselves. Older children can also add the last two ayat of al-Baqarah: the Prophet (ﷺ) said whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him (al-Bukhari 5009).

Step 7: Tasbih, 33-33-34

When Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked her father for a servant to help with her heavy work, he came to her and ‘Ali as they had gone to bed and said: “Shall I not tell you something better than what you asked for? When you go to your beds, say Allāhu akbar thirty-four times, Subḥānallāh thirty-three times and al-ḥamdu lillāh thirty-three times. That is better for you than a servant” (al-Bukhari 3113; Muslim 2727).

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ (٣٣) · الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (٣٣) · اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ (٣٤)

Children count on their fingers. It takes about two minutes and is wonderfully calming.

Step 8: Lie on the right side and say the sleep duas

Right side, hand under the cheek. Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that when the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to sleep, he would put his right hand under his cheek and say three times:

اللَّهُمَّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ

Allāhumma qinī ‘adhābaka yawma tab’athu ‘ibādak: “O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your servants.” (Abu Dawud 5045, graded sahih by al-Albani; a similar narration from Hudhayfah is in at-Tirmidhi 3398, also graded sahih by al-Albani)

The shortest sleep dua, for the youngest:

بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

Bismika Allāhumma amūtu wa aḥyā: “In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.” (al-Bukhari 6324)

After dusting the bed, the Prophet (ﷺ) taught:

بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Bismika rabbī waḍa’tu janbī, wa bika arfa’uh, in amsakta nafsī farḥamhā, wa in arsaltahā faḥfaẓhā bimā taḥfaẓu bihi ‘ibādakaṣ-ṣāliḥīn: “In Your name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and by You I raise it. If You take my soul, have mercy on it, and if You send it back, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.” (al-Bukhari 6320)

The last words before sleep, for older children:

اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لاَ مَلْجَأَ وَلاَ مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ، اللَّهُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ

“O Allah, I submit my face to You, entrust my affair to You, and rely on You completely, out of hope and fear of You. There is no refuge and no escape from You except to You. O Allah, I believe in Your Book which You revealed and in Your Prophet whom You sent.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “If you die that night, you die upon the fitrah; and make these the last words you say.” When al-Bara’ repeated it back and said “and Your Messenger”, the Prophet (ﷺ) corrected him: “No: and Your Prophet whom You sent” (al-Bukhari 247). A lovely lesson for children: we say the Prophet’s words exactly as he taught them.

For little ones: the parent’s protection

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to seek Allah’s protection for his grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn with these words, saying that Ibrahim (عليه السلام) sought protection with them for Isma’il and Ishaq:

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لاَمَّةٍ

“I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and every poisonous creature, and from every evil eye.” (al-Bukhari 3371)

We say this over our little ones often, bedtime included.

If your child wakes from a bad dream

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Shaytan. So whoever sees something he dislikes, let him spit lightly to his left three times and seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, for it will not harm him” (al-Bukhari 6995; Muslim 2261).

Teach your child: blow lightly to the left three times, say a’ūdhu billāhi minash-shayṭānir-rajīm. Then a cuddle and back to sleep.

And in the morning

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ

Al-ḥamdu lillāhil-ladhī aḥyānā ba’da mā amātanā wa ilayhin-nushūr: “All praise is for Allah who gave us life after He caused us to die, and to Him is the rising.” (al-Bukhari 6324)

The bedtime routine and the morning routine are two halves of one day. See our Islamic morning routine for homeschool families and the morning and evening adhkar for kids.

Short version for toddlers (ages 2 to 4)

1. In at Maghrib, door shut with Bismillāh.
2. Teeth, toilet, pyjamas.
3. Child brushes off the bed.
4. Parent recites the three Quls aloud; child copies the blowing and wiping.
5. Lie on the right side, hand under the cheek.
6. Bismika Allāhumma amūtu wa aḥyā.

About five minutes.

Full version for older children (ages 7 and up)

1. In at Maghrib. ‘Isha prayer. Quiet time.
2. Wudu.
3. Dust off the bed with Bismika rabbī waḍa’tu janbī…
4. Three Quls into the hands, wipe over the body, three times.
5. Ayat al-Kursi, and the last two ayat of al-Baqarah.
6. Tasbih 33-33-34.
7. Right side, hand under cheek, Allāhumma qinī ‘adhābak three times.
8. Last words: Allāhumma aslamtu wajhī ilayk…

About ten to fifteen minutes.

Tips that make it work

• Same order every night. The routine becomes the cue for sleep.
• Put the duas by the bed. Our free Daily Duas Flashcards include the sleeping and waking duas. A Dua of the Day card on the bedroom wall works well for the one you’re learning this week.
• Build gradually. The full list at once is too much. Our order: three Quls, then Bismika Allāhumma, then the bed-dusting dua, then Ayat al-Kursi, then the rest.
• Health first. If your child has ongoing trouble sleeping, snoring, night terrors or bedwetting, please speak to your doctor alongside the routine.

For the bigger picture of character and manners at home, see building adab in young children.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Sunnah way for a child to sleep?

Make wudu, dust off the bed, recite the three Quls into cupped hands and wipe over the body, recite Ayat al-Kursi, lie on the right side with the hand under the cheek, and say the sleep duas (al-Bukhari 247, 5017, 2311, 6320).

What dua should a child say before sleeping?

The shortest is Bismika Allāhumma amūtu wa aḥyā, “In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live” (al-Bukhari 6324). Older children can add Allāhumma qinī ‘adhābak three times (Abu Dawud 5045, graded sahih by al-Albani).

Should children make wudu before bed?

It is from the Sunnah: the Prophet (ﷺ) told al-Bara’ to make wudu as for prayer before going to bed (al-Bukhari 247). Encourage it gently, especially from around seven.

Which side should a Muslim child sleep on?

The right side, with the right hand under the cheek (al-Bukhari 247; Abu Dawud 5045).

Why should children come inside at Maghrib?

The Prophet (ﷺ) said to keep children in when night falls, because the devils spread out at that time (al-Bukhari 3280).

May Allah protect our children through the night and wake them to a day of goodness. Ameen.