RoutiniusQuick answer: Give your bedtime routine a lights-out time and Routinius starts fading the whole app from daytime paper to dusk and then to night, 45 minutes beforehand by default. A small sun sinks toward the horizon as the evening goes on and as steps get done. When the last step is finished, a sleepy sun yawns, closes its eyes and sets, stars come out and the screen says goodnight.
Why fade the screen
Bedtime often goes wrong at the start: “five more minutes” turns into thirty because nothing signals that the evening is ending. Dusk mode makes the change visible. Your child sees the app slowly getting darker and the sun getting lower, before anyone says “bedtime”.
It works on two clocks at once:
- The real clock: the fade starts 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes before lights-out (your choice) and reaches night at lights-out.
- The routine: each finished step moves the sun lower, so a quick bath and pajamas visibly bring night closer.
Whichever is further along wins, so the screen never brightens back up mid-routine.
The sunset
Finishing a bedtime routine plays a 16-second scene. The sun blinks, gives a big yawn, closes its eyes and floats a few sleepy “z”s, then sinks below the horizon, turning from gold to deep orange. The sky goes to night, stars appear one by one, the moon rises, and the screen says Goodnight with your child’s name. If iPhone’s Reduce Motion is on, it goes straight to the calm night scene.
Night skies
The default Lavender sky is free. Pro adds Ocean, Ember and Forest skies, each a different evening colour.
For help building the routine itself, read our guide to a bedtime routine for toddlers.