Originally published 2019-10-16.
Every parent knows the half hour before bed can feel like herding kittens. Jessica D'Entremont, a mother from Poughkeepsie, New York, found a playful way through it in 2019, and her Facebook post about it travelled around the world. Her two daughters had glow-in-the-dark pyjamas. She told them the pyjamas would only glow if the girls lay perfectly still under the bedroom light to "charge" them.
The result, captured in the photos below, was two small girls lying flat on the floor, arms by their sides, waiting patiently. Her advice to other parents was short and cheeky: buy glow-in-the-dark PJs and explain that they only "charge" while the wearer stays motionless under the lamp. The post reportedly collected more than 200,000 likes and 120,000 shares.
The trick is funny because it is half true. Glow-in-the-dark fabric really does need light to glow. It just does not care whether the child wearing it is moving.
The photos that went viral
The first photo shows the scene from the bedroom doorway. Emma, 4, and Hannelore, 3, lie side by side on the wooden floor in their matching pyjamas, surrounded by building-block towns and a mini trampoline. The overhead light is on, doing the "charging".
Here the sisters sit on the edge of the trampoline, grinning at the camera. Their block creations are laid out in front of them, a reminder that the calm moment came after a busy day of play.
A third family snapshot shows the girls outdoors in a pink ride-on toy car on their street at dusk, with a police SUV behind them, its lights on. Jessica's post did not explain the scene, so it is best read simply as another glimpse of two energetic little girls, the kind of energy that makes a still bedtime game so valuable.
To make the story hold up, Jessica added a second step. In the morning she put the pyjamas away in a drawer. Kept in the dark all day, they no longer glowed by evening. When the girls tested them, they had to lie down under the light again before the glow returned, which only confirmed the rule.
How glow-in-the-dark pyjamas really work
Glow-in-the-dark prints use phosphorescent pigments. These materials soak up energy from light and release it slowly as a soft glow after the light goes off. Older and cheaper products often use zinc sulfide, which glows briefly. Many newer ones use strontium aluminate, which is roughly ten times brighter and lasts far longer.
Ordinary room light is enough to charge them, and a few minutes under a bright lamp makes a noticeable difference. Moving around does not stop the charge. Lying still, though, keeps the fabric facing the light, so in a small way the rule does help. That is part of why it is such a neat bedtime story: the science is real, only the reason is invented.
The glow also fades over time, and warmth makes it fade faster. A pair of pyjamas that glowed brightly at seven o'clock will be much dimmer by midnight, which is perfect for children who find total darkness scary but sleep better without a bright night light.
The sensory side of the story
Jessica explained that both girls had been diagnosed with sensory processing difficulties and could be very sensitive to sounds, textures and busy surroundings. She said the pyjama game had become a daily part of their "sensory diet", a term occupational therapists use for a planned set of calming or alerting activities through the day. She also mentioned other calming habits, writing: "We also use essential oils to help support sleep and calm so this is a great way to get some stillness."
Sensory processing disorder, or SPD, describes trouble handling input from the senses. Some children over-respond, finding tags in clothes or ordinary noises painful. Others under-respond and seem to need more stimulation. Occupational therapists often diagnose and support it with play-based approaches.
It is worth knowing that SPD is a debated label. It is not listed in the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, and in 2012 the American Academy of Pediatrics advised doctors not to use it as a stand-alone diagnosis, because sensory difficulties often go along with conditions such as ADHD or autism. Research on sensory therapies is mixed. None of that takes away from a family finding a gentle routine that works for them. If you are worried about how your child reacts to sound, touch or light, talk to a doctor or a paediatric occupational therapist.
Other parents shared their own harmless fibs
The comments under the post turned into a swap of creative bedtime and parenting tricks. A few of them are below.
One commenter joked about being "a rotten mother" in the best way and wished the idea had been around when his own children were little. It sums up the general mood: admiration with a wink.
Another reader focused on the girls themselves, noting how eagerly they seemed to wait for their pyjamas to light up. Anticipation, not obedience, is what makes the game work.
This commenter suggested adults might need the same treatment: ten quiet minutes lying still to "recharge". It is a fair point, as a short screen-free pause before bed helps grown-ups wind down too.
A mother of twins recalled telling her daughters they only had to "rest their eyes" at nap time because their eyes were tired from being open all day. Unsurprisingly, the resting usually ended in sleep.
One parent remembered telling her four boys to stay quiet while bread was rising, because the dough needed a nap or it would not taste good. She said it worked for years.
Not every child falls for it. This parent wished the pyjamas had existed when her twins were small, while admitting they always found ways to outsmart her.
The last comment moves from bedtime to the doctor's office. Asking a child to pick their "bravest finger" for a finger-prick test gave them a sense of control, and one boy took the choice very seriously.
Games, white lies and building a calm bedtime
Many of these tricks have something in common. They give children a role, a reason and a small sense of control, which is often all it takes to turn resistance into cooperation. Child-sleep advice from paediatric groups tends to stress the same basics: a predictable routine, a wind-down period without screens, and a calm, dim room.
Some parents prefer not to tell children things that are untrue, even playful ones. The pyjama game adapts easily. You can explain that the pyjamas need light to glow and invite the kids to lie still and watch them charge, and the calming effect is much the same. As the children get older, working out how phosphorescence actually works can become a fun little science lesson of its own.
Either way, the appeal of Jessica's idea is easy to see. It costs almost nothing, it turns a struggle into a game, and it ends with two small glowing children ready for sleep.
Sources: Photos: Jessica D'Entremont via Facebook and Instagram; Bored Panda, 2019; Wikipedia: Phosphorescence; Wikipedia: Sensory processing disorder.
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