Updated September 1, 2026

Now I lay me down to sleep prayer: the words, and a gentler version

Q: What are the words to the now I lay me down to sleep prayer?

The public-domain lines most families know are: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Many parents stop before the third line with a young child.

Q: Is the now I lay me down to sleep prayer the same as the photography charity?

No. The prayer is an old English bedtime rhyme. A nonprofit later used the same name for infant remembrance photography. This page is only the prayer.

Q: What is a gentler now I lay me down to sleep prayer for toddlers?

Use: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Watch me through the night, and wake me with the morning light. Amen.”

Q: Should we say this prayer every night?

Yes if the child likes it. Repeating the same four lines teaches more than a new paragraph they never finish.

Parents search for the now I lay me down to sleep prayer because they remember it and want the lines tonight. Here is the traditional text, why some families skip the “die before I wake” couplet, and a short version a tired toddler can finish.

A child at bedtime, ready to say a short prayer

The now I lay me down to sleep prayer (traditional)

This is a public-domain English rhyme. Families have used it for generations. Say it slowly. Let the child echo the last word of each line.

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

The third line is why some parents hesitate. A four-year-old does not need a theology of death at 8:40 p.m. You can stop after “keep.”

A gentler now I lay me down to sleep prayer

Same opening. No dying. This is original wording you can use as-is:

Now I lay me down to sleep.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

Watch me through the night,

and wake me with the morning light. Amen.

More short prayers, by age, live on bedtime prayers for kids.

This prayer is not the photography organization

Search results mix two things that share a name. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is also a nonprofit that photographs families of critically ill infants. That work is not this rhyme. If you wanted the prayer, you are on the right page.

How to say it tonight

Lights down. Phone away.
You say one line. The child repeats it.
If they want a story after, keep it audio and short — see bedtime Bible stories.

Four lines plus a story is enough. That is what a kids prayer app is for if you do not want to rebuild the night every time.

Pray at bedtime in Talya

Talya holds a short prayer, a Bible story, and a meditation in about nine minutes, with a parent account so the child is not sent onto the open web.

Pray tonight in Talya

FAQ

What are the words to the now I lay me down to sleep prayer?

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

Is the now I lay me down to sleep prayer the same as the photography charity?

No. The prayer is an old rhyme. The charity is a different organization with the same name.

What is a gentler version for toddlers?

Stop at “keep,” or add “wake me with the morning light” instead of the dying lines.

Should we say this prayer every night?

If they like it, yes. Same four lines beat a new paragraph they never learn.