Built, Tested & Used in My Home

Bedtime looks different on school nights and non-school nights. Instead of changing timers every evening, I use two separate schedules to help the kids wind down. The routines below describe what I actually use at home; device names and menu options will vary in your setup.

What happens in my home

School-night routine — 7:00 p.m.

Weekend / non-school-night routine — 9:00 p.m.

Two automation systems, one bedtime experience. I use Alexa routines for the Echo music and smart lights, and Apple's Shortcuts automations to schedule Apple TV sleep. They are separate automations set for the same time—not one Alexa routine directly controlling the Apple TVs. When HDMI-CEC is supported and correctly configured, Apple TV sleep may also turn off the connected television.

Why I set it up this way

School nights call for an earlier wind-down. On weekends, the kids can stay up later without me resetting every device's sleep timer. It also means I don't have to walk from room to room flipping switches or looking for remotes. The goal is a predictable bedtime, not a houseful of complicated commands.

What you'll need

How to build the 7 p.m. school-night routine

  1. In the Alexa app, open More → Routines (navigation can vary by app version), then create a routine.
  2. Name it something clear, such as Kids — School-Night Bedtime.
  3. Choose a Schedule / At Time trigger for 7:00 p.m. and select the nights that count as school nights for your household.
  4. Add smart-home actions to turn off the normal bedroom lights and turn on the nightlights. Select the exact devices, not a broad group that might switch off the nightlights too.
  5. Add a music action and select the appropriate Echo speaker as the output device. If each child's Echo needs different music or a separate destination, create a corresponding routine for each room.
  6. Save and test the actions while everyone is awake. Confirm the regular lights go off, nightlights stay on, and the music plays in the intended room.

How to build the 9 p.m. non-school-night routine

  1. In Alexa, create a separate routine named something like Kids — Weekend Bedtime.
  2. Set its scheduled trigger to 9:00 p.m. on the non-school nights you choose.
  3. Add actions to turn on the bedroom nightlights and start music on the correct Echo device. Repeat per room if needed.
  4. In Apple's Shortcuts app, create a Time of Day personal automation at 9:00 p.m. for those same nights. Add the Apple TV sleep action, select the correct Apple TV, and configure it to run automatically if your device offers that option.
  5. For multiple Apple TVs, configure each intended device and test them individually. Check the television's HDMI-CEC settings if you expect the TV itself to power off.
  6. Test both sides of the schedule. Alexa and Shortcuts are separate systems, so actions may occur a few seconds apart rather than at exactly the same instant.
Important: Apple TV sleep and television power-off are not interchangeable. HDMI-CEC behavior depends on the TV, Apple TV, and their settings. The Shortcuts menus and available Apple TV actions can vary by software version. Check the current controls on your own devices before relying on unattended shutdown.

Personalize the music for each child

One of the best parts of these bedtime routines is that each child can listen to their own favorite music on the Echo in their room. I set the music through the Alexa app, so the selected songs, artist, station, or playlist can start automatically at the scheduled bedtime. Different children do not have to listen to the same thing.

Set up a child's music in Alexa

  1. Open the Alexa app and go to More → Routines (the menu location may differ with app updates).
  2. Create a new routine, or edit the bedtime routine for that child's room.
  3. Under the trigger, choose Schedule, select 7:00 p.m. for school nights or 9:00 p.m. for non-school nights, and choose the appropriate days.
  4. Add a Music & Podcasts action. Specify the child's preferred song, artist, playlist, or station and, if prompted, the music service you use.
  5. Choose that child's bedroom Echo as the device that plays the music. If you want different music in different rooms, make a separate music routine for each child and schedule it for the same bedtime.
  6. Save, then run a test to confirm the correct music starts on the correct Echo at a comfortable volume.
Helpful detail: Music availability, playback duration, and the ability to select a particular recording can depend on the music service and account. If Alexa offers a duration or stop-playback setting, configure it to suit your family; otherwise test how long playback continues. Keep the light and nightlight actions in the appropriate bedtime routines so the music customization doesn't accidentally change the lighting.

For me, this means the bedtime schedule can stay consistent while the music fits each child. Of course, a favorite song can change without warning—sometimes approximately five minutes before bedtime. 😉

My practical tips

And yes, a bedtime routine is wonderful—until Alexa decides the music should play in the kitchen instead. That's why I always test the room selection first. 😉

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