The unknown element is what makes a horror short bedtime story truly scary. For example, in a story where there are strange noises in the dark but you don't know what's causing them. It plays on our natural fear of the unknown. Our minds start to imagine all sorts of terrifying things.
They are concise. For example, they usually have a simple plot with few characters, like a story about a single animal's small adventure. This makes it easy for listeners to follow and fall asleep quickly.
You can find them in children's storybooks specifically for bedtime. There are also many websites dedicated to short stories for kids, like Storyberries.
One short bedtime story could be 'The Sleepy Rabbit. A rabbit was so tired after a day of hopping. It found a soft patch of grass and closed its eyes, falling asleep quickly. And that's the story.
Sure. Here is a really short bedtime story. Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit. It was lost in the forest. But then it saw a friendly deer. The deer led the rabbit home. Good night!
Sure. Here's one: A little rabbit was lost in the forest. It was scared. But then it saw a friendly deer. The deer led the rabbit back home. Good night!
A really dumb bedtime story is often made up of elements that are completely absurd. Such as animals having conversations in a language that doesn't exist and doing things that go against their nature. For instance, a snake knitting a sweater. There's no rhyme or reason to it. And if the story doesn't engage the imagination in a positive way, but rather just confuses the listener with its stupidity, like a rock having a tea party with a feather, then it's a really dumb bedtime story.