A whimsically oversized bed provides the oh-so-tempting centerpiece. The soundtrack is a slightly-too-soothing recorded snoring (as my toddler said, "Sounds like Daddy!). If the exhibit itself makes you a little wistful, though, rest assured (heh) it won't put small children to sleep.

Interactive displays share interesting information about sleep's role in other cultures. My toddler's favorite was a set of cubbyholes hiding dioramas of unusual places to sleep: a Japanese capsule hotel, for example.

In fact, the whole exhibit was stocked with doors and drawers to open and buttons to press, adding an element of fun for the younger visitor. That said, the exhibit itself is a little threadbare, and on a recent visit many of the buttons weren't working. Most kids won't care, of course, and the exhibit offers more than just buttons.

Anxious sleepers may find comfort in the displays of bedtime rituals and security objects from around the world. There's even an ancient Egyptian-style bed, complete with extremely unfluffy pillow. Older kids will enjoy feeding their bad dreams to Baku, the Japanese dream eater, and learning about the sleeping brain through an interactive video. This exhibit would be an ideal conversation-starter for a child who's going through some sleep issues -- families can peek together under a bed to prove there aren't any monsters, and then demystify dreams a bit with the interactive displays about what happens to the body during sleep.

When you are through exploring sleep, if your little one is not yet inspired to nap, the rest of the museum is still, as ever, chock-full of fun, educational, and engaging ways to not be at home.

Brooklyn Children's Museum
145 Brooklyn Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11213
718-735-4400