It seems the long tradition of bedtime stories for children before sleeping is disappearing in Britain. A study from British online retailer Littlewoods.com shows around a third of parents do not read bedtime stories. It also found that up to 50 per cent of children prefer to watch TV or play computer games. Researchers also found that just five per cent of British under-sevens do not own a book. Parents had many reasons for not reading stories. Thirteen per cent blamed a lack of time, nine per cent said they were "too stressed", while others said their children were not interested.

Littlewoods and British pop star Natasha Hamilton will try to end this trend. They started a bedtime story competition for kids under seven. Ms Hamilton said she was excited to see the different stories the kids come up with, and that choosing a winner was not going to be easy. She spoke about her own joy as a mother, saying: "As a mum of three, I know just how enjoyable reading bedtime stories to my kids is." Littlewoods said: "We appreciate how important it is for parents and kids to spend quality time together, and bedtime stories are a great way to do just this."