Our Story

How it Began

Beyond Bedtime was founded in 2001 by Genevieve Piturro, a television executive who began volunteering to read to children waiting for foster care placement in New York City. When she discovered that many of them did not have pajamas to change into at night, she decided to take action. Genevieve began collecting pajamas from family and friends and delivering them to the children herself. Her simple act of care sparked a grassroots movement that grew into a national nonprofit dedicated to creating safe, nurturing bedtime experiences for children facing adversity.

Since its inception, Beyond Bedtime has provided more than 8.7 million new pajamas and storybooks to children across the United States, offering comfort, consistency, and a sense of belonging at bedtime.

Expanding the Vision—Sleep Health Education

In the years that followed, the organization’s mission continued to evolve. With the full support of Genevieve Piturro, leadership transitioned in 2017 to Executive Director Jamie Dyce, a longtime volunteer, board member, and passionate advocate. Under Jamie’s guidance, Beyond Bedtime began to expand its vision, moving beyond distribution to address the deeper challenges that affect a child’s ability to sleep.

A national needs assessment in 2018 revealed a critical gap: parents, caregivers, and educators lacked the tools and support needed to help children build healthy sleep routines. In response, the organization broadened its programming to include the adults in a child’s life—those most essential to creating sustainable change at bedtime.

In 2020, Beyond Bedtime acquired Sweet Dreamzzz, a Detroit-based nonprofit with a nationally recognized slate of evidence-based sleep health education programs. These programs have since been adapted, expanded, and integrated into Beyond Bedtime’s offerings, reaching thousands of children and families through partnerships with schools, shelters, foster care agencies, and community organizations.

Our Commitment to Sleep Equity for Children

Today, Beyond Bedtime is the only nonprofit organization in the United States solely dedicated to sleep health education for children and families experiencing poverty. Through a combination of direct service, caregiver engagement, and evidence-informed curriculum, the organization equips children and the adults in their lives with the tools, knowledge, and resources to make bedtime more comforting, consistent, and restorative.

With a goal of reaching at least 250,000 children annually by its 30th anniversary with not only the tools for a comforting bedtime routine, but also with sleep health education, Beyond Bedtime is working to ensure that every child has the support they need for consistent, quality sleep—the foundation for healthy development and brighter futures.

Tomorrow starts tonight.