There are plenty of reasons why children don't want to hit the sack. Some pre-school aged children feel that they will miss out on something fun and exciting. For other children in elementary school, anxiety about taking a test the next day at school may be keeping them awake. Before having children, I dreamt about how peaceful the night would be with memorable bedtime stories. I envisioned singing my angels a soothing song until their innocent eyes would slowly close. I obviously knew nothing about children. When my older twins were three years old and my younger twins were two years old, I went through a very challenging time trying to get everyone to fall asleep. It became a vicious cycle because the less sleep they got, the crankier they seemed to be. The crankier they were, the more difficult it was to reason with them at bedtime.
I tried lavender baths right before bed, I tried earlier dinners, I tried Sesame Street Bedtime Stories DVD's and the list goes on and on. It's exhausting enough trying to get one overtired child to bed. Four overtired children who couldn't fall asleep was way too many for one household.
As a lifestyle reporter with years of interviewing medical experts, I clearly knew that not getting enough sleep weakens your immune system. According to Dr. Sears, world renowned pediatrician, children aged two to five years old need ten to twelve hours of sleep per day. I can only imagine what Dr. Sears would have said about six to seven hours of sleep a night.
I knew that I had to think outside of the box for a sleep remedy that would work for young children. So as a stressed out adult, I looked back at some of the most relaxing moments of my years before children and they always involved the spa. So I decided to recreate a spa night at home that was child friendly and see if it put everyone into a more relaxed zone. What many parents seem to forget is that young children do suffer from stress and anxiety. Of course it is not the same level of stress we suffer from with our jobs, our finances and endless list of responsibilities. In your toddler's mind however, the stress can be overwhelming enough to affect their daily behavior. Some children become overstimulated from new pre-school classes they are taking or frustrated from trying to learn a new skill. So I created a spa environment for them that included aromatherapy, soaking the feet, a light foot massage and nature soundtrack of ocean waves. The first night I experimented with this, I could just see the nervous energy melting away. That night my children went to sleep without a struggle and fell asleep faster. I did not have to deal with the mutliple excuses of why they just HAD to get out of bed.
After their spa night was over, I also used an old trick that my pediatrician passed on to my mother. He used to always say protein at bedtime enhances sleep. I gave the girls each a small slice of cheese right before I tucked them in and have been doing it ever since.
Obviously family spa night is a remedy that takes some time to set up and clean up, so it may not be something you will have time to do every night. My older set of twins are now five years old and my younger ones are four years old and they still want the spa treatment almost every night. I try to do it at least two to three nights a week because it promotes a better night's sleep for them. Try to save it for those days you know your child has had a stressful time at school. Many children seem to have trouble falling asleep at the end of a weekend, so try spa night on Sunday to alleviate stressful thoughts about the week ahead. Try using California Baby Calming Body Wash for the foot soak. Their products contain organic ingredients and are free of harsh chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, and numbing agents. They also promote relaxation with ingredients like french lavender. Remember a better night's sleep for the kids means a better night's sleep for mom.
Click on the video for details on how to create a spa treatment to promote a better night's sleep for your little ones
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