My son had a lot of trouble sleeping and bedtime ended up being stressful for both of us.
I tried everything, co-sleeping, a separate bed, breast milk, then as he did not sleep, a bottle, then a bottle with cereals ... but the problem continued and my nerves increased every day. A specialist recommended the most basic things to me that sometimes we simply forget.
I had to prepare my son for bedtime.
So I changed a few things at home, they were amazingly successful and still, years later and he as a teenager, we continue to maintain them, adapted to the new ages.
If your children have problems going to sleep, we recommend that, a couple of hours before bedtime, you do this:
- Lower the light tone at home. Put fewer lights and the ones you have on that are warmer.
- Avoid the use of screens.
- Listen to soothing music.
- Bath time: in our case we had to change it because we activated it too much, but there are little ones who leave them very calm and do great, especially the subsequent massage. You'll see what works the most for you.
- Avoid sugar.
And when they are no longer babies, why is it so hard for them to fall asleep?
Our children are growing up in a time quite different from the one we lived in during our childhood. They have to deal with a lot more stimuli, noises, and even expectations. And sadly, many more children today suffer from stress, depression, anxiety, and sadness. Like adults, or perhaps even more so, children are highly susceptible to stress and are unable to disconnect, their brain is full of racing thoughts. They have a hard time letting their thoughts go and they sleep an hour less than we did at their age. Lack of sleep causes a bad mood and lack of concentration at school. What happens to us as adults, but multiplied. In addition, having an irritable little one at home is also exhausting for the whole family.
As human beings, we must understand the resources we have to stop the constant overload of information and messages so that we can recharge. It is true we could reduce and calm the whole of society but it does not seem possible in the medium or short term, so we must learn ourselves and teach the methods to calm down, finding peace and meditation is essential part of that.
As different as children are, we have been able to experience with Soul Mates meditation and breathing exercises how quickly children find comfort and manage to relax and fall asleep. In this case, we recommend the guided meditation I am The Moon or the Mindfulness story I am The Moon that you can do together before going to sleep. The result of meditation if you stay and sleep alongside your child will be much better. Meditating together, being present, having your loving and quiet moment at bedtime will help your child find inner peace, love and even self-love. We do not always believe we have the time but let's try to make the effort to remember the personal and family benefits in the long run. Meditation is short and the benefit is immense.
