How to help toddlers sleep in the summer
Does your child struggle sleeping when it’s light outside?
Is bedtime a stressful time?
Do you find bedtimes a challenge?
We all know it can be tricky getting children to stick to their bedtime routine when it’s still light outdoors. And often the result is tired, cranky children.
Establishing a bedtime routine and sticking to it is vital to children’s health and well-being. Studies have shown that early intervention in disruptive sleeping habits and sleeping problems could lead to significant health benefits in later life.*
Well-rested children will be happier, more confident, better focused, and better able to handle whatever their day throws at them. Our CDs have a proven track record of helping children and families overcome bedtime stress:
“We have really struggled with bedtime and this CD has totally changed all our lives for the better. We now have a CD player on the landing and WOW the results are amazing! Its so relaxing, so soft and gentle. It is really hard to get across how much a CD has changed our lives, but it honestly has!”
I would recommend this for children of all ages -even mums and dads! It’s so, so calming, I will definitely be buying more of these, as they are a very good range.” – Leslie, Parent
Our Little Stars CD can help restless children drift off into a peaceful sleep. Familiar nursery rhymes and lullabies are combined with very simple guided-relaxations and soothing music to help little stars relax and close their eyes.
Here are a few more tips you can use alongside our Little Stars CD to ensure a peaceful nights sleep:
1.) Invest in a pair of blackout curtains. Natural light keeps us awake, as our bodies are set to a natural clock. Also, little ones might want to carry on playing if they still think it’s early!
2.) Turn off the TV, computers and electronic games at least 2 hours before bedtime.
Backlit computer screens suppress melatonin levels, which are vital for regulating our sleep-wake cycle.
3.) Have a lavender bath half an hour before bedtime. A warm bath and soothing lavender will leave children feeling safe, cosy and ready for bed. A warm bath raises our core body temperature by 1 degree or so, and as we start to cool, our body simulates a day-to-night sensation and we start to feel sleepy.
4.) Give children a massage. You could try drawing specs gently on their face – around the eyes, eyebrows, over the nose and around the back of the ears. You could also try circling their palm with your thumb.
5.) You could say that they will have a surprise waiting for them when they wake up or have a sticker chart and give them a sticker next morning.
Children will start to associate a peaceful night with reward. You can slowly replace monetary rewards with personal reward. Children will realise that after a good night’s sleep, they feel healthier, happier and more awake.
You can purchase our Little Stars CD here: https://relaxkids.com/product/little-stars/
*Baglioni, C; Spiegelhalder, K; Nissen, C; Riemann, D. (2011). Clinical implications of the causal relationship between insomnia and depression: how individually tailored treatment of sleeping difficulties could prevent the onset of depression. EPMA J. 2 (3), 287-293.
