Child Insomnia

Sleeps Safety First

It’s high time for a big-boy bed.

Your first task in this transition is to make your child’s room as safe as their crib used to be. This means fresh, aggressive childproofing.

• Check furniture such as bookshelves for stability. If need be, fasten furniture to the wall.
• Put locks on dresser drawers — toddlers love to pull out drawers and use them as stair steps to the top of a piece of furniture.
• Replace standard electrical outlet covers with childproof covers. The prefer type is the plastic-cap-type that are inserted into the outlet. The plastic caps are easily removed by an adult and then lost, leaving the plug uncovered. Worse yet, the plugs can be removed by children who will put them in their mouths while exploring the outlet.
• Make sure mini-blind, drapery, and curtain cords are well out of reach
• Remove any toysor other small objects that could be a choking hazard.
• Put any potentially hazardous materials, such as disposable diapers, in the closet and install a childproof latch on the closet door.

Next, make the chill’s room

a place where she feels

safe — especially at night.

• Night lights are important, but at this age many kids want even more light than that. A 15- or 25-watt bulb in a lamp can keep the monsters that “live under her bed”at bay. Put the lamp on a timer so that it goes on at bedtime and off when it is time to wake up. This serves two very useful purposes. First if your child does wake up during the night, they won’t be as frightened as they would be in the dark. Also, you can begin telling them that when they wake up, if the lamp is still on, it’s still night-night time.
• Kids love stories at this age, so it’s a wonderful time to introduce a cassette tape, CD, or even a MP3 player that your child can learn to turn on and off all by themself. There are lots of great story tapes available now for children. Investing in a few of these is smart. It’s an even better investment to make your own. There are no sounds in the world that are as comforting as mom’s and dad’s voices.
• You might want to install a sturdy, metal child gate that swings open. Do not use a wooden, accordion style gate — both for your convenience and his safety. Let your child see you assembling the gate. When it’s in place, make a game of opening the gate and walking through it, then closing it and opening it again. Next close the door with you both inside. Explain to them that the gate is there to help them stay safely in their own room. When they comfortable with this, leave the room and stand just outside. Remind them that while they are in her room, they will be safe. Walk out of their sight and come back so that the get used to being alone, inside their room, with the gate in place. You have just re-created the safety of the crib — only larger.
• Just before bedtime, tell them again that the lamp will be on as long as it’s nighttime. Remind him that while it is on he needs to stay in his room. When you put him to bed, help him turn on his tape player and, after your normal good night hugs and kisses, leave closing the gate behind you.

Your child will undoubtedly test you to see if you will enforce the “night-night time in your room” rule. They will probably stand at the gate and call for you to come and let them out– if you are lucky.

They also might cry mercilessly and try to make you feel guilty for confining him to his room. When this does happen, check on her to make sure she has not been awakened by a bad dream or she is not sick. Feel free to go into her room and help her get comfortable again so that she can go back to sleep.

But she can’t leave her room till

morning!

Leave and be prepared for an unhappy child. She will probably try to manipulate you into opening the gate and letting her come into your room. Children will often respond to new rules by testing them. Don’t give in.Unless you have decided that you want to have a family bed, teaching your child to sleep through the night in her own room is a real gift to the whole family.

Sleepy Tea for Overtired Children

Make him this tea – and serve it in a little demitasse with a generous spoonful of honey and a bit of cream or milk.  He calls it “that tea that calms me.”  Perhaps it’s the herbs and spices working their magic, or perhaps it’s the sense of love that comes from having your mother make you something special just before bed, but he drinks a few sips and drifts into a soft, sweet sleep.

Sleepy Herbs to Calm Overtired Children

Lemon balm

Lemon balm is a sedative, calming herb, traditionally used to treat sleep problems, nervousness and anxiety.  .

Rose and lavender offer a clean, sweet, floral flavor and – like many flowers – offer sedative properties with rose traditionally held to support sleep and induce sweet dreams.

Peppermint, fennel and licorice provide a soothing, pleasant flavor to the tea.  Both are generally used to support digestion, and ease upset stomachs.

Many herbs can be grown in your own garden or in pots on your balcony

A soothing herbal tea

COOK TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME

15 mins

A soothing herbal tea of lemon balm, mint, fennel, licorice and flowers, this tea is a calming bedtime tea for small children (and grownups, too). If you’re looking for a good source of organic and medicinal herbs for your homemade teas and tonics, click here.

Recipe type: Beverage

Cuisine: American

Serves: 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon dried lemon balm
• 2 teaspoons dried peppermint
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried rose petals
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
• 2 slices dried licorice root
• honey, (as needed)
• heavy cream or milk, (as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place a kettle of filtered water onto the stove and bring to a boil.

1. While the water comes to a boil, place herbs and spices into a mortar and crush with a pestle until roughly combined. Transfer to a teapot, pour boiling water over the herbs and steep for three to five minutes.
2. Strain and serve with honey and cream, as you like it.

Another great tea is Banana Tea

1. DO NOT PEEL the banana.
2. Cut both ends off
3. Wash of pesticide and other contaminates
4. Boil two cups of hot water
5. Put banana with peel in hot water 4 minutes
6. Turn of let steppe 3 minutes
7. Stain into two cups.
8. Add honey and cinnamon to flavor.
9. Let the tea cool. You do not want to burn the child mouth.
10. Now enjoy and both of you will enjoy a good night of SLEEP.

You can save money on herbs by growing them  in your own garden or in pots on your balcony. They do not take up much space, or, time and smell great. And yes they can be growing indoors for apartment living. Heck grow them at work and let everyone enjoy.

Because the Food and Drug Administration does not mandate that manufacturers show proof of effectiveness or safety before marketing dietary supplement sleep aids, talk with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements or other OTC products. Some products can interact with medications, and others — such as L-tryptophan, kava or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) — can be dangerous on their own.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Products and information on Experience Essential Oils and Shop are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent ANY disease.
A decision to use/not use this information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
Please see your vet, doctor or health care professional for medical evaluation for yourself or your animals.

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Timothy W. Bethune
The Real Heal Coach