Try This Non-medical Approach To Get Your Child To Sleep

To help your child prepare both mentally and physically for dream time, one first step is to have a regular relaxing bedtime routine or ritual. You might wish to try a warm bath followed by a bedtime story or maybe a nighttime meditation that you read to your child which can help him relax and get ready for slumber time. It is important to give your child plenty of time for his bedtime ritual. This way you both avoid feeling rushed, anxious or stressed. Try to make your child's personal bedtime ritual as comfortable and relaxing as possible. Not only will this help your little one sleep easier, it will be a much more pleasant experience for you as well.

Many natural therapies have been shown to calm and relax children.

Touch can be a soothing tool. Without any doubt, you do not need to be a professional massage therapist to provide your child with the gentle strokes he needs. By providing a nurturing massage you will ease sore muscles and encourage relaxation. For massage you can use any natural oil. You might try grapeseed oil or olive oil. Both of these choices are safe to be ingested if your little one touches their mouth.

You may also wish to try a sleep sachet. To create a relaxing sachet, place a half cup each of chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, lemon balm and rosebuds into a small cloth and tie closed. Then place this sachet inside your child's pillowcase just before bedtime.

For years parents have tried a cup of warmed milk to soothe their child at bedtime, but many have found that a cup of sweetened chamomile tea can be much more effective and really do the trick.

A warm bath with a couple drops of lavender oil has soothing and calming effects (it is not recommended that you use essential oils with children under 3 months of age. If you are unsure if you should use essential oils, consult your child's physician.

Soothing music can also help a child relax and prepare for sleep. Before bedtime, ask your child to help you select their favorite bedtime music so they feel comfortable and empowered to have played a role in creating their own unique bedtime ritual.

Copyright (c) 2007 Liddle Kidz™ Infant and Children's Pediatric Massage

By: Tina Allen, LMT, CIIT, CIMI

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Interested in helping your baby, toddler or child sleep through the night? Find answers to all your questions about infant massage and children’s massage at www.liddlekidz.com. With over a decade of service to children and families, Tina Allen, founder of leading children’s health and nurturing touch organization Liddle Kidz™, has become an internationally respected parent educator and expert in the field of infant massage and children’s massage therapy.