This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
Whoever said “sleep like a baby,” obviously never had a baby, especially at night. There has to be some way to help kids sleep better, so you (the parent who is up at all hours with them) can sleep too. Right? Yes there are some things you can do. Keep reading for tips from one momma to another.
Routine is key for kids, especially bedtime. This routine can start very young too, like months old young. Here’s the key, it is not necessarily the time that is important to the routine, it is what you do. Time helps kids to get enough hours of sleep, but what is done helps them fall asleep. Be consistent.
Go through what all you do to get them ready for bed: bath, pjs, teeth, stories, prayers, oils, cuddles, rocking, good night kisses. Then figure out what is the best order for you to do them in. For our house it is the older child gets their pjs on, while mom fills the diffusers and changes the last diaper before bed. Then we come together to brush teeth, apply our oils, and read our bedtime stories. The older is then tucked into bed while the younger is taken out of the room to be rocked and cuddled to sleep. They know the order and it helps them prepare for bed, no matter how much they don’t want to go to bed.
For the light sleeping children a sound machine can help immensely to hide the sudden night noises. Something that plays soft music, or nature sounds that is not distracting, but just enough noise, that a sudden dog barking doesn’t wake the child up.
For children who struggle to stay still, but like tight spaces and cuddles, a weighted blanket may help if they already like blankets. Weighted blankets offer physical pressure in the form of proprioceptive and tactile input (input through the skin and the feeling of touch). This type of input is incredibly calming for most children. The weighted blanket acts like a huge hug that comforts them. You can find weighted blankets anywhere from 5 to 30 pounds. Proper weight guidelines for a weighted blanket is 10% of your body weight.
My favorite tip that helps my kids sleep better, is to diffuse essential oils in their room. I start the diffuser at the beginning of our routine and it helps set the mood to calm down and ease into sleep. Watch your oil sources here. Walmart essential oils is not going to cut it. Those are NOT pure essential oils contrary to what the label says. FDA does not regulate the essential oils well, so a bottle with even ONE drop of pure essential oil, and the rest filler and chemical, and still be labeled pure. I only trust the company with the Seed to Seal Promise (you can check out more about that here).
My favorite oils for my kids are Gentle baby, Peace and Calm, Cedarwood, White Angelica, Lavender, Sleeplyze, and Geneyus. If one of them is struggling with calming down I will often apply one small drop of Sleepylze or Geneyus to the top of their head and gently massage it in.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
As adults we all seem to struggle with sleep occasionally. However, sometimes those short spells seem to go on forever. How do you help yourself get a good night's sleep?
The first thing you can do for yourself, is to keep your own routine. Routine is stressed for kids, but as adults we also benefit from a bedtime routine. Routine helps your body and brain recognize that it is time to wind down and get ready for sleep. As busy parents, often this routine is interrupted by kids needing things or that last minute calls you forgot about. A loose routine is good to get started anyway.
As part of your routine, start putting the devices (phones/tablets/computers) down earlier. The blue light that is emitted from these devices tells our brains to wake up, instead of allowing the brain to start slowing down for sleep. Similar to how daylight signals wake up, but darkness signals sleep. One thing that really helped me recently was to start keeping my phone out of my room. Even though it was on DO NOT DISTURB, it would still keep me up. Or I would be constantly checking on that one thing I forgot about and never go to sleep.
When you are really struggling to wind down, you can drink a warm tea of lavender or valerian. Both of these herbs help to calm the mind and body, which allows you to begin the process of sleeping. My favorite premixed blend is Get Relaxed tea, by The Republic of Tea.
If you are struggling with stress or anxiety that will not let your mind rest, magnesium CALM powder often gives the body what it needs to relax. Stress depletes your body of magnesium, which can trigger more stress or anxiety. By giving your body the magnesium it is lacking it can naturally break the cycle and allow your brain to calm and sleep.
In the bedroom, adjusting the environment can help you sleep better. Cooler room temperatures can help you sleep better. The cooler temperature helps to signal your body it is time to sleep. Your body's temperature naturally drops at night, which is why your metabolism rate slows down at night and you spend less energy.
Weighted blankets can help calm you down and let you sleep. You can even find them with cooling cells so you don’t get as hot. You can find weighted blankets anywhere from 5 to 30 pounds. Proper weight guidelines for a weighted blanket is 10% of your body weight. I love cooling the room down and piling the quilts on for the weight that cuddles me in.
Having a properly fitted pillow is near essential for a good night’s sleep. Having your neck and spine aligned helps you to sleep well and wake refreshed, without the sore muscles and achy joints.
My final tip for a good night's sleep is diffusing essential oils. Watch your oil sources here. Walmart essential oils is not going to cut it. Those are NOT pure essential oils contrary to what the label says. FDA does not regulate the essential oils well, so a bottle with even ONE drop of pure essential oil, and the rest filler and chemical, and still be labeled pure. I only trust the company with the Seed to Seal Promise (you can check out more about that here). My favorite oils for diffusing at night are Lavender, Cedarwood, Bergamot, Peace and Calming, and Stress Away. I will often mix 3 drops of Cedarwood, bergamot and Stress Away and turn the diffuser on low 20 minutes before bed so the room is full of the oils.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
For more simple DIY updates click here:
