Using Six Senses to Help your Child Sleep

Getting children to want to go to sleep is always tricky and then sometimes getting them to stay asleep is just as hard. There are so many things that you have probably tried and a lot of them may fail, but have you ever thought about how all the senses could come into play when it comes to sleep?

Research has shown that there are ways that you can use sense to help your child settle, and that having the right environment and routine for the senses can really help. So how do we use all these senses to help our child sleep? 

1. Taste

Did you know that whilst your little one is sleeping their brain uses a lot of energy, and the brain needs a constant supply of sugar to help it function?

Whilst too much sugar before bed is never a good idea…without a certain type of sugar their brain will not be able to recharge as it is meant to. It will then crave fuel in the form of food and sugar and may well wake your child so it can be provided with that fuel.

The sugar that is needed is stored in your liver and called liver glycogen. It is said that giving a little extra of this type of sugar before bed could help the brain function better while your sleeping resulting in less wake ups. One way of getting this extra sugar is by using raw honey. The honey when taken without protein and in the raw form can help better brain function and would also maintain the correct level of blood glucose throughout the night.
So you could give your child 1-2 teaspoons before bed (though watch out for sticky mess) and you could even put some if the raw honey in some warm milk to make a sweet hot drink which will also help relax your child before bed. 

2. Smell

If you are reading this, then you are probably finding that bedtimes can be hard work. For some reason your little one is acting up, not wanting to sleep and is just not settled. Bedtime for a child can be stressful for many reasons. I'm not sure about you but I know that when I go to bed, I often feel stressed, replaying the day over, or thinking about the next day ahead. So as adults we try to do things that will relax us before sleep. There are plenty of things you can do for a child but have you ever thought about how you could use the sense of smell to help relax them? 

You may already know that the scent of Lavender is often advertised as a “calming and relaxing smell”, and one commonly seen with products as a bedtime or sleepy smell. Thats because the scent of Lavender calms nerves and lowers blood pressure. A child can really gain a deeper sleep if they are able to smell this in their bedroom. However, you can’t really start rubbing Lavender oils on a child or lighting lavender smelling candles. So what about getting your child their very own Lavender plant? This is a lovely way to have the scent of Lavender in your child’s room while still keeping it natural. Plus your child will love getting to nurture and water their very own plant...in itself a nice addition to the bedtime routine. 

3. Sight

Almost all experts agree that light at night time is close to the top of the list of things that really has a negative affect on our sleep. Whilst a lot of children like the comfort of a night light, or maybe the landing light coming through, even these small amounts of light can cause problems. Apparently even when your eyes are closed some light will still get through the thin eyelid skin. So why is darkness so important? When your brain senses pure darkness, it stimulates the production of Melatonin (which is the key sleep hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle). The more Melatonin the better the night’s sleep your child will have. You have a few options to try and get rid of all the light. Black out blinds are great for keeping out the majority of summer sunlight and keeping that landing light off if possible will help, but you may also consider a child sleep mask. There are proven benefits of wearing a sleeping mask and the main one is that it eliminates all light meaning that more melatonin is produced for a better nights sleep. 

(Warning - while there are no reported dangers on sleep masks, please make sure it is age appropriate for your child) 

4. Hearing

Have you ever noticed that, when you are trying to get to sleep, noises that you don’t normally hear in the daytime suddenly become a lot louder? For example Ticking of the clock, Traffic noise outside. This will be exactly the same for your children. Most parents are up watching TV while their little one is in bed, and I know that Lily somehow manages to hear every little bump or noise that comes from outside. This in turn really doesn’t help her get to sleep and often contributes to her getting out of bed several times.

But would you believe that some noise is said to help enhance your sleep by simply diffusing those intrusive noises. That noise is called white noise and is a constant sound that is soothing and that you can zone out on and fall asleep to. For adults white noises like an electric fan and radio static can work well. But I think for our children something more natural and familiar like the sound of water, or wind chimes could be more effective. This could be played on a CD player, Alexa, or any one of the free sleep apps available for soft atmospheric soothing sounds. After you have found the one your child likes, this will be the perfect way to distract them from all those sounds that interfere with their sleep.

5. Touch

When it comes to sleeping, your child is generally sleeping alone, closing their eyes and drifting off to a unknown place which is separated from the waking world. The idea of this could seem quite daunting to a child making them not want to go to sleep or even wake up in the middle of the night calling out for your comfort.
So the ideal thing that is needed here is comfort and reassurance and this can be done through touch. 

There are plenty of things you can provide for your child to create this comfort. One of the best is a soft and fluffy character which your child can not only get comfort from but also a security feeling (like someone else is sleeping with them). You could get your child a snuggly dream pillow, which is a super cute character that they can not only rest their head on but cuddle up to and put their hands inside. The two pleasing outside and inside textures on their face and hands should help them feel safe and warm, as well as cosy and comfortable. Which should help them feel happier to want to fall asleep. 

6. The Common Sense 

Be honest, you all thought that the 6th sense I was going to be speaking about was something ghosty? No, I am though going to talk about adding another dimension to something we all know about and want to do for our children and that is spend quality time with them before bed. Calming all their senses may not be enough if your child hasn’t felt they get that 'good night' time before bed. I am sure there are lots of ways that you already do this, which is one reason I have called it “The Common Sense”. There is however one more thing you 

could introduce which can be a game changer before bedtime - The Dream Pillow. The idea behind it is that the child can sit with you, snuggle up, and discuss what they would like to dream about then write it or draw it on a cloud shaped 'dream wish note'. They then pop it into their pillow to help them dream good dreams.

The science behind it is known as "Image Rehearsal Technique" which is if where someone writes/talks or draws about something for two weeks or more, it is likely to become part of their dreams.

This can really help a child feel more in control when it comes to both their dreams, and bedtime itself, which encourages a child to want to sleep. It also provides the perfect opportunity for a child to open up about anything that is troubling them. A child getting their problems off their chest before they sleep can ensure your child is more ready to sleep and also less likely to wake up during the night with nightmares or night terrors. Night terrors are simular to nightmares but the child cannot remember them.

This simple ritual need not take long but whether your child comes up with wonderful things or confide their worries it can only enhance the parent child bond.

As a new night time routine, the things above could really help change your child’s sleep for the better. They are all simple solutions, that in my opinion are well worth the try. So what are you waiting for? Lets gets rid of these "bed time battles".

Watch our short video on how to use your child's 5 senses and "The Common Sense Solution" 

Would you try these methods to help your child sleep? 

Dream Pillow are offering 25% off to anyone who wishes to purchase a Dream Pillow from the website. Click Here! and enter the code Lily25 at the checkout.

Or you may be interested in our Sensory Promotional Pack which as well as a Dream Pillow you receive some Honey, A child's sleep mask, A Relaxing sounds CD, and a small bag of Lavender. Click here, choose your Dream Pillow then Enter 5Senses5% at the checkout. 

Both offers expire on Cyber Monday the 2nd December 

*Disclaimer - this is paid collaboration*