Whether you’ve been co-sleeping or using a crib, there’s a point in every parent’s journey when their child is ready to graduate to a toddler bed—but when?

In this article, we’ll cover:

• The ideal age for transitioning to a toddler bed
• Strategies to make the transition gracefully
• Plus, how to actually keep your kid in their toddler bed at night

When to Transition to a Toddler Bed

While there isn’t a clear-cut answer for when to transition to a toddler bed, there are a few factors that can help you decide.

Age

Some parents transition their babies as early as 18 months, but the average age tends to be around 3 or 3.5.

This tends to be a good age because your toddler is usually old enough to understand the purpose of a toddler bed—and the rules that come with a big boy or big girl bed. (Very young toddlers are more likely to get hurt if they wake up early and start exploring their room or the house unsupervised.)

Safety

Beyond age, safety is the most important factor for making the big switch. (Sometimes even more important than age!)

No matter how old your child is, you might consider switching to a toddler bed if:

• Your toddler is climbing out of the crib
• Your child is outgrowing his or her crib

Even if your child is only two years old, it may be safer to switch to a toddler bed if he or she is constantly climbing out of the crib. But don’t rush the process if your child is content and safe in their crib. Unless your child is a climber, consider keeping them in the crib as long as possible—until they outgrow it! My daughter slept in her crib until she was four years old.

Readiness

And, sometimes, kids tell you when they want to make the switch. If your child is raring to go, you might consider giving it a try. That excitement might be exactly what you need to make the transition work.

Necessity

And, of course, sometimes the transition to a toddler bed comes from a place of necessity:

• Maybe you have another child coming along and need the crib,
• Or you want to make the switch before another child comes to avoid dealing with a potentially difficult transition while you have a newborn,
• Or your child is potty-trained and needs to be able to use the toilet more easily in the middle of the night

The Approach: Prep Your Child First

Rule No. 1 is to prep your child for the big change. Toddlers need more time to process change, so it’s best not to spring this transition on him or her when it’s bedtime and he’s already tired. Explain the big change long before it even happens. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Hype it up. This starts with you: Be excited about the transition! Tell your child how excited you are for him or her, and do whatever you can to make it sound like a fun milestone.
2. Read books about sleeping in toddler beds. Books can help your child understand what’s happening more clearly. There are tons of options on Amazon and at your local library, but my favorite is Big Bed for Giraffe.
3. Accessorize. Let your child pick out his own sheets or a special blanket. When kids are involved, it makes them feel more in control of the situation.

Then, Proceed Slowly

Bottom line: A smooth transition is a gradual transition.

1. Start with naps. If possible, have your child take naps in the bed for the first few days to get used to it. Then, gradually introduce the toddler bed for nighttime.
2. Keep the bedtime routine consistent. Toddlers are creatures of habit, and routine helps ease change. His normal sleep cues (such as his favorite lullaby or a kid-safe lavender blend in the diffuser) will facilitate the process.
3. Keep familiar items close. This includes stuffed animals or other loveys.

Sounds Great, But How Do I Get My Toddler to Actually Stay in Bed??

Getting your child into the toddler bed is only half of the battle. The other half is getting your toddler to stay in the bed—and honestly, it’s the harder half.

Be prepared that your child most likely won’t stay in bed at first. It’s normal, and that’s okay. But this comes along with some important safety measures.

Tips for Success

Childproof

To keep your little wanderer safe, it’s essential to childproof if you’re transitioning to a toddler bed. Every room has different childproofing requirements, but here are a few of the basics:

• Put up a bedrail. If you’re using a twin bed or if your toddler bed doesn’t have one included, consider a bedrail. This creates a more “cozy” feel and also prevents the child from rolling out of bed.
• Anchor furniture. Make sure dressers and furniture are anchored. You can also anchor small nightstands too. Assume that if a toddler can climb it, it should be anchored.
• Cover outlets. All outlets should be covered.
• Hide and secure electrical cords. All electrical cords should be out of sight and secured.
• Use a gate. Even if you shut the door at night, consider placing a baby gate in the doorway. A child safety gate ensures your toddler won’t go roaming around the house at night. Keeping your child contained to his or her bedroom at night is a big safety issue. If your child can climb over gates (or open them), you may need to close the door and put a doorknob cover on the inside knob.
• Secure blinds. Blinds and their cords should be tied up and out of reach.

Create a cozy environment

Optimize the room for sleep by:

1. Using a white noise machine. This will help keep your toddler calm and drown out distracting ambient noise.
2. Darkening the room with blackout shades. A dark room helps signal nighttime, plus aids in melatonin production.
3. Putting a little potty in the bedroom. Consider putting a little potty in the bedroom with an amber-colored night light in case your child has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Stay with your child until they are fully asleep

This might be one of the most simple tricks, but it can help a lot during the early stages of this transition. Before you leave your child in his new bed, make sure he’s all the way asleep. Sing songs, read a few stories, or gently rub his back—whatever you need to do to help your little one drift off to sleep. If you leave your child while he’s still awake, you run the risk of him feeling excited about his new bed and exploring.

Consider a weighted blanket for children

A light weighted blanket made specifically for children can help kids feel more safe and secure in their new bed.

Serve a tart cherry yogurt drink after dinner

Tart cherry juice is a wonderful natural sleep aid, because it contains naturally-occurring melatonin. Simply add 2 ounces of tart cherry juice concentrate (the equivalent of two eight-ounce servings) to a raw yogurt drink each night before bed. This helped my son sleep 60-90 minutes longer every night!

Use toddler alarm clocks

You’ll want to decide if you want your child to come wake you when they are up or focus on ways to keep your child in bed. If you fall into the latter camp, many parents swear by the toddler alarm clocks. There are dozens of “okay to wake” alarm clocks that help teach your child when it’s okay to get out of bed. Some focus on colors, and some play fun sounds. These don’t work for all children, and many kids might see them as “toys,” so use these with discretion.

Put books on the bedside table

If you’re okay with having your child stay in their bed after they wake, put a few books or a relatively basic activity (like an Etch-a-sketch) on their bedside table. This will give them something quiet to do while time passes.

Add incentives

If necessary, you can also create incentives when your child stays in bed all night long. Incentives can be very helpful if you have a child that loves the newfound freedom to roam. Incentives can be simple, like a sticker chart. You could also make a little “treasure box” from a cardboard box and fill it with small toys.

Is Your Child Ready for the Big Transition?

If you’re moving your child for safety reasons, know that it may take some time, but the investment will be worth it. And, in some cases, if you’re not finding success, you may realize a co-sleeping or family bed arrangement works better for you and your child.

The bottom line is: Transitioning to a toddler bed is a big deal. But it’s just like many of the other transitions that you’ve been through with your child. Be prepared for a few rough nights. You will all get used to the new normal and eventually get back into a routine—no matter what that looks like for your family.

How About You?

Have you already made transition? What tips worked well for you? We’d love to hear about your experience!

The post When to Transition to a Toddler Bed (Plus, Tips to Ease the Transition) appeared first on Mama Natural.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, getting a baby to sleep is fruitless—and that’s totally ok. One day at a time, mama! But a new study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst explains how sleep and memory are connected. More specifically, why regular naps, combined with a good night’s sleep, are important for more than a mama’s (or papa’s) sanity: Research shows that naps and overnight sleep work together to improve early childhood memory and emotional wellbeing.

The Study on Sleep and Memory

To examine how sleep and memory are connected, neuroscientists showed 49 children, ages three through five, familiar and unfamiliar faces paired with emotional “mean” or “nice” statements. (I.e. “Lena is always nice. Today she helped us pour milk into our cups at lunch time.”) The kids were then tested at three points during a 24-hour period: immediately after learning about the faces, after a delay either with a nap or awake, and again the next day.

The Results

There was no difference in memory accuracy between children who had a nap and those who remained awake during the day. However, when the children’s memories were tested again the next day, the children’s memory accuracy was greater if they had napped the previous day, suggesting a strong correlation between sleep and memory.

“Individually, the nap and overnight sleep bouts were not sufficient to induce changes in memory,” say study authors. “A significant benefit of napping was observed only when changes across the entire 24-hour period were considered. This supports an interplay between the nap and subsequent overnight sleep in the consolidation of memories in young children.”

Researchers say their work also highlights the way naps help preschool-aged children process emotions.

“A common observation of parents and preschool teachers is that children seem either grumpy or giddy when they skip their nap,” says lead researcher Rebecca Spencer. “Our results are consistent with these observations of caregivers. Naps do contribute to emotion processing at this young age.”

The Takeaway

Study authors say their findings on sleep and memory reinforce the importance of establishing regular sleep routines and maintaining daily naps averaging 70 minutes throughout preschool years.

“Napping remains an important part of the daily preschool schedule and sufficient time for sleep should be protected.” — Rebecca Spencer

Kids and Sleep: How Much Is Enough?

There’s so much ground to cover when it comes to kids and sleep. Did you know newborns sleep anywhere from 10.5 to 18 hours per day?! Even 18-year-olds need 9 hours of sleep each night. Find out how much sleep your kids need here. And if you have trouble getting your little one down at bedtime, check out how you can help your kids sleep an extra hour each night.

The post Sleep and Memory: How Naps Improve Your Kids’ Memory appeared first on Mama Natural.

Unfortunately, all children grow out of their daily naps.

Which is why I’m here to answer all of your questions and prepare you for that eventual day. Read on to see:

• Why napping is so important
• How long and how frequent naps should be
• Plus, when most kids stop taking naps

Why Napping is So Important

Your baby’s brain takes in and processes an amazing amount of information every day. A simple walk around the block fills their senses with new sights, sounds, and smells. Remember, it’s all new—baby has a lot to process! Researchers say babies, or toddlers, need naps to recharge their brains.

Because of the “intense synaptic activity that goes on in their highly active, highly connected brains, young children are less able to tolerate long periods of time awake.”

It’s those rest periods, say experts, that facilitate and solidify learning. In one study, researchers taught new verbs to children. They then divided the three-year-olds into two groups: one that napped afterward and one that didn’t nap. When both groups were quizzed on how much understanding of those new words that they’d retained, the group that napped performed better.

Napping also improves your child’s mood, and who doesn’t want a happy child? In another study, toddlers who missed just one of their daily naps showed increased anxiety, less joy, and less interest in the world around them. They also gave up on problems, like a puzzle, faster exhibiting signs of confusion and frustration.

How Long and Frequent Should Naps Be?

Newborns generally sleep 16 to 18 hours a day, and their naps don’t happen in normal nap/nighttime sequences. Instead, they generally sleep in clusters ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours between feedings. Full babies are sleepy babies!

Once babies become more active, the length and frequency of naps varies from child to child. My son Griffin started out as a terrible sleeper, taking short naps and dropping his second nap when he turned one. But then, around two years old, he turned into a power napper, sleeping for two to three hours a day!

In one study, researchers examined the nap patterns of a group of 172 children from birth to age seven.

• By nine to 12 months, babies fell into a pattern of two naps per day.
• By 15 to 24 months, that same group’s napping pattern decreased to one afternoon nap, most of which lasted for about 2 hours.
• By 3 years, the majority of children were still napping, but at decreasing rates.
• By 5 years, a minority of children were napping.
• By 7 years, almost all naps ended.

So When Do Kids Stop Napping?

Most kids stop napping somewhere between 5 and 7 years old, but should they? Like many things when it comes to kids, there’s really no definitive answer. Even toddlers need 11-14 hours of sleep a day, but some kids get that sleep all in one go at night, while others need to make up for the difference during the day.

Here’s more info on how many hours of sleep kids need, including suggested bedtimes for all ages.

How Do You Know If Your Kid Still Needs a Nap?

Pay attention to your kids’ signals. If your child needs a nap, chances are you’ll see the signs: eye rubbing, crankiness, impatience, and frustration. No matter what the age, if your child is resisting naps but still displaying those behaviors, they might still need that break.

To get your toddler to sleep, try:

• Lulling them to sleep with soft, soothing music
• Setting them up with a book in a darkened room
• Giving baby a massage before naptime

Need more ideas? Check out this post and discover 20 surefire ways to get your baby down for a nap.

How to Tell If Your Child Is Ready to Stop Napping

If, on the other hand, your child seems to have an excess of energy, he/she may be ready to stop napping.

Look for the following behaviors:

• Your kid isn’t tired at naptime and bounces around the room.
• Your kid skips a nap and doesn’t show any negative side effects, like crankiness, frustration, or poor mood.
• Your kid takes all of their normal naps, but you have to fight to get them down at bedtime.

If you can relate to any of the above, try cutting out your child’s nap to see how it affects them. If they seem tired, you can reintroduce naps for another week or two before trying again.

If, on the other hand, your kid seems happy and energetic, he/she may be ready to let go of naptime—for better or for worse! ?

How About You?

Did your baby’s naps follow any pattern? When did your child stop napping? And, if you have more than one child, did they all stop napping at different times?

The post When Do Kids Stop Napping? appeared first on Mama Natural.

In this post, we’ll talk about:

• why sleep is so important for kids
• how many hours of sleep your child needs each night
• how to end sleep resistance
• and simple ways to maximize everyone’s sleep

Before we dive in, we’re going to share a chart of ideal sleep and wake times for kids. DON’T FRET IF YOUR CHILD DOENSN’T FALL WITHIN THE “IDEAL”. Children are all biochemically unique and each child will have his/her own pattern. The point is to work towards the “ideal” without losing our minds ?

Why sleep is so important for kids

We all know that sleep is important (like when baby finally sleeps through the night), but you may not realize just how vital it is to your child’s health and development. When kids aren’t well-rested, this can show up as tantrums, whininess, aggressive behavior, or bullying. It also negatively affects their memory.

During sleep, the brain organizes and catalogues the information of the day as memories. In one study conducted by neuroscientists, preschoolers played a memory game, then played again to test retention.

Those who napped before the second round retained all of the information, but the group that was kept awake without a nap didn’t perform as well. (Source).

Without adequate sleep, we feel less focused, less motivated and more scatter-brained (I know you know the feeling!)

Sleep supports the immune system

During times of stress or growth, we tend to sleep more. This is because the body uses this time to make repairs. Our bodies release cytokines that fight infections during sleep. If we’re not allowing time for these nightly repairs to take place, we’re more prone to falling ill. This study found that white blood cell counts dropped by 20% for sleep-deprived rats. That’s huge!

Rest promotes growth

A good portion of children’s lives are spent sleeping—about 40% to be exact. That’s good, too, because growth hormone is primarily secreted during sleep. (So, YES, children really do grow in their sleep!) It’s interesting to note that, in studies, kids grow more in the summer, when they don’t have to wake up early to catch a bus or go to school. (Source.)

If kids aren’t getting good shut-eye, their growth may be affected so it’s vital we teach our children how to sleep!

The two sleep cycles, REM and non-REM, both play a part in development. During the non-REM cycle, blood supply to the muscles is increased, energy stores are refilled, tissues grow, and systems repair. Their bodies then switch over to REM, or active sleep, where they dream.

Babies spend about 50% of their time in non-REM sleep since they’re growing so rapidly, but this stage declines as the child ages.

Best bedtime for children

The best bedtime for children will vary for each family, depending on schedules and when the child needs to (or typically) wakes up. The following sleep chart can help you determine what’s the best bedtime for your child by age.

How many hours of sleep do kids need?

This is the million dollar question, amiright?! No matter what various charts said by various experts, my son was always on the low side. (Sigh!) So, don’t get too caught up with comparing your child to others. However, it’s good to see guidelines so that you can shoot for ideals. Here are National Sleep Foundation’s recommendations for total hours of sleep by age. (You’ll notice a big variation in their ranges since children’s sleep needs can differ pretty substantially!)

Newborn to 2 months: 10.5–18 hours of sleep
3–12 months: 9.5–14 hours of sleep
1–3 years: 12–14 hours of sleep
3–5 years: 11–13 hours of sleep
5–12 years: 10–11 hours of sleep
13–18 years: 9 hours of sleep

Pretty amazing that even 18 year olds need 9 hours of sleep per night?! How many are truly getting the zzz’s they need in our fast-paced, 24-7 lifestyle?

How much sleep do teens need?

As mentioned above, teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep a night, but between school, sports, and other activities, they typically only get 6–7! ? James B Maas, a Cornell psychologist and leading sleep researcher, observed that most teenagers are “walking zombies.” 

In this study, Dr. Mary Carskadon found that students with an early school start time were pathologically sleepy just an hour later.

Teens who went to bed later than midnight were 24% more likely to suffer from depression and were 20% more likely to have reported suicidal thoughts than teens who were in bed by 10 pm.

The problem can be a circular one, since, “The data suggest reduced quantity of sleep increases risk for major depression, which in turn increases risks for decreased sleep.” (source)

And small changes can make big impacts: Just 19 minutes of extra sleep in the two teen groups showed a marked improvement in daytime functioning.

So even though older kids may act like their adults and resist sleep like the plague, you can see how many hours of sleep they get is so vital for their well-being!

How many hours of sleep do you need?

All this talk about bedtime might have you thinking, what about me?! How much sleep do adults—and more specifically, exhausted parents—need? ?

We all know sleep deprivation is not good. Have you ever seen those videos of sleep-deprived test subjects driving like they’re drunk when they’re actually just sleep-deprived? In fact, nearly 7,000 people die in the U.S. from falling alseep while driving, making it the second highest cause of fatal car accidents behind drunk driving.

Sleep deprivation affects us in a multitude of ways. Mood. Immunity. Energy. Patience. Coordination. Brain function. The list goes on and on. More than pretty much anyone, parents are a universally sleep-deprived bunch! But we need our sleep, too.

Getting quality sleep, while not always easy to get, is crucial to prioritize. We’ll share more tips on getting better (and more!) zzz’s later in this post.

Signs children aren’t getting enough sleep

But back to the kids. How can you tell if they aren’t getting enough sleep? Here are some signs…

• quick to anger
• moodiness
• clumsiness
• forgetfulness
• weepy
• tantrums
• lack of enthusiasm

One study found that there were negative effects (and behaviors) in children after just four nights with only one hour less sleep per night.

Clumsiness and lack of coordination also become a problem. In a Chinese study, children who had less than 9 hours of sleep per night were more prone to injuries that required medical attention (source).

Sleep deprivation can also manifest as trouble performing at school, as well as attention issues. Lack of sleep can be misdiagnosed as ADHD, since they both share some similar symptoms. And children who do have attention and hyperactivity issues found that their symptoms improved with even just 27 minutes more sleep per night (source).

How can I help my child get enough sleep?

Talking about how much sleep your child needs doesn’t do much good if they can’t seem to get in bed. Establishing regular bedtime routines that are firm and consistent is key. The sooner you can start helping your child develop these habits to ease into bedtime, the better.

How to establish regular bedtimes

A good night starts with a good morning. Establish regular morning wake-up times, chore times, dinner times, etc. Kids thrive on routine, and having other predictable rituals during the day helps prepare them for a nighttime routine.

When it comes to your nighttime ritual, start up to 1 hour before bedtime to help your child unwind and rest. As your child gets into a better sleep rhythm, you can decrease nighttime routine to 30 minutes.

A nighttime routine can include:

• Story time
• Putting PJs on
• Taking a bath
• Family prayer time
• Daily reflection
• Light exercise/stretching
• A small cup of chamomile tea
• Playing soft, relaxing background music
• Rubbing relaxing essential oils onto the feet (with a carrier oil)
• Diffusing kid-safe relaxing essential oils in their bedroom

Older kids and teens can follow the same basic routine. However, they may want to skip the bath and have solo reading time.

Tips for a successful bedtime routine

• Be consistent and united. If the kids know that dad will be more lenient on the bedtime routine and rules than mom, it can unravel your plans.
• Get the timing right. If your child is going to bed much later than they should, then move their bedtime back by 15 minute increments each night until you’re at the goal.
• Dim the lights. Melatonin, our master hormone that regulates sleep cycles, is disrupted by exposure to bright (or blue) light at night. Since melatonin actually helps us feel sleepy, it’s important not to mess with this hormone! Support its production by dimming lights an hour before bedtime or when the sun goes down and limiting technology. Use low light lamps in the evening rather than bright overhead ones. Furthermore, get your kids into the natural light outside first thing in the morning to support their circadian rhythm or day/night internal clock.
• Listen to quiet and relaxing music during the hour before bed. This can be playing in the background while your child is reading, brushing teeth, etc.
• Relax with a bath. Add some Epsom salts with lavender or chamomile essential oils to their bath. Both the magnesium from the salt, and the oils, are calming.
• Consider a pajama walk. Harley Rotbart, author of No Regrets Parenting, suggests a nightly pajama walk (weather permitting.) Get your kids completely ready for bed: teeth brushed, story read, and yes, pajamas on. Then take a quiet stroll through the neighborhood (10-15 minutes). The fresh air can put kids in a calm state, making them ready to hit the hay.
• Listen to a guided meditation. This recording doesn’t have to have a new age vibe, it just needs to help the brain relax. “Goodnight Dear Brain (yawn) Good Night” narrated by actress Jennifer Garner is good for little ones. Beta brain waves soundtracks are also helpful, and emulate the frequencies that our brains use to relax.
• Use a weighted blanket. Cuddle up with a weighted blanket to promote feelings of calmness at bedtime. According to research published in the journal Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, weighted blankets promote sound sleep by reducing anxiety, combating insomnia, and reducing movement (AKA tossing and turning) throughout the night. Therapeutic blankets can weigh up to 30 pounds, but this YnM blanket provides a kid-friendly five pounds of comfort.  (source, source) As a bonus, this blanket can double as a black-out shade when you’re traveling. Win win!
• Reflect on the day. Write or draw about the day in a goodnight journal to help children unwind their thoughts for the day. (I like this one.) You can also do nighttime prayers, blessing family members, friends, teachers. (I like this daily devotional for kids.)

But really, the most important thing to accomplish in a nighttime routine is to get your kids to bed on time. Start EARLY to be sure that your child doesn’t get overtired and battles you every step of the way.

If you capture your child in the drowsy window (and not overtired window), you should be golden.

What can I do if my child isn’t getting enough sleep?

Bedtime routines help your child get the shut-eye they need, but even the best efforts will be met with resistance sometimes. Common stalling techniques include:

• asking for (another) glass of water,
• wanting one more story,
• insisting on a snack,
• or requesting you stay in the room with them.

If their needs are met and they’re just trying to delay sleep, then here are some solutions to try…

Get kids to stay in bed (for real)

• Stuffed animals, blankets, and other security items can be helpful for little ones. This study showed that stuffed animals helped to reduce nighttime fears.
• Background noise, like a humming fan, can help cover little noises that might wake them up.
• Set a timer and give them a light back scratch, the soft touch can really set in the sleepy eyes
• Use an “anti-monster spray” with calming essential oils. Bergamot, lavender, vetiver, and ylang ylang are a few kid-safe choices.
• If they’ve already had their needs met, and they just can’t seem to stay in bed, return them to bed and assure them that everything is ok.
• If your child is waking up with bad dreams, have them imagine their fear as something silly instead—like that monster has silly purple hair and stars as eyes.
• Give them something to look forward to in the morning, like a yummy breakfast, special show or fun playdate.
• Explain how they need their rest to grow strong, this works especially well with boys. Talk about how they literally grow bigger and stronger while sleeping and they don’t want to short-change their bodies.
• Go through a list of their friends one-by-one and tell them how they are all sleeping, peer pressure works!

Some things not to do… 

• Reward your child for staying in bed. Giving stickers and other small prizes for doing something they are supposed to do for basic self-care can set up a bad precedent.
• Don’t lock their door to keep them in. This can make them afraid and also poses a fire hazard.
• Don’t use the bedroom for time-outs or punishment. Use the space to play with your child, read, and spend quality time together. This way they’ll associate that space with good memories, which makes for an easier time sleeping.

If all else fails, you can try a more non-conventional way to get your kids to sleep: Let them be involved with choosing how and when they go to bed. See how one mom successfully uses this strategy here.

What to skip for a successful bedtime

• Avoid caffeine later in the day, or even better, nix it all together. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children skip this stimulant entirely. Keep in mind that chocolate contains caffeine so no chocolate cake after dinner!
• Avoid sweet snacks right before bed. So you don’t have to vend off a sugar high, skip the treats after dinner. Instead, chose calming, calcium-rich snacks like warm milk, yogurt, and cheese. I’ve used this concoction with much success! You want to keep nighttime eating on the light side so the body isn’t uncomfortably full before bed.
• Stop screen time well before bed time, as this can disrupt the circadian rhythms that tell our body it’s time to sleep. The stimulation from video games and movies can also get them rowdy and overactive.
• Avoid bright lights. As mentioned above, since blue light disrupts melatonin production, keep the lights dim before bedtime for better zzz’s.
• Get rid of the night-light. As mentioned earlier, light while sleeping confuses the brain and disrupts sleep. If your child protests no night light, you can keep it on until they fall asleep and then turn off. Or, look into these amber bulb night lights since they don’t disrupt melatonin production.

What do I do about sleep when we’re on vacation?

Parents may have a hard time maintaining the typical school year schedule on family vacation or during summer break. These tips will help keep your kids well rested, even when regular routines get disrupted.

• Have a quiet reading time, or rest with your children if they’re unable to nap in a strange place.
• Try not to rush the typical bedtime routine so that children don’t feel anxious over the changes.
• If you don’t normally co-sleep, this may be a good time to try it when the surroundings aren’t as familiar for little ones.
• Bring along familiar items, like a favorite book and stuffed animal.
• Keep that 1 hour of wind down time as a sacred space for your child to get ready for bed. It may mean leaving the holiday party a little earlier, or taking time out to go put your child to bed with their regular routine.
• Use blackout curtains, or hang towels up over the windows so that the room is dark for better sleep rhythms. This is especially helpful during the long days of summer.
• If traveling to a different time zone, start adjusting your child’s bedtime schedule a few days before vacation time.

By staying up late, you’ll likely be making up for it by sleeping in the next day. Help your kids see that there are more fun activities for them to do during the daylight hours, and that they’re actually missing out on that when they try to fit too much in at night.

If you do let your kids stay up late or sleep in, keep it a reasonable amount of time. Staying up 3 hours later than usual can really throw off their schedule. If your kids stay up later than usual during vacation time, then when things return to normal, slowly get them back onto their regular schedule.

Kids, sleep, and the bottom line

Do your best to establish a regular routine that works well for your family. Life isn’t perfect, and sometimes despite even your best efforts, bedtime plans unravel—and that’s ok. It takes some work, but with consistency, your little ones will drift off to sleep (and stay there!) before you know it.

How about  YOU ?

I would love to hear your experiences, particularly…

• What does your bedtime routine look like?
• Does your child act different without adequate sleep?
• What are your best bedtime success tips?

The post How Many Hours of Sleep Do Kids Really Need? appeared first on Mama Natural.

This might not sound like big news to you, but to my husband and me, it’s miraculous, paradigm-shifting, and deeply healing.

For the first time since Griffin was born, my husband and I are truly rested. More importantly, so is my son.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Here’s a video on our experience with tart cherry juice for sleep

My name is Genevieve, and my son is an early riser…

From the moment Griffin came out of the womb, he’s been an early bird. For the first three years of his life, he woke up at 5:30 a.m. (or earlier!) every single day. Papa Natural and I took turns doing early morning shifts for years. But no matter how early we’d go to bed or try to catch up on sleep elsewhere, we could never adjust to this wake up time.

We tried everything to help our son sleep past 5:30am

• Earlier bedtime
• Later bedtime
• More naps
• Less naps
• More rocking
• Less rocking
• Protein-rich dinners
• Starch-rich dinners
• No night lights
• Loud sound machines
• The OK To Wake Owl
• Fervent prayer

But none of it worked

In Griffin’s first three years, I can count how many times he slept past 6:30am on one hand. No joke.

Yes, I know there are much, much worse things out there. I try to keep things in perspective. It’s just sleep, right?

But I knew that he needed more. He would often fall asleep in the car or when I would take him for a walk in the stroller. He was crabby at the end of the day, and would frustrate easily.

I kept searching for solutions…

That’s when I discovered tart cherry juice

On a whim, I saw this study that showed how tart cherry juice can help people sleep longer. This is due to the naturally occurring melatonin found in this particular type of cherry. Additionally, the beautiful ruby red color is due to proanthocyanidins. These can help increase the availability of tryptophan, an important precursor to serotonin, which also encourages sleep. The juice is also shown to cellularly inhibit an enzyme – indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase – that degrades tryptophan, a known predictor of insomnia and is also related to inflammation.

As I looked into it, I thought “why not give it a try?” I started serving Griffin one ounce of organic tart cherry juice concentrate mixed with 8 ounces of filtered water and a little natural sweetener. I did this religiously for a week, and definitely noticed he slept longer, which was exciting.

But I resisted the juice…

Even though it was natural, and low in sugars, I still didn’t fully love the idea of giving my son juice daily. I preferred more nourishing liquids like kefir or spring water. I also noticed that he started to expect juice as his beverage of choice… he wanted juice boxes when we were at the grocery store, orange juice at restaurants, that sort of thing. I started phasing tart cherry juice – and all juices – out of his diet.

Then Papa Natural suggested this tart cherry juice recipe

A bad stretch of early morning wake ups got us thinking about tart cherry juice for sleep again. Let’s face it; I was desperate for more sleep, especially now that I had a newborn as well who was getting up in the middle of the night.

Anyway, Papa Natural suggested that we add tart cherry juice to the raw yogurt drink that we feed to our son every day. We get our raw yogurt from a local farmer, and it has a kefir-like consistency that is very drinkable. I was worried Griffin wouldn’t like the taste, but… he loved it! YES! I jumped in with both feet and started giving him 2 ounces of the tart cherry juice concentrate (the equivalent of two eight-ounce servings) each day. Shortly thereafter, Griffin was sleeping 60-90 minutes more a day! WOOT! Prayer answered!

Our tart cherry juice recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce of organic tart cherry concentrate (you can find here.)
• 8 ounces of organic kefir (or yogurt with a little water added) I prefer raw dairy
• 10 drops of whole liquid stevia (you can find here) or other natural sweetener

Directions:

• Pour 1 ounce of tart cherry juice into cup. I like using LifeFactory glass sippy cups because they have ounce markers on the bottles. I also prefer glass sippies to plastic or stainless steel.
• Add your natural sweetener.
• Add your raw kefir or yogurt/water combo (~ 3/4 cup organic yogurt and 2 TB to 1/4 cup filtered water).
• Put on lid and mix well. (Be sure to cover spout holes so it doesn’t spill while shaking )

Be sure to serve twice a day

I give Griffin one serving as a mid-morning snack, and one in the evening before bed. I’ve tried experimenting with giving him just one serving a day, and it doesn’t work the same.

This study totally confirmed my experience.

“A morning and evening ritual of tart cherry juice may help you sleep better at night… Researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice twice a day… helped increase sleep time by nearly 90 minutes.”

I couldn’t sum up my experience using tart cherry juice any better.

I’m so grateful for tart cherry juice for sleep!

As a mama who loves her sleep, I’m so grateful for tart cherry juice. Over the past two months, Griffin’s new normal is sleeping past 7 a.m., something we didn’t think we’d see until he was in high school. We are all happier, healthier and saner as a result.

(Thankfully, my second child, Paloma, was sleeping through the night at 10 months old and never wakes before 7a.m.)

I share this in case it helps any other sleep-deprived mamas out there!

How about you?

Have you tried tart cherry juice for sleep or any other tips or tricks to help your little ones rest? Share with us!

The post How Tart Cherry Juice Can Help Kids Sleep Better (Adults Too!) appeared first on Mama Natural.

I don’t know about you, but I would have done just about anything to help my son Griffin sleep longer when he was a baby. For about two years, his average wakeup time was 5:30am. And it didn’t matter if we put him down at 6pm or 8pm, he was still up at the crack of dawn.

My husband and I survived – barely – by taking shifts. I remember googling “how to get kids to sleep” over and over again looking for ideas :).

Help may be on the way

New research from the University of Oxford found that a common supplement can help kids sleep nearly one hour longer and experience fewer sleep disturbances. The test was conducted with 362 children in the UK between ages seven and nine over a 16 week period. For 5 of those days, the kids wore fitted wrist sensors to monitor their movements during sleep.

Here’s my video on how to help your kids sleep longer

So what is the common supplement?

The supplement that helped the kids sleep in the study was Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, notably DHA. Specifically, they took 600 mg DHA supplements every day.

The researchers believe that the DHA helps release melatonin, that mysterious hormone that helps us fall asleep.

How do you give your kids Omega-3 DHA supplements?

Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil is my favorite source. If you give your child 1/2 tsp. per day, you’ll be at ~300 mg of DHA while also supplying them with important fat-solble vitamins A & D. If you combine that with oily fish a few times a week, you’ll be on your way. (For example, daily 1/2 tsp. of cod liver oil plus 2 – 3 ounce servings of salmon per week would equate to the study dosage.)

There’s also this supplement by Nordic Naturals, which does have an added natural Vitamin A, but it’s a quarter of the price of the Green Pasture brand.

Don’t expect results, er, overnight

Note that the kids in the study experienced these benefits after four months of supplementation. So don’t expect the benefits to come immediately.

But, take heart in that DHA and Omega-3s are great for other things too from improved learning, behavior, eyesight, immunity, and heart health. Sadly, most of the kids the researches studied had alarmingly low levels of omega 3 in their blood. Combined that with the fact that most processed and packaged food is high in the omega 6 oil, kids can suffer with an unhealthy fatty acid balance.

Will this same supplement that helps kids sleep help YOU sleep?

Will these amazing study results hold true for adults too? Lead researcher, Montgomery laughs “Someone should come along and give me a nice little pot of money to test it out,” but his hunch is that they would. Definitely worth a shot!

And, for what it’s worth, one thing that’s been proven to help adults sleep better is tart cherry juice.

How do you help your kids sleep?

Has any natural remedy or technique worked well for you? Share with us in the comments below!

The post How to Help Your Kids Sleep an Extra Hour Each Night appeared first on Mama Natural.

Figuring out how to get kids to sleep can be tough though. Patience is thin. Frustrations are high. And everyone is tired.

How to Get Kids to Sleep: End Bedtime Battles

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Believe it or not, you can make bedtime fun for the whole family. The key is to create a gentle routine, where everyone can thrive.

Here are 10 tips to end bedtime battles and make the nighttime routine enjoyable for the whole family:

How to Get Kids to Sleep #1. Do the Hard Stuff First

Right after dinner, get kids washed up, in pajamas and teeth flossed and brushed. You may even want to do all of it downstairs (or away from the bedroom) so it’s clear to your kids that bedtime isn’t imminent. It’s all about starting the bedtime early so there’s plenty of time to get everything done without a battle. Be sure that they know that they need to do these things first before they can enjoy the other fun nighttime events. Of course, if they are unwilling to do the clean up activities of bedtime, you can let them know that they won’t be able to do the fun stuff. Give them choices, and let them have their consequences… which leads us to the second tip.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #2. Offer Choices

Once that is completed, offer your child choices so they can help shape the bedtime ritual. According to the book Parenting with Love and Logic, a smooth bedtime is all about empowering your kids with options so they feel like they have a role. You’ll see a bunch of options outlined below. You can ask your child “do you want to do this or this tonight?” and let them select the things that sound best to them. You’ll find their choices can change depending on their mood, energy levels, and emotional needs. Just like us, kids are changeable and by offering choices you’re honoring their developmental needs. One tip, keep the choices relatively contained as to not overwhelm them.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #3. Dim the Lights

Dimming the lights during or after supper will help your family wind down from their hectic, busy day. In fact, the artificial lighting that so many of our homes is filled with can be stimulating and disruptive to our natural rhythms. Even more, lower light helps to stimulate the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Keep the lights dim while the children take their bath and go through their bedtime routine. The combination of warm water and low lighting will relax them and help them feel sleepy. Older kids can shower with the lights turned down low or with a candle burning in the bathroom.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #4. Turn on the Music

Soft or melodic music soothes a child and provides a comforting atmosphere as they transition into bedtime. After bedtime routines have been performed and your child is in bed, allow her to listen to her favorite music — at low volumes, of course. While soft music plays in the background, you can talk about your child’s day, or read a bedtime story. You can also sway to the music… sing along… and lull your little one to sleep. Some good children’s albums include this one and this one.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #5. Engage in Gentle Play

Once your child has settled into bed, cuddle up next to him and take turns creating a story. You can go first, and then let him have his turn making up what happens next. You can also play a spontaneous game of Charades. A tickle attack is always welcomed and can get the last minute giggles out before your little one falls asleep.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #6. Show Time

Another option, which could be the occasional treat, involves watching a special show about a half an hour before bedtime. Again, you want to be sure they’re all brushed up and in their pajamas before you begin. You can all snuggle together as a family and watch a favorite show or child-friendly nature documentary. Give your child a couple of show options and let him pick. Be sure he knows the boundary that it includes just one show. Keep the TV at a low volume in order to create a relaxing, quiet atmosphere that will help your family fall asleep.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #7. Count the Stars

Another fun nighttime ritual in the summer is to go out into the backyard, lay a blanket on the grass, and lay down together under the night sky. If the temperature is cool, bring out extra blankets and snuggle together beneath them. You can bring binoculars and look for constellations, count the stars, search for shooting stars, point out planets, or simply talk quietly about their day.  Have them pay close attention to all the wonderful nighttime sounds — you can even make a game out of guessing what each sound is; “which insect chirps like that? Which bird is still awake?” Use the time under the open sky to relax and wind down; if your kids fall asleep before you can move them inside, simply pick them up and carry them to bed (if they are small enough to be carried, that is.) This is a ritual that even older kids will enjoy.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #8. Bedtime Snack

Kids love having a snack before bed, and you can incorporate this into your routine. Prepare a special snack together as an incentive for your little ones to get ready — it can be something healthy and yummy, like apple slices or strawberries, or you can occasionally indulge their sweet tooth by offering a small bowl of ice cream eaten together as a family — just as long as they brush their teeth afterwards! Another great idea is to give them a calcium-rich treat like yogurt or kefir, sweetened with a touch of fruit, honey, or stevia, which will calm them before bed and give them a probiotic boost.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #9. Explore New Stories Together

Make a point to go to the library regularly and check out a dozen new books each time you go. Let your child pick the books (with your gentle guidance) and you’ll find that she’s extra excited to read the stories she selected. Let her pick a new story to reach each night before bed, and then cuddle in bed together while you read it. Once you’ve gone through your book pile, return the them to the library and load up on a new stack to explore during the upcoming week.

How to Get Kids to Sleep #10. Pajama Walk

Creating Lasting Memories

Hopefully these ideas give you some bedtime inspiration. It’s all about our attitude and approach. We can show up to the evening with excitement, anticipation, and joy… or boredom and dread.

By implementing some of these fun routines, we can all find enjoyment in the evening. Everyone thrives within a gentle structure, and of course options, and that is what you’re lovingly creating for your child. Bedtime rituals can create lasting impressions that your kids will cherish forever — and so will you.

Would love to hear from YOU

How do you avoid the bedtime battles in your household? Share with us in the comments below!

The post How To Get Kids to Sleep: 10 Gentle Ways to End Bedtime Battles appeared first on Mama Natural.