Getting a child to go to bed and fall asleep sometimes feels like an impossible feat! “I need to get a drink of water” or “I forgot to get something downstairs” are just a couple of examples of the excuses kids come up with to avoid going to bed. As parents, we are all to familiar with that cranky or moody kiddo the day after they have had a sleepover at a friend’s house, or the little one who comes into your bedroom several times at night saying she can’t fall asleep.
We know that having a set bedtime routine is important for children to be able to wind down and prepare for bed. Children like organization, continuity and a routine they can trust.
If you are looking for some great bedtime activities to add to your nighttime routine to help your youngster get to sleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed and energetic, well you have come to the right place my friend!
Let’s go over some yoga poses to promote relaxation and sleep accompanied by a soothing poem to read at bedtime, a loving kindness activity and a guided meditation script for your wee one.
The gentle movements Bedtime Yoga for Kids helps calm the body that help release energy. This poem starts by using yoga movements to set the sun and raise the moon, helping to set the bedtime mood. Then, your child will move into star pose with a gentle soothing motion that will leave their body feeling relaxed and calm. Finally landing in Savasana.
Starting in Standing Mountain Pose
Step 1
Stand tall, with your toes touching and feet slightly apart. If it is more comfortable, you may keep your feet a few inches apart.
Step 2
Allow your body to gently sway back and forth.
Step 3
Slowly bring the swaying to a standstill. Stop with your weight balanced evenly on your feet.
Step 4
Press your shoulders back, and straighten your arms beside your torso.
Step 5
Breathe deeply, and hold this pose for a couple of breaths, or as long as you are comfortable.
The Half Moon
Keeping your left arm at your side, raise your right arm over your head and lengthen your spine as you inhale. Then, exhale, bending toward your left. Switch sides and do it again.
The Five-Pointed Star
Spread your feet so that they're wider than your hips. Press down through your feet. Stretch your arms out to your sides and inhale and exhale as you lower your arms.
The Tree
Become tall in your spine. Rest one foot on the other ankle or above your knee and balance. Keep your hands either palm-to-palm at your chest or stretch them out to your sides. Switch feet and try it again.
Return back to Mountain Pose
Hands at heart center.
Savasana
Then, invite your child to make themselves as comfortable as they can in a traditional savasana position, or belly down savasana.
Loving Kindness Bedtime Activity
While laying in bed take five deep breaths to calm the body.
Explain to your child how kindness can send good vibes out into the world. And that’s it’s important to send well wishes to those we love. Have your little one pick any two people they want.
Instruct them to say out loud something they love about this person. Then, you will take turns sending a well wish out to the universe. You will need to guide your child at first.
Dream Filled Meditation Script by Spiri Csilla
Imagine that you are in a beautiful field. This field is called Dream Field. There are hundreds of colorful flowers everywhere you look. Dream Field is a place that you can visit when it’s hard for you to fall asleep. This happens to all of us. There might be something that disturbs us, we might have had a busy day or we are just excited about something. So there are some days, when it’s harder for us to fall asleep. It might be also possible that it is hard for you to fall asleep every single day. Dream Field can help you in this case either. If you come and visit this place regularly, then it will become more and more easy for you to fall asleep.
The reason for this is that you can find flowers in this field that can make you drowsy and help you fall asleep. All flowers in this field have pollens that can help you get sleepy if you use them the right way. Now I’ll tell you the trick, how you should do it.
So you are in this beautiful field. Look around. There are wonderful flowers wherever you look. Choose a flower that attracts you the most. Now go and tear it carefully. Good job. Imagine that you lie on your back, on the ground. Place the flower on your forehead between your eyebrows, so that the pollens can contact your skin. These pollens have sleepy effect. They can help you fall asleep when you massage your forehead with them. So let’s start it. Place the flower on your forehead, between your eyebrows. Turn the flower round and round on your forehead, especially in the area between your eyebrows. Slowly massage this little area. Rotate the flower round and round. Turn it again and again, slowly. Great. You can feel that the pollens are on your forehead. You can feel that this area is covered by the little pollens that will help you fall asleep. Indeed, you get more and more sleepy. You feel very tired and sleepy. The pollens help you, they want you to fall asleep quickly and easily. And yes, you feel that you could fall asleep in this very moment. Your eyes get more and more heavy. Now you are sure that the pollens help you. They can always help, whenever it’s hard for you to fall asleep. You‘re still massaging your forehead with the flower round and round. It’s getting harder to stay awake. (Pause)
OK, now you can stop the massage. It’s time to come back slowly if you want. But you can choose to stay like that if you want to fall asleep right now. If you decide to come back, you’ll still feel sleepy and you’ll fall asleep easily after returning.
I’ll count from 1 to 5 and whenever you are ready, open your eyes. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. You can open your eyes if you want.
Hopefully these help your little one get some vitamin ZZZs! Till next week!!
Namaste- Cassy