Discover 7 Clever Products to Help Children Sleep and Transform Bedtime
Does your child get the recommended nine to 11 hours of sleep every night? A whopping 32% of primary school-aged children don’t!
A lack of quality, restful sleep impacts concentration, mood, energy and overall health. If your child is one of the 32%, it’s crucial to find ways to help them sleep better at night.
The best way to improve sleep is through good sleep hygiene and routines. This post explores some of the best sleep products currently available for kids to get a great night’s sleep.
Heads up! This blog contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I’ll earn a small commission, which funds an occasional coffee ☕️ that I’ll enjoy whilst continuing to support your journey (at no extra cost to you)
My Own Quest for Better Sleep
I’m a little bit obsessed with finding ways to improve my quality of sleep at the moment and have made some changes to my habits, routines and bedroom environment that are having a positive impact on my focus and energy throughout the day. I’ve upgraded my mattress, purchased blackout curtains, decluttered my bedroom and am trying my hardest to go to bed and get up in the morning at the same time every day. I am yet to master leaving my phone in another room overnight though!
Whilst I’ve been researching how to improve my own sleep, I’ve come across some really interesting products designed to help children sleep better. I’ve rounded up some of those sleep products to share with you in this post.
Highly Rated Amazon Products That Help Children Sleep
In my recent sleep hygiene blog post, I organised the tips that improve sleep quality by the time of day that they are relevant. This post matches up products with the time of day in the same way. I’ve included products to suit a range of budgets and all of them are highly rated and have great reviews.
Take a look and see if any of these products inspire you to try something new!
Morning:
Getting up at the same time every morning and then getting some sunlight helps us sleep better at night. Waking up at a fixed time helps to set your circadian rhythm (your natural sleep-wake cycle). Once you wake up, exposure to morning sunlight kick-starts our circadian rhythms by activating the part of the brain that tells us it’s time to get up and be active.
Waking at the same time and getting sunlight is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you get enough restorative sleep.
Sunrise Alarm Clocks
These clever gadgets combine a regular alarm clock with an artificial light source. They mimic dawn breaking by gradually increasing the intensity of the light for a period of time before the alarm goes off. This ‘artificial dawn’ kickstarts our circadian rhythms and help lead to consistent waking up and sleeping times. The alarm sound options include gentle options like waves and bird song as well as more traditional beeps.
Pre-bedtime:
In the hours leading up to bedtime, it’s important to wind down, relax and not do overly lively or exciting activities. Calm, relaxing activities help relieve tension and stress that builds up during the day.
Quiet Activities
Relaxing activities that don’t require much thinking or movement help quieten busy minds. Jigsaws, simple puzzles and colouring books like this fantastic pattern book are perfect for unwinding. I love a bit of mindful colouring before heading to bed.
Meditation and Breathing
Meditating helps us focus on the present moment rather than stressing about things that happened during the day or upcoming events. This is very helpful for falling asleep easily without worrying thoughts. This lovely little book has lots of great relaxation, breathing and calming exercises.
Bath Time
Studies suggest that a warm bath or shower an hour or two before bed can improve sleep by aiding natural body temperature regulation. They also show that lavender calms the nervous system and helps you sleep longer and better. Try this gorgeous lavender and vanilla bubble bath – you’ll love it too!
Bedtime:
The bedroom itself plays an important role in sleep quality. The ideal sleep environment is cool, dark, quiet, uncluttered, comfortable and feels safe.
Comfortable Bed
You can’t beat fresh clean cosy bedding for a snug night’s sleep. A weighted blanket can be a great addition. They are designed to offer a sense of security and help to reduce anxiety. It’s important for safety to choose the right weight for your child’s age and weight.
Dark Room
Keeping lights reduced leading up to bedtime allows melatonin (the sleep hormone) to signal to the brain that it’s time to sleep. Total darkness is ideal for quality sleep. My new blackout curtains come in 11 colours and do a brilliant job of keeping my room pitch black.
Peace and Quiet
Curtains and carpets help keep noises down, but there are some noises that you can’t control (like my noisy neighbours!). Variable noise is disturbing but can be blocked by listening to white noise or sound machines, which are constant and soothing.
Enjoying this topic? Here are some related posts:
The Last Thing You Need to Know about Products that Help Children Sleep
There’s no magic wand for getting kids to sleep well. It’s always worth trying something new and often there are products that can help. Bear in mind that it often takes a while for any changes to have an effect, so stick at it!
I’m not suggesting that it’s necessary to spend money trying new things in the hope that they will be the answer to your night-time problems. But I hope that these products have inspired you to try something new in your child’s bedroom routine?
Let me know!
What are your recommendations?
What are your favourite products that help your children sleep well at night? Share them with people who are looking for ideas in the comments below.
Recommended Reading On This Topic:
- The Benefits of Waking Up at the Same Time Every Day – Mind Body Green
- How to Meditate Before Bed – Sleep.org
- Lavender and the Nervous System – NCBI
