Helping Your Child Sleep Well

Illustration by:
Mariko Francis

It is estimated that as many as 30% of all children may have a sleep disorder at some point during childhood. Sleep disorders can impact health, school performance, day to day activities  & social-emotional adjustment. For this reason it is important for both parents and educators to understand these disruptions and simple ways to  assist children to rest and sleep better.


After just 1 night of poor sleep, the decision making part of the brain shuts down & anxiety takes over. After a few nights of disturbed sleep, blood sugar and electrolytes go off balance & concentration on even simple tasks is extremely difficult if not impossible.  Long term sleep disruptions cause lower immunity, elevated stress response, changes in mood, obesity, depression and diminished ability in cognitive functions.



While the average adult requires 8 about hours of sleep per night, babies 1-12 months old, need at least 14-15 hours of daily sleep. For children ages 1-3, the average amount is 12 hours; age 4-12, 10 hours; and for teens, 9 hours a night.


Although these numbers are ideal, many children do not come close to reaching them & getting the restful sleep they need. In particular, ADHD and sensory challenged children cannot get to sleep, and when they do finally get to sleep they have a hard time staying asleep.


We all want our children to participate in recreational activities, however, please be selective about how much and what kind of activities you allow your child to engage in. Children need down time-time to rest. What may seem like a fun & active schedule to adults can be overwhelming, deplete energy & disruptive to a child’s healthy sleep patterns, and leave everyone feeling tired, cranky and unbalanced.


One of the distinctions I like to make is that rest and sleep are two different things. The human brain needs both to function properly.

Sleep is a passive, unconscious activity in which only the brain, heart and lungs are active. There is no conscious awareness of the environment. Rest is when you are fully & consciously aware of your surroundings. The environment might be neutralized from all excess sensory stimulus, activity stops and thought is directed to less intense processes-(such as towards the breathing or a specific mental image in order to calm and 'recharge the batteries'. This is commonly called imagery or meditation. I will discuss these techniques in my next article.)

For now, below are three of the most common sleep problems and some tips to help address them:


Problem:
Can’t get to sleep: Mind is racing-can’t “shut it off”.

Try This:

• Stick to a consistent bedtime & waking schedule no matter what. Exposure to light/dark at the same time every day helps the body regulate itself to sleep and waking activities.

Supported Child's Pose
Photo ©2011 B.Gini

• Exercise! But not within 4 hours of bedtime. Movement (such as gentle yoga) will help release excess muscle tension and facilitate restful sleep. Try restorative postures like "Supported Child's Pose" pictured at right.

• Shut off the TV, computer and video games at least 30-45 minutes before bed. The flashing images stimulate the brain and cause an adrenalin response, similar to the stress response, that prevents sleep.


• Do a calming visual activity to wind-down. Coloring, painting, bead necklaces, Colorforms or making a collage or album of peaceful images will assist in the calming process and transition to bedtime.


• Take a warm bath. Warm bath water raises and lowers the body temperature, making it feel tired. You can also try 3 drops of chamomile essential oil in the bathwater. *(Please use aromatherapy with caution with allergic & sensory challenged children! Read more about Aromatherapy here.)

A simple "Bed-Night" snack (as my friend's daughter used to call it) with a combination of carbs, calcium and protein about 30 minutes before bed will also help to induce sleep.


Problem:
Won’t stay asleep: Eyes open same time every night.

Try This:

• Absolutely NO caffeine/Sugar for 3-4 hours before bed time. These chemicals stay in the system for at least 8 hours preventing the brain from entering deeper sleep.

• Read a bedtime story, look at photo albums or play an instrumental music CD, (designed to distract, not engage the attention) until sleep happens.

• Darken the room as much as possible. Light from a night light, clock, streetlamp, or iPod passes thru eyelids and signals the brain to ‘wake up’. You can use a bandanna or scarf to drape digital clocks.

Acupressure
Photo ©2011 B.Gini

• Encourage the child to stay in bed. Show then how to gently self-massage the hand, (shown at left) foot or scalp to help relax them back to sleep. (There are thousands of nerve endings in each hand and foot as well as the scalp. Massaging gently in a circular motion with help give input to the sensory system, signaling it to relax. Heavy work activities & a  deep pressure massage on back, arms and legs before bed will help calm the sensory system for several hours.)

Problem:
Auditory Sensitivity- Falls right to sleep, every sound wakes her up.

Try This:

• Natural, low level soothing sounds of nature helps calm and soothe an over reactive auditory system.

• Pillow position: ensure that neck and spine are aligned to relieve cramps and discomfort. Use a flatter pillow for stomach sleepers.

• Remove furry family members. Pet activity increases late at night and the early AM and will disturb human family members.

• Transition time: Take at least 45 min to an hour to prep for next day before going to bed: pack backpack, make lunch, lay out clothes, etc. Then prep self: brush teeth & hair and do some yoga or stretching before relaxing in bed with deep breathing or soft instrumental music.

Another little known strategy is to encourage the child to lie on his/her Right side. (For older children you can use stuffed animal to hold or a pillow to 'hug'.) The reason is that every 30-40 minutes our nostril dominance changes-meaning we naturally alternate breathing (primarily) out of one nostril or the other. The side we breathe in and out of will stimulate the opposite side of the brain. Sleeping on the right side, encourages the left (top) nostril to open & will stimulate the area of the brain that controls calming & restful sleep.

Sleep Well!

For more information on Relaxation, please contact me at:
barbara@bodylogique.com


Related :


Playing Outdoors Can Improve Sleep
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5 Easy Ways to Improve Concentration Naturally

Has this ever happened to you at work: you spend a week in meetings, training  or out sick and then when you return to your desk you have tons of work to catch up on, and,  as you dive into the pile of work you quickly tire, feel distracted, fidgety and overwhelmed? Do you find yourself fighting to stay awake and remain focused? Losing your place? Wanting to just get up and run? (Or scream!?)

Kids feel this too although they may not be able to verbalize. (And sometimes they DO Just get up, run & scream...and if only we could too!)

I just spent the last 2 days in workshops and have spent all day today returning e-mails and doing a ton of 'catch up' work! Its 10pm and I have had a hard time maintaining concentration & working efficiently all day.  My daily work 'schedule' is definitely off. On a normal day I would have been finished long before dinner time, but today I feel like I am struggling to keep up & a bit off-balance.

Other than taking a walk or other stretching/movement/yoga break, one trick I use is to stay hydrated! Water is a neuro-conductor and taking sips of water throughout the day will help you stay more alert & focused. This is true for students and toddlers as well. If you are a teacher, I encourage you to allow water bottles to be kept nearby.

Here are 3 other quick tips for Improving Concentration Naturally for both adults and students:


Environment: Take a minute and clean up your desk. Now!

Look around & see what the immediate environment looks like. The kids will pick up on the 'energy' of the room. We all 'read' and 'absorb' our immediate environments & kids-especially those who are sensitive, will absorb it much quicker. Is it cluttered? Too Dark? Too bright? The more "calm" & neat environments help the kids feel more calm. Cluttered, chaotic and unwelcoming environments can actually initiate a 'fight or flight' response in the brain, and shut it down. We are not capable of concentrating/learning when the brain is stressed, overwhelmed & goes into this survival mode.

Breathing: Take a deep breath...

Once the environment is 'calmed down' from visual 'static' use breathing techniques. It sounds way too simple, but I will tell you that about 80% of our stress and focus deficits can be managed with just breathing properly. The breath can be used to both calm and energize when needed and it can be done discreetly. Breathing through the Right nostril will alert, energize and improve concentration, breathing through the left will calm & relax. Alternating the breath between the two sides (by closing the opposite side with the fingertip) will integrate and 'balance', the brain hemispheres bringing more alertness, calm & focus for longer intervals. (Incidentally, our 'nostril dominace' changes every 30 minutes or so. Its best to go to sleep on your right side, so that the upper-( left)-nostril will be stimulated by breathing and relax the central nervous system.)

Pressure Points:  Give yourself a hand massage...

Reflexology is a technique that stimulates all the energy and electrical channels within the muscles in certain areas or 'zones' of the body. (Reflexology is similar to acupressure only with acupressure individual pressure points can be stimulated and in Reflexology all areas should be worked at one time.) Basic pressure points are easy for the kids to learn, apply and is non-disruptive. There are 5,000 pressure points in each hand & each foot, as well as the scalp, face and ears. Rubbing & applying pressure with fingers to entire earlobe, will help activate & integrate the opposite brain hemisphere. Rubbing both ears will help stimulate both sides & improve concentration. Other "Brain Buttons" are at the back of the skull (right where the neck meets the head,) the forehead, (between and over the eyebrows) the wrist, (pinkie side, just below the hand in the bend) and the middle fingers (at the distal fingertip, on the sides around the nail bed.) Don't worry if you can't remember these exact points. Just an overall deep pressure rub on the hands/wrists, feet ears and scalp will do wonders to help stimulate blood flow and improve focus!

And of course, it goes without saying that a stretching or movement break will do wonders to help re-focus the attention to the pile of tasks! (In a classroom, its very easy to put on some music and have a "2 Minute Dance Off" or "Freeze Dance" game. Kids especially need to release the muscle tension and move around as much as possible and laugh often !

You don't nedd any equipment or special permission to begin incorporating any of thes 5 tips as soon as you like! (You can begin now!)


For more information on our R.E.A.Ch ™ Relaxation Education classes visit us at: www.recprograms.com 


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Pool Noodles-Part 2

As we wind down the summer activities, and put away the beach buckets, shovels, nose plugs and pool toys, I again fall into my habit (some call it a "talent". I'm not so sure about that!) of finding the potential to adapt & use items for purposes they were not intended for! Today our target is again, Pool Noodles.

In my first related post, "Use Your (Pool) Noodle" (see May's Archives) I showed you how to use pool noodles as a "Pizza" roller for deep muscle and tactile input all over the body for sensory integration. Today is a follow-up & related activity and another great use for pool noodles to stimulate pressure points in the feet and hands.

Reflexology & acupressure are two little known tools for self-calming & improved focus. Massaging specific points on your hands & feet with your thumb will help reduce anxiety, stress and tension.  The pool noddle is a fun way to get children to do this regularly. It will massage and stimulate all the pressure points (about 5,000 of them in each hand and foot)  and have a regulating, grounding & calming effect. This is especially useful for children with poor hand strength & diminished fine motor skills who cannot use their thumb to massage these points in their hands or feet. 

This is not only simple and minimally distracting to others, but an effective way to calm and balance those organ-systems in the body. The child can do this for himself when needed.

For older children, when you combine these pressure techniques with deep breathing exercises the effects are multiplied. The result is a powerful technique you, your child or your student can use anytime, anywhere to calm and relax.  

In the last post, I instructed you to cut the noodles in half. This time, we will  cut it into 4ths. Take one of the the pieces of noodle and set it on the floor as shown at right. Have your child-or students-in bare feet-(socks are OK but bare feet gives a more full tactile experience & better input.) place their foot over the noodle & roll their foot back and forth the whole length of foot from heel to toe. They can apply a little pressure by stepping down if they like.

This technique can also be applied to the hands as shown in the photo at the left.

Be sure to have children switch and do BOTH feet or hands or this may have the opposite effect-and leave a feeling of unbalance. 

Try it yourself. You can also use a tennis ball, small stubby therapy ball or a super bounce rubber ball.








For more information about reflexology & acupressure, please contact barbara@bodylogique.com

The Hidden Power in Your Hands

At an early age I learned the hidden power that lies in our hands, by digging in the dirt to plant flowers, making sand castles on the beach and at my grandmother's watching her making pasta by hand, kneading bread and preparing meals for us, always infused with love. I remember kneeling beside her in church, her eyes closed & the peaceful expression on her face as her hands clasped around her rosary beads in prayer.

As an adult, I witnessed all three of my newborn children, each taking their turn, reaching up & curling their tiny hands tightly around my index finger as an affirmation of trust in me. As my children each grew, we  finger painted, tickled, recited silly finger plays and sang songs with gestures like the "Itsy Bitsy Spider".

My own hands were used to hold & comfort my sons as they struggled with their dad's and my  "unfriendly" divorce, friendship problems and the confusion of everyday life, and I did my best to soothe and protect my daughter as I stood with my hands on her shoulders the day she blew a kiss and waved goodbye to her 'nonno' (grandfather) at his funeral service.

Hands gestures such as these as well as peace signs, "ok" signs and even the "middle finger" are something that we use all the time.  Sometimes the gestures are intended for good and sometimes for not-so-good, and yet do we really know what true power lies within them?

In many cultures, the hands, along with facial expressions, are used to tell ancient stories-each hand gesture or position has a different meaning.  These gestures are translated into symbols or seals and give a deeper look into the state of consciousness of the person using them.

The "Chin Mudra" is commonly
used for meditation

A Mudra is a hand gesture that can engage a certain area of the brain and/or soul for a specific purpose and can exercise & affect the corresponding organ or emotional influence.  There are mudras for just about every purpose: anxiety, strength, confidence, asthma, weight loss, peace, blood pressure control and more. Mudras can be easily and quietly applied and used  as a simple self-calming technique for children with sensory or other cognitive challenges. In short, we have the power in our hands to engage and influence our body & our mind by crossing, bending, extending or touching our fingers with other fingers.

In Hatha Yoga there are 25 mudras that include body (asanas) & eye positions. In Kundalini Yoga the mudras are used in addition to breath and asana (postures) to intensify the effect of the yoga. In Tibetan yoga, as well as Reflexology and other forms of Chines Medicine, the hands are said to have many reflex zones (about 5,000 points on each hand and foot) and each zone or point is associated with a specific part of the body and brain. By stimulating those points through deep massage or mudra, the hands become a medium for healing of both the body & mind. Medical science supports this understanding by showing us the many nerve endings and synapses that lie just below the surface of our fingertips and palms. We know that cerebral activity is activated and strengthened by touching and feeling, especially with the fingertips.

Each finger represents an element or an aspect. For example, the thumb, represents divine consciousness; the index finger, human consciousness. When the two are joined together, as in the image above, the mudra represents the joining of human and divine consciousness.

If we look at the elemental aspects, the index finger represents inspiration (energy from the outside) and the thumb stands for intuition (energy from inside of us). When we join the two together, they form a closed & continual unity. The powers of both are connected both symbolically and physically. This gesture is commonly seen practiced by those who are meditating to intensify the  imagery or point of focus or sense of inner peace.

"Garuda" Mudra (Mystical Bird)

Mudras can be practiced any time any place and by almost anyone. Mudras provide a way of brain, body & gland stimulation for those adults & children who have weak motor skills or cannot move their lower body to walk, exercise or practice yoga asana. Mudras can be practiced for 15 minute intervals, 3 times daily for adults. Children can practice for as long as possible and gradually increase the time to 15 minute intervals.

One of my favorite mudras to do with children is what we call "Baby Butterfly" in our yoga adventures, but is actually the "Garuda" mudra that affects & stimulates blood flow, circulation and internal organs. It also connects & balances the activity between the right and left hemispheres of the brain as well as calms respiratory spasms, relieves hormonal cramps & upset stomach.  It regulates mood fluctuations and can help recover from fatigue. The children "fly" their butterflies for a few minutes a few times a class. Some are challenged by getting the hands in position, but once they do, they seem fascinated by the movement and also proud that they have mastered it. I encourage them to breathe deeply as they "fly" their butterflies.

Lotus (Padma) Mudra

I think my favorite mudra is the Padma (Lotus) Mudra. (Image at right). This gesture resembles a blossoming flower, opening up towards the sun & can be used in times of distress; when you feel isolated, drained, exploited, misunderstood or lonely. In this mudra we "Open" the flower wide & take 4 slow deep breaths, then "close" it and count 4 more slow complete breaths. You can repeat this as many times as you need to. This gesture is connected to the heart, and strengthens & integrates the body/mind connection & improves our capacity to communicate & to give & receive love.

When we practice mudra regularly in an attentive silence, it can help us develop a sense of focus and confidence. We gradually become aware of new insights, solutions to problems and embrace new experiences. It helps us recapture our sense of playfulness so that we can learn to look for & see the best and overcome the worst. 

It can also help us to understand why when obstacles are presented, it may be helpful to keep our fingers crossed.

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