6 Ways to Improve Sleep & Avoid the Back to School Blues

While I get teary eyed over the thought of my daughter entering pre-school (she starts next week), many parents are giving a collective sigh of relief that their kids are going back to school. Summers are filled with fun and excitement with carnivals, road trips and late nights. All of this activity disrupts a family’s routine and by the end of summer, the lack of routine can be uncomfortable (hence the excitement for the beginning of school).
 
Unfortunately, getting back into a routine with the start of school can be a challenge. The new school year and its accompanying afterschool activities such as sports and homework have people going rushing from place to place. Until a family gets back into a routine, this chaotic energy is uncomfortable for all individuals. It is especially uncomfortable for those children sensitive to energy.
 
As intuitive (all) children go back to school, parents often see behavioral changes such as disrupted sleep, outbursts, exaggerated fears, etc. Because of this, during this time of year I get calls from parents looking for assistance. Several friends have already asked!
 
Being asked has always been strange. My daughter has never been to school so as a parent, I have no recommendations. Not only that, I’ve been blessed in a couple ways where I haven’t had to cross that bridge. For one, my daughter has always slept through the night. Even as an infant when she was nursing, I would get up, feed her and she would fall right back asleep. The whole process took no more than 15 or 20 minutes. And being self-employed, both my husband and my schedules are flexible and allow her to follow her own routine. We don’t have to hustle in the morning to drop her off at daycare or a sitter before going to a nine to five job. Rather, we can let her sleep until she wakes up as I’ve arranged my schedule to accommodate her. I don’t see clients until the afternoon, so there is no rush in the morning.
 
I realize, however, my friends and clients don’t ask me my thoughts because I’m a parent. They ask me because I’m a medium. And in many cases, they have tried the recommendations their mom friends and even health care providers have offered and they are still struggling. So as a medium, my recommendation is always to balance the child’s energy. The best way to do that? Get a good night’s sleep. I know this can be easier said than done, but here are a few tips that can help.
 

1. Bright Spots – Before bed, have your child recount three good things that happened to them during the day. For example, he or she could have gotten an A on his or her spelling test or he or she could have scored the winning goal. At least one item should be something he or she did for another. For example, he or she helped his or her teacher and got a gold star. By recounting the highlights of the day, he or she will be less likely to go to bed worrying about a situation that didn’t go his or her way or about an upcoming test or game. Without the worry, his or her ego will have less problems to resolve and as a result they will sleep sounder.
2. Quiet Time – After being on the go all day, it is important to allow one’s energy to settle. This can be accomplished by reading a book, doing yoga or meditating using simple (remember they are kids!) breathing techniques. These activities quiet the child’s body which in turn quiets the child’s mind and allows the child to more quickly fall asleep.
3. Routine – If you have routines, keep them. For example, every night when my daughter goes to bed see gets a cup of milk and we sing the song from Three Man and a Baby. With both of those, she immediately goes up to bed. In fact, when she is tired SHE will start singing the song. Routines trigger a behavioral response as documented by Pavlov and help an individual fall asleep. Because of this, it is also helpful if the bedroom is only used for sleeping.
4. Lavender – If your child (or you) still has a hard time falling asleep after the first three tips, my dear friend makes a smudge spray, Sweet Dreams, which I and her clients swear by. While there are several oils within it, the dominating oil is lavender which is a calming herb and known to assist with sleep. If your child (or you) are having trouble sleeping, spray some lavender on your pillow or sheets.
5. Hematite (or any other grounding stone) – Intuitive individuals tend to travel in their sleep. A grounding stone, such as hematite, near where you rest your head at night will limit the amount of dreaming you do. This will allow the physical body to rest more fully.
6. Remove Clutter – A messy space impacts the sleep state because subconsciously you still have a chore (clean up) left to do. With that task on your mind, it can make it more challenging to sleep.

 
Hope that helps! Good luck as the school year begins!!

---