“I can’t sleep,” my daughter says, for the umpteenth time tonight, and what feels like the hundredth time (at least!) this year. “Can you stay with me?”
It’s 10 p.m. and she has school tomorrow. She has already brushed her teeth – twice, I read her a bedtime story, she read to me, she’s had a glass of water, written Santa a letter, planned her next birthday party, sung songs, tossed, turned and…now she’s so wound up, I decide to indulge her and sit by the side of her bed so she’ll find comfort and peace in my proximity and finally fall asleep.
Bad sleep hygiene? Sure. She stays up too late on weekends. Using devices too close to bedtime? Yup, we’ve been guilty of that, too. But not tonight. We started her bedtime routine good and early, we’ve been off devices since school ended hours ago, and we’ve been hanging out and listening to mellow music while we decorate for the holidays.
Some nights she just can’t sleep.
Tonight, she’s excited. Her Elf on the Shelf will be here any day now and she’s pretty sure tonight’s the night. So, while some nights she’s just “not tired”, other nights she’s overtired, overstimulated, bored, anxious, worried, excited, wound up… it’s always something.
Sound familiar? Difficulty falling and staying asleep isn’t just the bane of countless adults, it’s quite common in children, too.
Childhood sleeplessness can be caused by a myriad of things from teething, growth spurts and big feelings, to conflicts at school or at home, restlessness, fears or an over active imagination.
Regardless of why they’re sleepless, here’s my Top 10 list of the best gifts to help the little people in your life find the slumber they so desperately need to thrive:
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1. Weighted Blankets
Wrapping a child in a weighted blanket gives them the same feeling and soothes them like a warm hug. It’s a safe, non-drug therapy for any child who is anxious, upset, or on the verge of losing control. Weighted blankets can also appease children with sensory processing or autism spectrum disorders that have trouble sleeping. A popular weighted blanket is the Sivio Weighted Blanket for Kids. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns including zoo animals, unicorns, dinosaurs, super heroes, rainbows and purple elephants and in four different weights – 3, 5, 7 and 10 lbs. Three-pound blankets are suitable for 30-lbs children, 5 lbs ones for 50 lbs-, 7 lbs for 70 lbs and 10 lbs for 100-lbs kids. And finally, they’re made of 100% breathable natural cotton and are washable. Doesn’t get much better than that!
2. Weighted Plush
Weighted plushies work pretty much the same way as weighted blankets but have the added bonus of making great travel companions. When bringing your weighted blanket along for the ride just isn’t an option, a weighted plushy is great for stress relief, it reduces anxiety, can be heated in the microwave to soothes tummy aches and colic, and it makes a comforting bedtime buddy and daytime friend. The Intelex My First Warmies Microwavable French Lavender Scented Plush are my weighted plushies of choice. They’re filled with all-natural grain and dried French Lavender to provide soothing warmth and comfort. And the variety of animal choices – sloth, lama, elephant, cat, snow leopard and husky, to name a few – are all super soft and adorable.
3. White Noise Machine
While many of you know how I feel about noise machines, (there’s enough noise in my ears, thank you) this is not about me and many parents swear by them and their children love them. Sound machines tune out noise effectively for babies, kids and adults. The Dreamegg Rechargeable Sound Machine is portable, rechargeable and includes 7 white noise, 7 fan sounds, and 15 nature sounds (Bird, Sea Wave, Gentle Surf, Lullaby, Music Box, Solid Rain, Thunder Rain, Brook, Campfire, Cricket, Drip, Pendulum, Train, Shushing, and a Fetal Tone. It’s a great way to start your nightly ritual by creating an optimal sleepy atmosphere. The sound machine works as a natural sleep aid, stress relief, office privacy, baby soothing, respite from a noisy snorer, noisy hotel rooms, and can even be a calming balm for sound-sensitive dogs.
4. Bed Tent
Looking for a gift for siblings who might be just a little tired of sharing the same room? Bed tents help create a private space anywhere with the added bonus of reducing light and noise. The private sleep space helps them get better sleep at night and during nap time. Plus, bed tents also make a fun bed fort around the bed. The Alvantor Bed Canopy Bed Tent’s pop up flexible ribs frame makes it easy to assemble and it’s the lightest sleeping tent on the market, only 5.8 lbs. It comes in charcoal, navy and pink, it’s breathable and there’s a pocket on the side that will hold a cell phone or an iPad mini, and a little hook on the ceiling to hang a light. Cool, huh?
5. Night Lights
I love night lights. When you have black out drapes in the windows and wake up in the middle of the night, it’s nice to be able to go to the restroom without walking into furniture or stubbing a toe. Now, you may be thinking you could find your way around your house blindfolded, but when you’re little and that there are dark shadows everywhere you look, the soft glow of a night light can be incredibly comforting.
I like to bring a few nightlights with me when I travel. (Remember those days?). When you’re in a hotel or at an Airbnb, having a few small light sources lighting the way can be super helpful and reassuring to kids and adults alike. From stay at home nightlights that project the moon and stars on the wall to simple plug-in color-changing mood LED Night Lightsyou can throw in a bag and take with you on the road, there are nightlights for all tastes and needs.
Camping? This night light is rechargeable and perfect for hiking and backpacking. Want night lights that will automatically turn on and off at dawn and dusk, try these dimmable LED ones. They offer wide-range dimming that allows you to set very dim light for your sleeping areas and brighter light for other dark areas, like hallways. And at under $20 USD for a set of four, you can’t beat the price.
6. Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Humidifier
Essential oil diffusers not only help sleeplessness but they can also act as a humidifier and help balance out the dryness of a bedroom. The MissRHEA Small Elephant Essential Oil Diffuser, Kids Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser Humidifier creates a lovely atmosphere of tranquility. Its cute, unique elephant-shaped design along with its 7-colors changing mood light (pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) go with any décor and fit every mood. This essential oil diffuser is very quiet and has automatic shut-off technology, so you never have to worry about forgetting to turn it off. It turns itself off automatically when the water runs low. For a more “grown-up” looking diffuser for older children, the Ultimate Aromatherapy Diffuser & Essential Oil Set is a great choice and comes with10 different essential oils.
7. Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Blue light messes with your body’s ability to prepare for sleep because it blocks melatonin production and it can shift your circadian rhythm by as much as three hours. But, turning off screens and devices at least one to two hours before bedtime is easier said than done – sometimes you just need a little down time and putting your kids in front of a screen is the only way to get it.
So, whether the children in your life are playing video games into the night, or limiting their screen time perfectly, wearing blue light blocking glasses will effectively block harmful blue light coming from their phones, computer monitors, video games, and other devices at night or during the day. The Optix 55 Blue Light Blocking Glasses are light, trendy and come in aqua blue and electric pink. My daughter also has a pair of Livho Kids Blue Light Blocking Glasses, Computer TV Gaming Eyeglasses for Boys Girls Age 3-15 she likes to wear for zoom school. She doesn’t care that they protect her from eye strain and headaches, she wears them because they’re cute. Hers are pink and they’re also available in blue.
8. Coping Coloring Book and Journal
Some children are better at dealing with big feelings and freak outs than others. When life is at its most stressful (hello, second lockdown), sometimes putting pen (or coloring pencils) to paper can help kids cope and find sleep. The Healthy Coping Colouring Book and Journal: Creative Activities to Help Manage Stress, Anxiety and Other Big Feelings is a great journal for anxious 8 to 14-year-olds. When a bedtime story and soothing soundscapes aren’t doing the trick, journaling can definitely help. Whether your kids are stressed out at home or school, feeling anxious or simply in need of some relaxation, this workbook provides a place for them to express their emotions. Colouring, journaling and drawing activities help them explore healthy ways of coping with difficult feelings such as anger and anxiety through inspirational quotes, poems and practical advice.
9. Himalayan Salt Lamp
In addition to looking really cool, Himalayan salt lamps give out a warm, amber glow when you light them. The crystals are carved from amber-colored rock salt, hollowed out to fit a lightbulb inside. With their warm, pleasant, and relaxing light, consumers report sleeping more soundly. My Himalayan salt lamp of choice is the LEVOIT Himalayan Salt Lamp, Pink Salt Rock Large Crystal NaturalHimalayan Sea Salt Lamp with Dimmer. Not only does its amber light promoterelaxation, but it also doubles as agreat night light, bathing an otherwise dark room in a warm, inviting glow bright enough to scare monsters away, but just the perfect hue to fall asleep.
10. Black Out Drapes
After taking forever to fall asleep, the last thing most parents want is for their little ones to wake up at the crack of dawn. Once spring and summer roll around, trying to convince your kid(s) to go to sleep when the sun is still up, or to stay in bed and sleep “just a while longer” is near impossible if sunlight is streaming in. Enter the Nicetown Thermal Insulated Grommet Blackout Curtains for Bedroom black out drapes. Because, let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than being woken up by bright sunlight (or by little ones pouncing on your bed) when all you want to do is catch up on sleep.
Available in dozens of colors and sizes, black out drapes impede 85%-99% of the light and UV rays. (Dark colored curtains work best.) Their triple weave blackout fabric also balances room temperatures by insulating against summer heat and winter chill.
Granted, dark, plain curtains are not necessarily fan favorites with small children. For more colorful black out drapes, check out the Laghcat Star Blackout Curtain for Kids. They come in rainbow or blue and yellow vertical stripes and the Anjee Star Cutout Curtains 63 inch Lenth Sparkle Starry Star Light Blocking Blackout Drapes 2 Panels Set (love these!) in royal blue, baby pink, black, greyish white and space grey. The punched-out stars on these blackout curtains decorate your windows give your child the feeling of sleeping in the starry sky.
As with many things, sleeplessness tends to run in the family. If you and/or the other adults in your life having a hard time finding sleep, check out my post about the Top 10 Gifts for Insomniacs. Happy shopping!
And in case you’re wondering, Miss Indefatigable’s Elf on the Shelf, Penelope, did show up last night. We found her perched at the very top of our Christmas tree this morning.