Mindfulness – A Bedtime Miracle

If your child cannot sleep ask them first if there is anything worrying them or if they are physically OK. Following that you could ask if they would like to try some mindfulness?

If there is resistance you could suggest listening to some age-appropriate mindfulness meditations together. We love the Headspace app, there are children's meditations where you can select the age of your child and the timing and also choose your meditation such as sleep, calm, kindness. The importance, as I'm sure you are aware, is to not to push your agenda, if your child shows no interest, simply model it in your own life.

Here are some exercises that bring attention to the body.

FOCUSING ON THE BREATH
For younger children, you could see if they will "Sniff the flower and blow out the candle" a few times whilst holding a finger in front of their nose. Another method is to ask them to rest their favourite teddy on their belly and watch to see if teddy moves up and down as they take deep breaths.

FOCUSING ATTENTION ON THE SENSES
Ask your child with curiosity - "What can you hear?" Listen together, there will be noises from outside, like traffic, sounds from inside the room such as the radiator, or even sounds of each of you breathing. Then "What do you feel?" the mattress under your body, your pyjamas on your legs etc. Then follow with the other senses, smell, taste, sight, taking your time to notice without hurrying.

FOCUSING ATTENTION ON THE BODY
This focus can be achieved simply by saying "Goodnight" to each part of the body. Starting at the toes say "Goodnight toes" softly. Moving upwards slowly until you reach the head. How detailed you are can vary depending on if your child is engaged and how sleepy they are becoming.

After these exercises I try to just lay there next to my son, saying very little and 90% of the time he has drifted off within 5 minutes. The hardest part of this is trying to stay awake myself so I can get up and write!

Try introducing this as a daily practise or use it as a tool when you or your child need some calming. I like to use it at night if I am laying there being overly self-critical or stressing about my to-do list it helps me move you out of my mind and into my body, leaving me relaxed and centred.

Please, as always, let me know how you get on.

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