Help Your Children Sleep Better: Here's How?
There is nothing more peaceful to see than a sleeping child. However, even during their sleeping hours, their brain performs developmental activities such as memory consolidation by orderly putting their experiences, learning, and unlearning things according to their importance. Your child needs adequate sleep, especially during their school age, to possess the attention and energy to work and perform each day. Thus, sleep is crucial for the development of young minds.
Adequate sleep impacts one's happiness, attention, alertness, cognitive performance, mood, vocabulary acquisition, resiliency, and memory and learning. Sleep also affects growth, especially when the child is an infant. In toddlers, napping is vital for consolidating memory, attention, and developing motor skills. But getting adequate sleep can be very challenging for many kids. Some kids also face sleep issues which result in them having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or staying awake.
It is important to note that every kid's sleep needs vary based on genetics, age, and cultural differences. Thus, all approaches won't universally work for all kids, and there might be a possibility of trial and error. So, keep your patience and see how with time, your little one learns the art of falling asleep quickly on their own and not waking up through the night. And for that, you need first to understand and analyze your kid's sleeping needs. By using a combination of age-appropriate routines, sleep hygiene, paying close attention to possible sleep disorders, and using the CBD gummies, you can encourage your kid to develop a healthy sleep routine. If you suspect that your kid might have some issues with sleep, you should check out some of the solutions given below!
Importance of Sleep for Children
Your kid needs sleep to develop, grow and stay healthy. Getting good sleep is necessary for them so that their body can rest and repair itself. Additionally, adequate sleep is crucial for regulating their immune system and making them less vulnerable to illnesses and diseases. Getting a good night of sleep also helps them stay alert during the day to help them pay attention at school and learn better.
Every day, newborns need 14 to 17 hours, infants need 12 to 15 hours, toddlers need 11 to 14 hours, pre-schoolers need 10 to 13 hours, and school-going children need 9 to 11 hours of sleep.
Mental Exercise
It is a fact that mindfulness exercises like meditation help decrease stress hormones and calm the nervous system. There are several family-friendly meditation exercises that parents can do with their kids. These exercises often include body awareness, simple breathing techniques, or guided imagery. For example, Tara Brach's one-minute meditation can help kids reset their breath and harness a deeper awareness of the present moment. Your kid can practice this meditation technique right when they get into bed for the night or during the day when they need a reset.
Physical Exercise
Regular exercise can also help your kids sleep better. Acute physical activity has little effect on sleep duration and quality, while moderate exercise considerably improves sleep quality, extends sleep duration, and decreases sleep onset. One study has concluded that moderate stretching exercises and resistance training can benefit people with insomnia. Likewise, people practicing light aerobic sessions reported fewer waking episodes during the night, increased sleep efficiency, decreased sleep onset, longer hours of sleep, and lesser overall anxiety.
Addressing their Fears
Do you suspect that your kid might be a restless sleeper, especially when they come running to your room during the night and say that they are scared? In this case, you shouldn't ignore their fears but rather try listening to them and reassuring them that everything will be okay. You can also try explaining the reason behind their scary experience, like where a sound came from. Try encouraging them to fall asleep in their bed rather than yours. For this, you might need to sit by their bed as they try to sleep again, but it is still better to try and get them comfortable in their bed and room.
Intervening with CBD
Children with insomnia usually develop other medical conditions linked with inadequate rest- such as experiencing increased stress and fatigue. In 2015, CBD Oil was recommended to effectively treat insomnia as it can be comfortably administered alongside other treatments. A recent research project fed about 25mg of CBD supplements to kids who have insomnia around their bedtime. According to research by NCBI, the children reported a gradual increase in their quality of night sleep. After some months, they became surprisingly able to sleep in their beds.
You should also note that this treatment didn't result in any side effects. Hence, CBD oil might be an effective and safe treatment for your insomniac child. Even though CBD oil is extracted from legally cultivated Marijuana, it is separated from other constituents of Marijuana that induce a high that most consumers need for recreation. People of all age groups can thus consume it. In the case of children, the THC levels (a mind-altering component) are reduced to a level that doesn't cause any activation. Thus, taking the help of CBD oil to induce sleep in your toddler is wholly safe and effective.
Is it Legal?
To clear any confusion, the laws relating to CBD consumption apply to minors and adults in the same way. In simple words, there is no federal age requirement to consume CBD. Thus, you need to check the laws relating to cannabis in your respective state.
The low content of THC makes CBD-Based products legal in many countries globally. It is recommended to visit the National Cannabis Industry Association to refer to the state-by-state breakdown of cannabis laws. Many parents also travel and even relocate to a cannabis-friendly area or state to legally administer CBD to their ill child. Still, we recommend speaking with your kid's pediatrician before administering any CBD supplement to them.
Conclusion
With balanced and proper dosing, CBD can effectively benefit your kid. CBD lacks any psychoactive effects. Your kid can consume it like any other dietary supplement and reap its benefits. Improving their sleep schedule and quality is one of those benefits. Several CBD news sources suggest that CBD has a chance of improving their sleep quality and helping them become more calm and relaxed before bedtime. Luckily, children are very open-minded to change and can easily incorporate new things into their lives. With your help, your kids can easily include CBD Oil in their diet. The best way is to ration the quantity of CBD-Based products in the diet as it can be the best way to start as a beginner. The next step should be to introduce them to other CBD-based products and exercise caution. Seek advice from doctors, and they will assess you with the same.
Disclaimer - The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. These products should not be used if you are pregnant or nursing.