Our child still needs 11-12 hours sleep per night so we make that a scheduling priority when planning our family’s activities. In the hours leading up to bedtime we are sure to eliminate any stimulating activities, and exposure to “blue light” from TV, phone, and computer screens. If your child has trouble falling asleep, you may want to have him wear “blue blocker” glasses starting a couple hours before bedtime. We use inexpensive safety goggles with orange lenses, such as these orange Uvex glasses.
Magnesium oil applied topically can also help your child to settle down at night. Some brands make us itch, in which case I discovered applying it only to the soles of feet is itch-free. I did eventually find a brand that doesn’t cause us itching – Ease Magnesium Oil.
Earthing helps to reduce systemic inflammation as the free electrons on the surface of the Earth are transferred to the human body via walking barefoot on the Earth or grabbing a metal rod with bare hands. Specially interwoven earthing fitted bedsheets contain silver conductive threads (and/or earthing sleep mats go under fitted sheets) which are then connected to the grounding socket in an electrical outlet. Sleeping while grounded allows the body to absorb/utilize the earth’s electrons to neutralize free radicals and inflammation. You only need one sheet to be grounded so they sell a kit with a fitted sheet, outlet checker, and grounding cord. They are a bit fragile – be sure to dry them on “low” and don’t allow your child to jump on the bed! I periodically check to be sure my earthing sheets are working with a continuity tester kit, and replace sheets as needed.
The area around your child’s bed should be a low-EMF zone. Remove any electric appliances and/or lamps from your child’s nightstand. If you currently use a stationary or ceiling fan, use a Trifield EMF meter to see if EMF levels are high at your child’s bed (and discontinue use if so). Read my blog post on EMFs for additional tips to reduce your EMF exposure.
Your child should sleep in complete darkness for best detoxing (and best melatonin production). Ideally the room should be so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. We installed special room-darkening curtains, and we don’t use a nightlight. We found the nightlight in the bathroom to be too bright/disruptive in the middle of the night. We bought a special amber (orange) nightlight bulb, and installed this plug-in dimmer knob.
Essential oils (such as lavender) are becoming ever more popular. There are a couple of safety tips to keep in mind. 1) Never ingest essential oils orally. 2) For topical use, always dilute essential oils into a neutral carrier oil:
0-3 months old 0.1-0.2%
3-24 months old 0.25-0.5%
2-6 years old 1.2%
6-15 years old 1.5-3%
15 years or older 2.5-5%
See also: Zen Lemons sleep tips and PaleoMom’s sleep tips.
