When Kids Can’t Sleep
Most parents can relate to the stress of having a child who either takes hours to settle down to sleep or who wakes up in the middle of the night. Or both! When a child is not in balance, sleep changes are often the first thing that alerts us to this state. Likewise, when the body is finding balance again, or a homeopathic remedy is resonating, sleep is the first thing that improves. Obviously when a child who was sleeping well is suddenly not sleeping, some investigation is required to figure out what is going on. You don't want to rely on a bandaid solution for long, but sleep is crucial for a family unit to function so here are some homeopathic remedies and flower essences that can help when things get rough or a special circumstance is causing a sleepless night. These are safe for all ages, non-habit forming, have zero side effects, and will not cause daytime drowsiness as they work with your body to support the natural sleep cycle.
Valeriana
Made from the valerian plant, this is a wonderful insomnia remedy that helps with sleeplessness due to nerves and anxiety. It works well for a child who has alternating states, meaning their mental and physical states changes rapidly, say from laughing to crying or their stomach hurts horribly and then is totally fine all within a short period of time. These kids sleep hot, often soaking the pillow with head sweat and kicking the covers off. They are generally oversensitive creatures, reacting strongly to things such as their environment, tags on clothes, and loud sounds.
Coffea cruda
Ever had too much caffeine or sugar too close to bedtime? Remember that feeling like you really wanted to fall asleep but you couldn’t and you could hear your heart beating just as fast as all the thoughts and ideas in your head? A dose of Coffea cruda will help kids (and adults!) in this state and calm the body and mind so that sleep is possible. If your kid had too much sugar and can’t fall asleep for that reason, this is a good one to try. It’s also helpful for kids who are anxious and worried about an event the next day and can’t turn off their worries at bedtime. In addition to helping kids fall asleep, it helps those with itchy skin conditions that are worse at night such as eczema and other rashes.
Zincum metallicum
I like this remedy for kids who are tossing and turning, kicking their legs, and whose bodies shudder and spasm as they are falling asleep. These movements are signs of a worked up nervous system and will help to unsupress it. Kids who resonate with this remedy might wake in the middle of the night because their feet are cold, and are prone to cramps in their calves.
Calms Forte
This is a combination remedy made by Hyland’s and can really help kids calm down and drift off to sleep. Combination remedies like this are great when you can’t decide on which single remedy might help the most. As with the others listed here, Calms Forte will help anxious, restless kids and can be a huge blessing for those nights when they just cannot fall asleep.
Rescue Remedy Sleep
Bach Flower makes flower essences that are wonderful products for children and can help with many behavioral and emotional issues, but they also make a combination sleep product that calms fears and anxiety and resolves occasional sleeplessness. It’s a mix of the flower essences White Chestnut, Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, Cherry Plum, Impatiens, and Rock Rose. A couple drops of this mix can have kids calm and ready for sleep in minutes.