Difficulty in staying asleep is a common issue with children; many of these instances can be considered healthy and normal, especially through the toddler years. When it extends beyond age three, however, it's worth taking a look at the circumstances around their nighttime sleep ritual to ensure that nothing obvious is affecting their ability to settle, and stay settled.

As a general rule, dinner should not be eaten less than 1.5-2 hours before bedtime, as the digestive process can interefere with the body's ability to enter a restful place, biochemically speaking. In addition, sugary foods, including treats like juice popsicles, are best taken in that same period of time as the nighttime meal, and should not be eaten on an empty stomach (sugary foods eaten on their own cause blood sugar spikes which interfere with melatonin production). Certainly, caffeine-containing beverages are inappropriate for a child, despite their prevalence in the form of soft drinks, but they are especially inappropriate after 2pm, when the effects of caffeine can linger long into the evening.

Once dietary habits are addressed, the time leading up to sleep should be examined. Is the child going to bed at a reasonable hour? Early to bed is a good choice for a child's overall health. Are they watching particularly 'exciting' television shows just before bed? Switch to more age- and time-appropriate programming around bedtime, or develop a 'reading ritual' instead. Is their bedroom shielded from outside noise (conversation, ringing telephones, the television)? This may not be entirely possible, depending on the layout and size of the home, but something can usually be done to improve this: an air filter in the child's room can provide enough 'white noise' to block outside sound, or a rolled towel placed at the bottom of the door can stop outside noises from entering.

As these rituals change and evolve, so too should the child's sleep pattern. If these changes don't seem to help, this is an appropriate time to use My Herbalist for Kids' Little Dreamer.