Natural Sleep Aids for Kids

These are five very effective natural sleep aids for kids. All but one is easily available, requiring nothing but patience or a trip to the pantry. When trying a new sleep aid with your child, it's important to first talk to their pediatrician to make sure it's safe and will help them. Also, start with the easiest solution and work your way up.

Routine
A night routine is a proven and easy way to help kids sleep at night. Some children benefit from a warm bath and storytime before bed, while others may want to spend time doing a quiet activity with the family, such as watching a movie. It's important that activity before bed be predictable and soothing to help children easy themselves into sleep.

Chamomile
Chamomile is a great natural sleep remedy for children because it has no side effects and is very gentle. Chamomile can be given to children in pill or powder form, but what works best is warm chamomile tea. This is what Peter Rabbit's mother gave to him to soothe his stomach and help him rest after he had been chased around Mr. McGreggor's garden!

Jasmine
Jasmine is another very gentle herb that can help remedy sleep problems in children. This is more gentle than chamomile, so it should be tried before more powerful things. Jasmine can be given to children in tea, or with Johnson's jasmine nighttime bath wash.

Sage
Sage is another natural sleep remedy suitable for children. There are many ways you can give your child sage; tea, in medicine, or, best of all, used in your cooking. No matter which way you choose, the effect is the same.

Serenite Jr
This herbal remedy is available to buy from www.nativeremedies.com. It's a non-addictive herbal medicine that can be used by any child over the age of six months. It comes with a dropper for easy administering for young kids, and contains the following ingredients: chamomilla, a soothing plant, passiflora, coffea, and cina.

Important things to avoid giving your child include melatonin, large amounts of peppermint--which, while relaxing, can prevent their body from absorbing iron, hops--which belongs to the same family as marijuana and may affect certain conditions, and St. Johns Wort--this supplement increases the risk of sunburn for children, who should be spending plenty of time outdoors.

Resources

"Herbal Sleep Aids and Hormones for Adults and Children." Sleep-deprivation.com. 13 February 2009. 02 April 2009. http://www.sleep-deprivation.com/articles/sleep-disorder-treatments/herbs-and-hormones.php