SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 8, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The National Sleep Foundation is raising awareness about the importance of sleep by dedicating March 28th through April 3rd as National Sleep Awareness Week. It's a crucial message because for years our culture has underestimated its importance. Finally, as research continues to emerge, we are realizing that a good night's sleep is as important as proper nutrition-affecting mood, immunity, and the ability to learn.
If you're a parent, it's important to realize that in order for your child to be physically and emotionally healthy as well as a successful student, it's vital for him to get a sufficient amount of quality sleep. Unfortunately, children's sleep problems are extremely common. Factors that contribute to this modern day malady include lax rules, difficulty transitioning from the family bed, stress, over stimulation and the media. In 2004, the National Sleep Foundation reported that a whopping 69 percent of children under the age of ten have sleep difficulties. (Their 2005 Sleep in America poll is scheduled for release on the Tuesday of National Sleep Awareness Week, March 29th, and will have new information about how a lack of sleep is affecting Americans.)
The number of children with sleep problems is staggering. Most parenting books on the subject focus on babies and on improving sleep hygiene. However, they ignore the most useful long term solution for children -- which is to teach them to purposely relax their bodies and minds so that they can cope with stress, relax, and fall asleep. By teaching kids to relax themselves to sleep parents can avoid the nightly bedtime battles. For children, learning to relax and fall asleep on their own is an important step towards independence. However, the benefits of conscious relaxation far outweigh even this worthwhile achievement. By learning to purposefully relax and calm themselves, children will become more resilient and better equipped to deal with life's inevitable ups and downs. For R & R tips visit www.pattiteel.com
Relaxation Steps:
Getting Ready
Create a consistent bedtime ritual -- in a predictable calming environment that serves as a bridge between the excitement of daytime and the restful quiet of nighttime.
Step One -- Progressive Relaxation (Tensing & Relaxing Muscle Groups)
Have the child lie down in his bed. Direct him to lift each arm and leg individually, holding each limb tightly before loosely flopping it down on the bed. Then have him tense and relax other muscle groups in his body. For example, have him wrinkle his face and hold his eyes tightly closed, before relaxing his face. (Tense each muscle group for at least 5 seconds before releasing them and relaxing.)
Step Two -- Focus on the breath
Once a child is thoroughly relaxed he will be ready to focus on the breath. Have him get very quiet and watch his own breath. Children don't need to try to change their breath in any way. This is a time to gather the senses that are usually focused on the outside world and turn them inward. It calms the mind and induces a state of relaxation.
Step Three -- Creative Visualization
Once a child is relaxed, the parent reads (or tells) a story that takes the child on an imaginary journey. Visualization improves with practice and eventually children will be able to use their own imaginations to make up stories as they drift off to sleep.
Gradually, parents turn the process of falling asleep over to their child.
Systematically, parents give their child less and less direction as he or she learns to use self-soothing techniques to relax and fall asleep. For a few days, a parent may want to sit on the edge of their child's bed while he or she follows the relaxation directions. Parents can make up their own routine or follow the program in The Floppy Sleep Game Book. Over a period of time, as a child becomes more familiar with the relaxation routine, the parent sits further and further away until the child no longer needs his parent in the room to relax and fall asleep.
Dubbed "The Dream Maker" by People magazine, Patti Teel is a former teacher and the author of The Floppy Sleep Game Book, which gives parents techniques to help their children relax or fall asleep. She is holding Dream Academy workshops at schools, hospitals, and libraries across the country where parents and children learn the playful relaxation techniques from her book and widely acclaimed children's audio series. Children at the Dream Academy workshops practice the three R's by resting their bodies, relaxing their minds, and refreshing their spirits.