Ease for getting kids (and adults) ready to sleep.
This book is designed with two intentions in mind.
1. Help kids settle down and be ready for sleep on any given night.
2. Provide children with an awareness of the power of their breath to change their physical and emotional states.
Happy Zzzzzzz for the whole family.
—George J. Limberakis
A Mindfulness-Based Book For Kids
...and Parents
One of the most common challenges I hear from child caregivers involves getting kids to settle down for the night. At the end of the day, everyone’s tired and kids are, often, over-tired making for a, potentially, difficult situation.
This book is designed with two intentions in mind.
The most immediate goal is to help kids settle down and be ready for sleep on any given night. Sleep specialists teach that maximum benefit of sleep is derived when people establish a consistent bedtime, one that is adhered to during the week as well as weekends. The establishment of a consistent pre-bedtime ritual facilitates winding down at the end of the day and prepares the mind/body for sleep. Establishing a consistent bedtime that comes at the end of a consistent pre-bedtime routine will benefit anyone, regardless of age.
The second goal is to provide children with an awareness of the power of their breath to change their physical and emotional states. Learning to downregulate the nervous system by managing the breath is a valuable skill that will be useful throughout the lifespan. When children become emotionally disregulated during waking hours, caregivers can help them calm by assisting them to “use your belly breath” to move toward self-regulation. Have the child place one hand on their belly and the other on their heart. Then, instruct them to use the deep-breathing technique taught in this book to focus on using their breath to move the belly hand before the heart hand moves. Caregivers, who may not be aware of the healing effects of breath management and a consistent bedtime routine, will also benefit from the lessons in this book.
About the Author
George Limberakis is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, living and practicing in Salt Lake City, Utah.
When my daughter was little, we had a nightly ritual that was designed to help her gear- down from the day. About an hour before I wanted her settled for the night, I’d hold up five fingers and count down – Bath, Brush (teeth), Bed, Book, Bu-bye. This was her signal to put away her toys and begin the nightly process of moving toward sleep. It worked well. She added one more step. That was, after everything else was completed, to have “a minute,” a short period of time when we just lied together in the quiet. Good times.
My hope is that this book will become the “Book” part of the bedtime ritual you and the kids you care for develop to help them learn the skill of down-regulating and become proficient sleepers. Wishing all the sleepyheads out there happy Zzzzzzzz.