Nobody has more information on this than us.
With 3 years and over 150,000 families to pull data from, we can answer your questions.
The Results Are In...
In the last couple of years things have certainly changed for all of us, and you may have noticed a particular change in the household that may be unexplainable, it may be hard to pinpoint and understand...that change is with sleep.
Your sleep, your children's sleep. Sleep has gone out the window.
Does this sound like your home? Like we've reached in and grabbed the words right out of your own mind?
But we mean it too, the results ARE in, and we know WHY.
We can tell you WHY your kids aren't sleeping, and we can also offer a solution.
Let's start off with a major one.
Sunlight.
In the last two years your children have spent more time indoors than they likely ever have before. And for a lot of them, this is all they've known since day dot.
Not only does just getting some exposure to sunlight assist in getting a good night sleep but there is also the outside factor, getting out, running around, expelling that energy.
Exposure to sunlight helps to regulate our bodies' Circadian Rhythm. This is essentially our internal sleep clock.
To put it simply, when we're in the sunlight, outside in the daytime, signals are sent throughout our bodies letting it know that it is awake time. Then, upon the setting sun and being inside, this is when our body knows to then begin producing melatonin. Our Sleep hormone.
Without this exposure, it is normal to experience anxiety as well as insomnia.
This isn't just for adults, this can affect your little one too.
Tell me, do any of these things sound familiar...
Night Terrors, Separation Anxiety, Increased Nightly Wakes, Increased Dependency, Stress, Co-Sleeping.
You're not alone, this is happening to so many families.
Our data shows that particularly in the last 6-12 months, these sleep troubles have come to surface where they had been overcome or had never before been something dealt with in the household.
Not only is sleep being affected in this way due to a decrease of sunlight and outdoor time, but also due to a change of routine.
As mentioned, there are so many little ones who know nothing but the current state of life, but as your routine fluctuates, so does theirs.
For many of our older kids, this means home schooling, not seeing friends or relatives and an overall different dynamic in the household.
Something as simple as having lunch at a different time can cause a stir in sleep patterns and behaviours.
The fact of the matter is, we can't rely on getting back to a solid, stable routine for a little while yet, so until that time comes, what can we do?
- Allow the outside world into your home!
White it's hard for us to get outside, we can do our best to make our living space as open as possible. Considering the colder weather, it may not always be easy to open the windows and doors, but pulling back the blinds and inviting the light in is the next best thing.
And when it is a warmer day? Open the windows and doors!
- Get outside.
Head outside for walks. Breathe in as much of that fresh air as possible and get those little legs moving, jumping and skipping around!
Not only is this expelling that energy, this is engaging with the environment around them that isn't home. In this case, different is good. It's exploring and using all those senses! This can play a big part in getting the stimulation they need during the day so that sleep is a welcome and easy time at the end of the day.
Making sure your kids have the right type of activities to do inside to ensure they will get the best sleep possible, check out this blog for all the best ideas. CLICK HERE
- Bedtime routine.
This is an important one. Just because the days may be in disarray, let the time before bed stand out as space that doesn't change. This consistency and familiarity is key in providing comfort in what can be really stressful and anxiety filled times. Especially for little ones who don't quite understand it all.
Glow Dreaming fits into this in a number of ways.
During the day? Our Green LED helps to increase focus, concentrations and serotonin - a.k.a MOODS! All the things you also get from a sunny day.
We would recommend running the Glow on the Green LED during things like play time, reading, schooling, etc...
Doing this along side brightening up your home and getting out for those daily walks will be super helpful.
During the night? The Red LED helps to increase the natural stimulation of melatonin in the body. Remember how we mentioned that lack of sunlight exposure affects your Circadian Rhythm and your body's natural sleep body clock? Well, Red Light Therapy helps to correct it, and in little ones who have yet to form their circadian rhythm, it helps to create a healthy and positive foundation for sleep.
The Glow also has Pink Noise which helps your children settle into the deep phases of sleep were you get the real rest, and it helps to avoid wakes from disturbances too...
Pink Noise is a lot like white noise but bucket loads better for your little one.
If you're interested, you can read more on that here.
Last but not least is the humidifier function that doubles as a diffuser for our sleep time essential oil blend - a blend that is medicinal grade and tried and tested so you can feel assured it works. Glow Lullaby helps to calm the mind and body for sleep time. No matter how crazy the day is, it aids in letting go of pent up stress and emotion from the day so that sleep can find your little love easier.
Glow can be thought of as a 'catalyst' for sleep. It helps to form structure and consistency in a routine. It can aid in the development of independence for your little one as well as the security they need when trying to do something on their own.
It means less time in your bed and more time in theirs until they're comfortable enough to not come into yours at all! (good by separation anxiety, night terrors and constant wakes too!)
Speaking of nightly wakes and night terrors, these bedtime troubles are usually brought on from uncertainty and stress/anxiety. This makes absolutely sense when you think about what life has been like the last couple years. Glow Dreaming solves with the red led, light and aromatherapy because your child's sleep space has become the ideal environment for sleep - to support it!
Useful in the day time and the night time, over 150,000 families have helped solidify the fact that Glow does do this for them, especially when things have been a bit tough, and also that glow can do this for you too.
