Ever since my first son came along with his strong lungs and lively personality, sleep and I haven’t exactly been on good terms. It’s not by choice, of course. Our nights have been a series of interrupted sleep patterns for over eight years: fall asleep, get woken up by someone needing help to the bathroom, drift back to sleep, wake up again for nursing/diaper changing/crying, nod off once more, get up due to a bad dream, and before you know it, it’s morning.
Now with five kids, getting a good night’s sleep hasn’t become any simpler. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade a single sleep-deprived moment with my five little ones. However, I did want to find ways to improve sleep for the whole family. (Trying to discuss the health benefits of sleep with newborns hasn’t been successful so far.)
For the past year or so, I’ve been using a homemade natural sleep spray that’s really improved our sleep quality. It uses a mix of natural ingredients that encourage restful sleep, and having “sleepytime” in the name doesn’t hurt either—sometimes a little placebo effect goes a long way!
In all seriousness, I’ve seen real improvements in both my own sleep quality and how well my children sleep. I’ve refined the ingredients over time and found a combination that works well for us.
For those with drier skin, I’ve discovered that a homemade magnesium body butter with lavender and chamomile essential oils achieves similar results while also moisturizing. This version is gentler on the skin.
I’ve also learned that optimizing our sleep environment can significantly improve our rest. Here are some things that have worked well for us.
How do you get your sleep? Have you tried any natural remedies to help you sleep better? Feel free to share your tips!
