Unless your children are aliens, you’ve probably had your share of trouble putting them to bed.
Now that both of my kids have CD players in their rooms, I decided to do an experiment. I purchased two sleep CDs hoping they would make bedtimes easier.
“Indigo Ocean Dreams: 4 Children’s Stories Designed to Decrease Stress, Anger and Anxiety while Increasing Self-Esteem and Self-Awareness” by Lori Lite is a 60-minute CD for kids ages 6-12. It is a combination of stories, relaxation techniques and ocean music.
I can’t listen to “Indigo Ocean Dreams” without thinking of the Saturday Night Live guy known for “I’m okay, you’re okay, and gosh darn it, I’m worth it.” It’s very New Age-y. The stories are also pretty juvenile.
But guess what? The first time my daughter listened to it she fell asleep midway through the second story. Easiest bedtime ever! Who cares if the plots are boring? Maybe that’s why they are effective.
The second CD I bought is called “Sleep Solutions (The Calming Collection)” by Roberta Shapiro. It’s actually for adults, but also appropriate for older kids.
“Sleep Solutions” has four tracks: an introduction, a track for deep sleep, and two countdowns for falling back to sleep after you wake up. It has a woman’s voice and some electronic music leading you through visualization techniques.
A few nights ago I put on track #2 for my son and he fell asleep in under ten minutes, too. The track hadn’t even finished!
Now three days later, both CDs continue to work. I turn them on, lay down with my kids for about ten minutes, and they fall asleep fast.
I am so amazed by these results that I’m still in shock. Bedtimes just got 50 percent easier!
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
