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by
Mary Thienes- Schunemann
 The
average human being sleeps a third
of
their life. When you think about the span of our
lives, that is a lot of time spent sleeping! For the growing child, from
birth
through teenage years, this time of sleeping is
critically important. Sleep provides nourishment for the next day
physically, emotionally and spiritually. Paying special attention to how
we send
our children into their
sleep and receive them back in the morning can bring them health giving forces for
life.
Let
the rule be: creating peaceful, calm
moods and soft gentle impressions at
these most precious times of day and night. This rules out television and
radios! Children are especially sensitive and more open to impressions
when going to sleep and upon waking. Therefore a great responsibility
rests on parents and teachers to create calm moods and meaningful rituals
with our children at these times of day. Children and adults alike are
enriched and nourished by such time spent together.
Many
children today are sleep deprived. This can be for many reasons. There are
all sorts of disturbances which can prevent children from having a truly
restful sleep. Here are some ideas on how to construct this time so that
it can be happy and peaceful for everyone.
Repetition
and rhythm strengthen the will power and the rhythmic system, as well as
creating comfort and a sense of security. To build a rhythm we must make
great efforts to do things at the same time each day. Living into healthy
habits before bed can create strength for both child and adult. Begin by
ordering the child’s room and clothing together. The act of ordering
before sleep helps the child develop self-discipline and a caring attitude
for their environment, home and classroom.
There
may be bath time or washing up time, then brushing teeth. Water play can
be a joy-filled and important time for children. I lived in Finland for a
year, and everyone in the community washed and did long saunas every
Saturday night. It was a joyful, fun time for everyone in the community,
and greatly anticipated during the week.
The
intimacy of sharing a story and talking together can smooth away even the
most rushed day. When children are young, they love to hear stories told
from memory, and often the same one told night after night! A story told
from memory can allow the child to create their own inner pictures, rather
than receiving fixed ones from a book. As children grow older they enjoy
the longer, more involved chapter stories.
Singing
lullabies with your child can help them relax peacefully into sleep. You
will find over time, that you will be inspired and may remember lullabies
from your own childhood, You may find that you even begin to create new
ones which your children will especially love and ask for again and again!
I had a friend who sang the same good night song to her son for eighteen
years until he left home! He would still ask for it in his late teenage
years! Amazing!
Just
as a child benefits from meaningful ritual before going to sleep, so do
they benefit from a gentle waking. Find ways in your home and classroom to
awaken the children, by singing or playing a soft instrument. We know as
adults how important this waking time is in setting the mood and tone of
our day. It is also so for the children. Let us bless out homes and
classrooms with peace and joy at these spirit filled times of day and
night!
Helpful Ideas for Sleeping and Waking
Creating new and wonderful ways to help our
children embark
on a peace-filled sleep and dream journey that will build a
healthy sleep-life for life!
1. Rhythm! Creating a bedtime/rest-time schedule and sticking to it is
important for all ages of children. Sleep requirements for children of all
ages are huge! Eleven to twelve hours per night are recommended. Our two
year old daughter goes to bed at 7 p.m. most every night. Early bedtimes
suit children best and they can also give mom and dad treasured adult time
together, and teacher some rest as well.
2.
Try eating light foods and little sugar after 6 pm. Many families eat
large meals with protein and sugary desserts for their evening meal. This
can be taxing for the liver, and can lead to indigestion and nightmares,
especially for the young child whose digestive system is still developing
and strengthening. Try eating a lighter evening meal of fruits,
vegetables, or warm vegetable soup and bread. This can make a
tremendous difference for the whole family. It will also be easier
to wake up in the morning, because you haven’t spent the whole night
trying to break down hard-to-digest foods.
3. Create meaningful habits
before bedtime or rest time. Lighting a special candle, telling a story,
sharing thoughts about the day, and saying evening prayers together can
create a wonderful intimacy for everyone.
4. Many children are afraid of the dark. Nightlights left on all
night can be harmful for the development of the retina. Try leaving a
light on in the hallway. Hearing mom or dad singing or humming in the next
room can be very comforting as well.
5. Giving a hot water bottle or a relaxing massage with lavender and
chamomile oil can be wonderfully soothing.
6. Make sure the walls of the room are calming. Do take down any loud
images or pictures. Find beautiful ways to decorate the room, hanging silk
cloths from the ceiling, and a lovely mobile with angels or golden stars.
Children can find this very comforting. (I have a friend in Finland
with a son who had trouble sleeping, so they started hanging up the most
beautiful angels they could find around his bed and he was soon able to
slip comfortably into sleep again.) In our home we have hung a large
rainbow silk cloth over our daughter’s bed with a blue and rose colored
star hanging from it, which she loves and delights in.
We
cannot underestimate the significance of the transition we make from our
waking to our sleeping life and back to our waking life again. How we
enter and leave the realm of sleep, dreams and the Spirit World can give
us all the strength and courage we need to do our work here upon this
wonder-filled Earth!
So,
enjoy the night and wake up peacefully!…
P.S. Sometimes the hardest thing to
do is to begin! We can find a thousand reasons to not
begin! As I was walking today I realized, to my astonishment, that I
stop singing when I’m tired. Singing when we are fatigued can actually
help us wake up and feel more alive! Singing can rejuvenate and restore
us! Even I forget this sometimes! So begin! …and you will feel, over time how singing can bring
health-giving life forces to accompany us through our days and nights!
 Mary
Thienes Schunemann has a bachelor's degree in Psychology, a musical
instructor for LifeWays childcare trainings, is a Waldorf Teacher, music
educator, singer, composer, inspired mother and homemaker! She teaches
singing workshops around the country, and gives private music lessons in
her home in southeastern Wisconsin. She is the president of the Rafael
Foundation for New Impulses in Music, and is the director of the women's
vocal ensemble Avalon a cappella. She works out of the principles of the
School of Uncovering the Voice, and has studied singing extensively in
Europe and America since 1989.
Reprinted
by Expressed Permission
Click
on the links to read our articles by
and
about Mary Thienes-Schunemann
Nurturing
the Soul : Sing a Song with Baby
Singing
Children, Happier Children
Lullabies
are Love Songs
by
Michaela Glockler M.D.
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