The Sleepy Pebble and Other Stories: Calming Tales to Read at Bedtime

The Sleepy Pebble and Other Stories: Calming Tales to Read at Bedtime — page 3
AN INTRODUCTION FOR GROWN-UPS Many families have a bedtime routine probably involving a bath and stories Then us adults turn off the light and expect our children to go to sleep The last part of bedtime when we expect children to be quiet and fall asleep can be a time when things go wrong Our children might tell us they don’t want to go to sleep They might ask for more stories or keep chatting about whatever is on their mind It’s easy for us to become exasperated How can our children possibly not be sleepy when they have had such a busy day it’s already well past their bedtime and we are exhausted ourselves One possibility is that our children might be tired but in a state of arousal meaning a physical and mental state of being alert and reactive to stimuli They might have just read the most exciting story about a roller coaster ride and are imagining themselves whizzing round at high speed They might remember having been tickled earlier in the day and are still laughing at the feeling No wonder our children can’t sleep high levels of arousal are incompatible with sleep But with a bit of help they can unwind so that they are in a state that is better suited to falling asleep What might help The Sleepy Pebble and Other Stories is designed to help children relax before bedtime Useful techniques are embedded in calm and peaceful stories Each story contains three elements imagery muscle relaxation and mindfulness Imagery Imagery encourages children to create a place in their minds In order to seem realistic children are encouraged to consider a scene in plenty of detail They might think about the sounds and smells they encounter Research in adults with insomnia has found that those asked to imagine a scene in a great amount 8