Our oldest son was naturally just a good sleeper. We never knew anything different until my second daughter came along. She really struggled with sleep the first few months of her life, but she eventually figured it out as time went on. My third daughter by far has the hardest time with connecting her sleep cycles, especially at night. There have been different reasons that have prevented them from good sleep, ranging from congestion, to tummy problems, all the way to food sensitivities and ear infections. No matter what is causing lack of sleep, the goal is to help calm their nervous systems, lower inflammation and help their rapidly growing brains to support them so they can try and learn how to connect their sleep cycles better. The things listed below are in conjunction with other things like no T.V. right before bed (in case anyone needs a reminder we are not perfect at this haha!), trying to get lots of fresh air and sunlight, making sure they arent over tired or hungry ect- the more classic things you think of when it comes to sleep:) Some of these products are less conventional, and that is why I want to share them!

• Chinese Skullcap: My all time favorite herbal supplement that without a doubt helps my kids sleep is chinese skullcap. The health benefits of this herb are endless and absolutely incredible. I notice a complete night and day different when I give this to my daughter when she is going through a stage where she is struggling to sleep more. She falls asleep faster and stays asleep for a longer period of time. I orginally started this herb because it is a wonderful anti-fungal that helps keep candida in check. After giving it for some time though I noticed that it did much more than that. I also give it to my son when he is having a flare, or having a hard time fall asleep. He asks for it throughout the day, and both him and my daughter take it straight and dont mind the taste. I can tell that they know it makes them feel better. Madison Yount on Instagram has incredible resources and information on this herb. She talks about how it calms cytokine storms in the body and is so helpful for kids who are dealing with any kind of mold exposure. The list goes on for benefits- so if you are interested check out her account. The Erasing Eczema Facebook group also has a lot of testimonies of moms using this herb with their children- if you want ideas or arent sure about it, check out their page.

• Earthley Magnesium Lotion: This is another staple in our household. Our whole family uses it and what I love about it is that its not another pill or powder to get into your child. It is a lotion that contains magnesium and you rub a small amount (changes with the age of child) on their belly or feet. Magnesium is a mineral that so many of us are deficient in and is so necessary in our children. I dont like to overdo supplements because I cant keep up with too many but this one is always on hand and I love putting it on after a bath before they go to bed.

• Earthley CBD tincture: I think there is a lot of confusion over cbd and all of the options out there today. Viewing this as purely a medicinal and another herbal tool- earthley has an incredibly clean and safely sourced cbd tincture. CBD is anti-inflammatory and can help the body with pain and sleep. If our son is having a flare before bed, we will give him a few drops of this and it truly helps calm him. Another great way to use it is during times of illness.

• Minerals: I have written about the Biofulvic minerals we use in other blog posts, but a benefit of the minerals is deeper sleep, and it has become a routine to take some before bed. Our son went from being up many times a night to either sleeping through the night or up once.

• Dead Sea Salt Baths or Epsom Salt: Dead Sea salts are supposed to replicate swimming in the dead sea. They are minerals that our bodies absorb through the skin and the benefits are again, so many. Not only do these baths help reduce my kids itching, they also help sleep. They are getting magnesium trans-dermally and it is so soothing and healing to any rashes. Epsom salt is also another really great option to add to baths for magnesium, relaxing and a gentle detox.

• Bamboo Eczema Scratch Sleeves: These sleeves were recommended by other moms going through eczema with their kids on the Erasing Eczema Facebook page. One day I decided to order them as a last ditch effort and they have been life changing. They are lightweight for summer and can be thrown on over any outfit. They are so soft and dont prevent them from itching. My daughter sleeps SO much better with these on.

• Keeping a set routine: This one might seem silly to add in here, but we have become more scheduled with naps and bedtime because it helps my kids know what to expect, and keeps them rested even if they are up in the night because of itching, or any of the other thousand things that seem to wake little ones up :)

I have had to let a lot of expectations go when it comes to sleep, but what I usually come back to is the question of what is best for the family? A miserable and cranky mom isnt great, but we also dont love the idea of the different sleep training methods. We are finding the balance of helping their bodies get to sleep knowing that sometimes there are things that prevent good sleep, while also giving them the space to figure out how to connect their sleep cycles. We continue to compromise, always thinking about what is best for our family and adjust our expectations and try to stay flexible.