We all need some energyclearingsometimes. Help your kids sleep and rest easy with this DIY Smudge Spray aka Magic Monsters Be Gone Spray.
Bedtime and sleep can be so hard for children sometimes.
Stress, fears and even lots of energy can play a huge role when it comes to little ones getting to sleep and staying asleep. It's very common for little ones to be afraid of the dark as well ... and to think there are monsters in the room.
So how can we help our littles feel safe and get the sleep that they need for their little growing bodies?
I have found "magic" smudging spray {aka monsters be gone spray} to be very helpful.
If you're not familiar with the practice of smudging, it's a very old traditionused for energy cleaning or clearing, originally used by Indigenous peoples. Thiswell-known sacred art of energy cleaning or space clearing uses smolderingdried sage leaves that help stagnant negative energy clear from the room/home.
Smudging islike a fresh start and gives you that feeling you get when you take a big, deep breath. It's helpful in the same way that de-clutting your house can help lift your spirits on an emotional level.
Many children {and adults} are affected by the smoke from traditional smudging. Plus it's not really practical to do on a daily basis when you have kiddos. The next best thing is making a smudge spray.
Smudge "magic" spray for nighttime has been recommend to me by my daughter's holistic pediatrician and many child counselors recommend it as well. Being able to create a monsters be gone spray helps children feel more safe and in control of their environment.
Monster Be Gone Spray
Sage is most commonly used for smudging. It's known for its sacred cleaning abilities. I do like using sage essential oil, however I only use small amounts {women who are pregnant should avoid sage essential oil}. I also like to let my Little Love choose essential oils that she likes the smell of and let her spray it in her room {again, letting her have the power over this situation}.
The great thing about this spray is you can mix up the essential oils from time to time to enliven and change up the routine. You can also make the spraying routine fun by saying with your kiddo, "monsters be gone" or "this is my room, no one is welcome here" etc. It may sound silly, but letting your child voice their fears can be really helpful.
I also like to add sea salt to the smudging spray because it's also well known for its cleaning/clearing abilities. Crystals are also very powerful and again have been used traditionally for many, many years. This is completely optional, but I love to let my daughter pick out crystals to add to and enhance her spray.
If you want to take it a step further, you can leave the smudge spray outside on the full moon to "charge" under the moonlight. It's very common practice for crystals, water, etc. to be left out on the full moon to absorb the power of the moonlight. This is also fun for kiddos ... let them set their spray outside before bedtime, they will love the experience.
Tips for How to Help Your Kids When They Have Trouble Sleeping
It's so common that our little ones will come up with a zillion excuses around bedtime from needing a drink of water to having to go to the bathroom. Often, this turns into a power struggle between the child and parent.If this is the only issue around bedtime, sometimes just a simple shift in parenting can help. Here's a helpful article about how you can set limits and not use threats to enforce them.
If your little one is having trouble staying in bed, there are some helpful tools that can help with this too. Creating safety, play earlier in the day, relaxation techniques, a routine + more. Wondering how to get your little one to stay in bed and sleep there through the night? Check out this helpful post about your preschooler and bedtime.
Sometimes it is just as simple as love and connection. Children need loving presence of parents both during the day and night at various periods in varying amounts of time.
Herbal Tea
Calming herbal teas can be so help for little ones. I have been using a blend of chamomile, catnip, fennel seeds, lavender since my Little Love was a wee little one. I love using thiscalming tea in the late afternoon or right after dinner ... or really anytime there is extra stress or your little one just needs a little extra help calming.
Himalayan Salt Lamp
Himalayan Salt Lamps are known for being calming and clearing energy, as well as cleaning the air. Add one of these to your child's room. It emits a very soft pink light and does not disrupt sleep like most night lights do {most lightsemit blue light - which is known to disrupt sleep}. My daughter loves her salt lamp, it has been a tremendous help with her fear of the dark.
Essential Oils
Essential oils have played a HUGErole in my daughter's bedtime routine. She uses them every night on her feet, and sometimes on her neck or over her heart when she's feeling the need to place them topically there. My daughter is old enough to apply them on her own, so I make her a roll-on bottle with a special blend of oils for calming.
She loves using Lavender, Gentle Baby, Peace & Calming, Cerdarwood, and sometimes Grounding for her bedtime routine. I only use pure therapeutic-grade essential oils for my family and like to use a topical 1% dilution ratio {approx. 1 drop essential oil per 1 teaspoon carrier oil} for my Little Love since she is over 6 years old. Diluting essential oils helps protect sensitive skin, helps spread it over a surface more easily + it saves money too.
Homeopathy and Calming Lotion
Kids can be very sensitive to other things going on around them. Sometimes we cannot sense these things, but they feel them on a very real level. My daughter's holistic pediatrician recommended this calming lotionfor my oldest daughter. It helps block outside energies that cause stress.
This had been very helpful for my daughter over the years. We don't use it as often anymore, but it was very helpful during the years that were more stressful for her. I would place a very small amount of the lotion on my finger and use the infinity shape while rubbing it over the neck, chest, heart and solar plexus.
Smudging the Whole Home
Smudging the whole entire home and outside of your home at least once a month can be very helpful. This helps clear out any negative energy that has occurred over the month - leftover anger, stress, etc. As mentioned above, this is a very common ritual, but was also something that was recommended by our holistic pediatrician.
It's super easyto do! Just get some white smudging sage {order online if you can't find it locally} light it, blow out the fire, open the windows in your home, then go to every corner of your home including closets and around attics or basem*nts if you have one and allow the smoke to float up into the corners. If you want, you can also speak or think the intention you want like "no negative energyis welcome here, please leave now through the windows" ... sounds weird, but it can help a lot.
Parasites
I know, I know ... there is such icky stigma that goes along with parasites. But, the truth is they are super common and not something anyone should be ashamed of. Parasites are so common with children, especially because they play in the dirt and sand at school or playgrounds and use toilets at school that aren't always in spotless condition.Parasites are also super common if you've traveled outside of the U.S.
Parasites have different cycles of growth that go along with the moon cycles. Pinworms for example, which are super common in children, are especially active during the full moon. They can cause lots of irritability at bedtime along with night waking. If you suspect parasites could be the culprit, there are lots of natural remedies, hygiene suggestions, diet suggestions, cleaning tips + more that you can do ... check out this greatpost from Dr. Aviva Romm, M.D. for more information on pinworms.
Stress, Trauma and Counseling
Stress can cause major sleep issues with children. Stress and traumas are more and more common these days - everything from divorce, to moving, to stress at school {bullies, friendships, school work pressure, etc.}. The more traumas a child has going on, the harder things can be for them and sometimes this shows up in sleep patterns.
There is no shame in needing to seek counseling for children.Sometimes things we think are not stressful can be very stressful for our kids, especially if there have been newchanges or transitions going on. If your little needs some help, don't rule out counseling as a possible option. There are some wonderful child therapists out there - and the majority incorporate art and play and don't solely use talk therapy.
DIY Smudge Spray
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
We all need some energy clearing sometimes. Help your kids sleep and rest easy with this DIY Smudge Spray aka Magic Monsters Be Gone Spray.
Materials
- Use a Combination of Calming Essential Oils:
- 1-2 drops sage essential oil {<-- I buy mine here}
- 1-2 drops cedarwood essential oil {<-- I buy mine here}
- 2-3 drops lavender essential oil {<-- I buy mine here}
- 2-3 drops lemon essential oil {<-- I buy mine here}
- 1 tablespoon pure witch hazel {acts as a preservative}
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Filtered or spring water
- Small Quartz Crystals {optional}
Tools
- YOU WILL NEED:
- 2 oz or 4 oz Glass Spray Bottle
- Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils
Instructions
- Add essential oils of choice to spray bottle.
- Add witch hazel and sea salt. Give the bottle a quick swirl to mix the essential oils around.
- Add filtered water to the bottle until it's about ¾ full.
- Add optional crystals.
- Place the spray cap on the bottle and give the bottle another gentle swirl to incorporate the essential oils.
Notes
- Have your little one hold the bottle and think good thoughts into the bottle. Tell your little one to think about what they want the spray to do, and think those thoughts into the bottle while they hold it. Totally optional, but it's fun for them to do this.
- If you want to take it a step further, you can leave the bottle outside on a full moon to "charge" under the moonlight. It's very common practice for crystals, water, etc. to be left out on the full moon to absorb the power of the moonlight. This is also fun for kiddos ... let them set their spray outside before bedtime, they will love the experience.
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