5 NATURAL SLEEP REMEDIES FOR KIDS

The thought of your kids sleeping for long and undisturbed may sound like a dream, but it is quite possible. Although some studies show that CBD may improve your sleep quality, there are not enough studies to prove this, and the safety of CBD for kids is questionable. Rather, you can use natural remedies like melatonin, ginkgo biloba, magnesium, glycine, and tryptophan to boost your sleep.

Has your child been finding it hard to sleep? You may think he can't get quality sleep when he sleeps long and feels energized in the morning. Studies show that many children have sleep issues, making the idea of quality sleep for kids sound. Meanwhile, CBD keeps growing in hype, and it seems like it could help with sleep. Still, it is worth noting that there are insufficient studies to prove the role of CBD in sleep management, and CBD safety for kids is questionable. Thankfully, natural remedies like glycine, ginkgo biloba, magnesium, tryptophan, and lavender may boost your kid’s sleep quality, as this article explains.

CBD Basics

CBD keeps growing in hype and demand, and some clients take it to manage sleep problems. Thus, if you or your kid have sleep challenges and are considering trying CBD, you must be more than ready to know CBD. According to Mascal et al. (2019), CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis plants, majorly derived from hemp. Unlike THC, another cannabinoid that is growing too, CBD does not make you high, hence why many users relate to it. CBD comes in three formulations, isolate, full- and broad-spectrum CBD, and you can enjoy any form using edibles, oils, tinctures, vapes, and capsules.

CBD and Sleep

People take CBD products for many reasons, the main one being to manage pain, sleep issues, and anxiety. Can CBD help you treat or cure your child’s sleep issues? According to Shannon et al. (2019), CBD can fight pain and stress, helping you sleep better. So far, many CBD fans take the cannabinoid for sleep issues. Still, there is insufficient scientific evidence to prove that CBD can treat sleep deprivation in kids, nor has the FDA approved this.

Can You Give Kids CBD for Sleep?

It goes without a say that many people use CBD oil and other products to manage sleep problems. How about kids? Can you give them CBD to boost their sleep quality? People consider CBD generally safe, especially when administered in the right amounts. In fact, Meissner & Cascella (2021) noted that CBD has a healthy safety profile, suggesting that there is so little to worry about. Yet, the FDA has not approved CBD for treating sleep issues. Besides, kids are sensitive, and giving CBD to them would be unsafe, especially because CBD studies are in infancy, and the cannabinoid's safety in children is yet to be decided. Does this mean there is no better way to go? There are five natural remedies you could try on kids, as shown later.

Kids and Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, children need 8- 15 hours of sleep, depending on their age. Teenagers need 8-9 hours of sleep, while infants need to sleep for 12- 15 hours. Yet, Calhoun et al. (2014) reported that more than 50% of kids have sleep issues. What are the effects of children not getting enough sleep? According to Zhang et al. (2017), little sleep leaves kids hyper and easily irritable. Besides, the study added that such kids have an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease, emphasizing the need for kids to get enough sleep. That said, the following are the natural remedies you could offer your kids to boost their sleep quality.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a critical mineral in the body. Besides being an electrolyte, it is needed for hundreds of physiological processes. Did you know that it is also good for quality sleep in kids and adults? According to Cao et al. (2018), magnesium boosts melatonin production, relaxes muscles, and may promote the production of GABA, a molecule that helps the brain calm. The only challenge with magnesium for kids is that most studies have looked at its effects on sleep in people with low magnesium count, and it is unclear if it will be effective in kids with enough magnesium intake from diet.

Lavender

Lavender is a great flower found on almost all continents, showing that its availability is not limited. The flowers are purple, and their extracts are added to detergents and bath products because of the fragrance. Besides the fragrance, lavender could help with sleep. Lillehei et al. (2015) noted that smelling the fragrant lavender flowers helped people sleep better. As you offer your kid lavender for sleep, remember not to feed him of it; studies go for lavender for aromatherapy and not ingestion.

Glycine

Glycine is one of the nine essential amino acids you need for good growth and health. More studies are seeing potential in glycine boosting sleep quality, hence why it could make a good sleep remedy for kids. According to Kawai et al. (2015), it is unclear how glycine works; it seems to help raise the bedtime temperatures to boost relaxation and sleep. Glycine is found in many foods, including eggs, broth, legumes, beans, and spinach. Besides, you can buy its supplements in powder or pill forms.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is yet another important protein. Studies are ongoing to reveal its potential, and so far, this amino acid is promising wonders. Did you know it is one of the natural sleep remedies you could offer your kids? According to Sutanto et al. (2022), 1 mg daily doses of tryptophan boost your sleep quality. Besides, the doses reduce the duration of waking up in the middle of sleep.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba is a natural herb and of the many folk medicines in many cultures. It has been used to manage many health challenges, including indigestion, blockage, and pain. Besides, studies show that it can make a great sleep remedy. According to Murray et al. (2001), ginkgo promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and boosts sleep.

Conclusion

Many kids do not get enough sleep, making it challenging for parents to believe in high sleep quality for children. Can kids get good sleep? This article shares five natural remedies you could use to boost your kids' sleep. Magnesium, tryptophan, ginkgo biloba, glycine, and lavender are promising sleep remedies. Some can be found in food while others come as supplements. Although CBD promises to boost your sleep, its safety in kids remains unknown.

References

Calhoun, S. L., Fernandez-Mendoza, J., Vgontzas, A. N., Liao, D., & Bixler, E. O. (2014). Prevalence of insomnia symptoms in a general population sample of young children and preadolescents: gender effects. Sleep medicine, 15(1), 91-95.

Cao, Y., Zhen, S., Taylor, A. W., Appleton, S., Atlantis, E., & Shi, Z. (2018). Magnesium Intake and Sleep Disorder Symptoms: Findings from the Jiangsu Nutrition Study of Chinese Adults at Five-Year Follow-Up. Nutrients, 10(10), 1354.

Elms, L., Shannon, S., Hughes, S., & Lewis, N. (2019). Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 25(4), 392–397.

Kawai, N., Sakai, N., Okuro, M., Karakawa, S., Tsuneyoshi, Y., Kawasaki, N., Takeda, T., Bannai, M., & Nishino, S. (2015). The sleep-promoting and hypothermic effects of glycine are mediated by NMDA receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Neuropsychopharmacology: official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 40(6), 1405–1416.

Li, L., Zhang, S., Huang, Y., & Chen, K. (2017). Sleep duration and obesity in children: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of prospective cohort studies. Journal of paediatrics and child health, 53(4), 378-385.

Lillehei, A. S., Halcón, L. L., Savik, K., & Reis, R. (2015). Effect of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene on Self-Reported Sleep Issues: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 21(7), 430–438.

Mascal, M., Hafezi, N., Wang, D., Hu, Y., Serra, G., Dallas, M. L., & Spencer, J. P. (2019). Synthetic, non-intoxicating 8, 9-dihydrocannabidiol for the mitigation of seizures. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-6.

Meissner, H., & Cascella, M. (2021). Cannabidiol (CBD). In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.

Murray, B. J., Cowen, P. J., & Sharpley, A. L. (2001). The effect of Li 1370, extract of Ginkgo biloba, on REM sleep in humans. Pharmacopsychiatry, 34(4), 155–157.

Sutanto, C. N., Loh, W. W., & Kim, J. E. (2022). The impact of tryptophan supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Nutrition reviews, 80(2), 306–316.