THE BEST NATURAL SLEEP REMEDIES FOR TODDLERS

Although research suggests that CBD can help people manage to sleep, the safety of the cannabinoid in the case of toddlers who also need sleep is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, early studies find magnesium, ginkgo biloba, glycine, tryptophan, and lavender helpful for sleep in toddlers.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, toddlers need 11- 14 hours of sleep to promote growth and good health. Meanwhile, lack of sleep makes toddlers cranky and uneasy and increases their risks for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart diseases. Many toddlers do not get enough sleep, and the thought of them sleeping for longer and enjoying quality sleep seems like a dream for many parents. Meanwhile, the hype and demand for CBD products keep growing, and people opt for the cannabinoid to manage sleep. However, CBD safety for kids remains unknown, and many parents hesitate to offer their toddlers its products. Thankfully, you can boost your toddlers' sleep using natural alternatives like magnesium, lavender, ginkgo biloba, glycine, and tryptophan.

What Is CBD?

Before looking at the role CBD plays in better sleep quality, you must know what CBD is. It is growing every other day, and we see many products featuring it, making it more important for you to know. According to Mascal et al. (2019) and Kicman & Toczek (2020), CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid mostly extracted from hemp. Non-psychoactive means it does not make you high, which is why people opt for it. There are many CBD products, including edibles, capsules, topicals, oils, tinctures, and vapes that people take to manage sleep. Besides, they come in one of the three CBD formulations, isolate full- or broad-spectrum CBD. Whether you shop online or fancy going from one store to the next in search of CBD, you can find it.

Can CBD Help with Sleep?

Watt & Karl (2017) noted that CBD is therapeutic, and many fans go for CBD products to tap into this therapy. Is the therapeutic nature of CBD helpful in managing sleep? So far, there is insufficient evidence to prove that the cannabinoid can treat or cure sleep problems, leave alone those affecting kids. Besides, the National Sleep Foundation does not recommend CBD for sleep, nor does the FDA. However, Shannon et al. (2019) reported that by fighting anxiety and pain, the commonest causes of sleep issues, it can help a person sleep better. More research will shed light on the actual potential of CBD in sleep management.

CBD Products for Sleep

Would you like to try CBD to manage sleep? You certainly want to know the CBD products you can tap into to manage sleep. As stated at the outset, you can enjoy many CBD products in different formulations to get sleep benefits. Here are the commonest CBD products people take for sleep;

1. CBD oils and tinctures; are the liquid forms of CBD that you can add to meals and drinks or administer orally and sublingually for quick results.
2. CBD edibles; include gummies and honey sticks that people munch to feel CBD benefits with taste and flavor.

• CBD capsules; if you find CBD oils too earthy and edibles too sweet, you can opt for CBD capsules that mask the bitterness of CBD well.

1. CBD vapes are the fastest CBD effects and are inhaled to deliver the cannabinoid to the body.
2. CBD topicals are applied to the skin and are the best for people who want to feel CBD effects but do not have the cannabinoid interact with the blood system.

Can You Offer Toddlers CBD for Sleep?

Since CBD promises to help you manage sleep problems, you may wonder if giving toddlers the cannabinoid to boost their sleep is okay. Sadly, the safety issues around CBD make it inappropriate to give toddlers the cannabinoid. Besides, the FDA does not look at CBD as a medication to solve sleep problems, especially in toddlers. In the National Sleep Foundation fact sheet, CBD is not one of the sleep remedies. Still, this does not mean all is lost; the following are the natural remedies you would love to offer toddlers to boost their sleep more naturally.

Glycine

Glycine is one of the many amino acids you need for protein buildup in toddlers and the human body in general. Still, research shows that having enough glycine helps you sleep better. Thus, people take glycine supplements and go for foods rich in this amino acid to boost glycine levels and boost one's sleep. Kawai et al. (2015) noted that increasing glycine levels goes a long way to boost one’s sleep condition, and giving your toddler glycine will certainly boost his sleep quality. How the amino acid boosts sleep is unclear, but research reveals that its function could be based on decreasing body temperatures to invite sleep.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo is a plant that has been used for the longest time to help with this or that health condition. Besides, more studies look at ginkgo and its role in human cells and prove that it has many benefits for digestion, constipation, and skin problems. According to Murray et al. (2001), 240 mg doses of ginkgo improve relaxation and stress management and help one sleep better. Giving your toddler ginkgo supplements some 30- 60 minutes to sleep helps him enjoy better sleep quality.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is yet another amino acid you need in your protein sources and whose insufficient supply leads to many health challenges. As studies on tryptophan rise and many appreciate the amino acid, we learn how far it can help the body. According to Sutanto et al. (2022), tryptophan improves sleep quality and reduces sleep latency, the average time one wakes up in the middle of sleep.

Magnesium

Many studies have explored the role of magnesium in the human system and state that it is critical for good health. Did you know that magnesium is key to sleep quality? According to Cao et al. (2018), magnesium helps the body produce more melatonin, the sleep hormone, and helps muscles and joints relax, ultimately boosting sleep quality.

Lavender

Lavender is a purple flower found on all continents. Although it is not ingested, the many cases in which lavender proves healthy focus on aromatherapy. According to Lillehei et al. (2015), lavender helps one relax and sleep better. Some parents have explored lavender sprays to boost toddlers' sleep quality, and the findings are so far impressive.

Conclusion

Many toddlers do not get enough sleep when they need it. Some wake up in the middle of the night while others sleep for a few hours and remain cranky for the rest of the day. Although early studies see the potential in CBD for sleep problems, the cannabinoid’s safety for kids is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, natural remedies like lavender, glycine, tryptophan, magnesium, and ginkgo are proving helpful in boosting toddlers’ sleep quality.

References

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.

Kicman, A., & Toczek, M. (2020). The effects of cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating compound of cannabis, on the cardiovascular system in health and disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(18), 6740.

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.

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.

Watt, G., & Karl, T. (2017). In vivo evidence for therapeutic properties of cannabidiol (CBD) for Alzheimer's disease. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 20.