Sensory Health and Your Child’s Sleep — Why Calming Sensory Activities – Bath & Pajama Society

It’s been a magical evening up to this point. Your child shared a hilarious playground tale during dinner. They had a relaxing and relatively calm bath. You’ve performed the bedtime routine to the letter…

but your adventurous little one is still not ready to wind down for sleep.

You’re exasperated and stretching your head as they scale the doorways and take wild leaps off the bed.

How are they not tired!?

It may not look like it, but it's likely your child is indeed exhausted. There’s a deeper issue to the evening zoomies… it’s their nervous system. Your child’s sensory system is still craving the input it needs to down-regulate for sleep.

Sensory health is the result of someone’s ability to process the stimuli received from their eight sensory systems. These systems all work together to inform us how we feel in any given situation or environment.

Sensory health plays a powerful role in your child’s sleep quality. It supports physical and emotional regulation— making it a critical component of your child’s well-being.

What is Sensory Health?

Two factors determine someone’s sensory health— their ability to perform “sensory processing” and the environment.

Sensory processing is how someone receives, interprets, and responds to sensory information from our eight senses:

Sight- what we see with our eyes
Sound- what we hear with our ears
Touch-what we feel on our skin
Smell- what we smell with our nose
Taste- what we taste in our mouths
Proprioception- pressure we feel in our joints and muscles, helps us with orientation and body position
Vestibular- our sense of balance and head position
Interoception-our sense of internal cues (i.e. body temperature, stomach growling, headache, heart racing, etc.)

This sensory modulation process occurs in our nervous systems 24/7. It’s how we decide what information to respond to, what to ignore, and how we engage with the world around us.

The environment is what provides us with sensory information. Our environments can vary on any given day. For example, your child experiences a breakfast table, school-bus, classroom and playground... all before lunch time. Each environment poses new information for your child’s brain to sift through. Informing how they feel and respond.

Everyone is unique in their sensory preferences. Some like a relaxing walk outside, others prefer to lift heavy weights while they crank the music. Your child is no different. They have preferred sensory experiences in their every-day environments. Some children seek a lot of input and engage with the environment very actively. Some avoid input and engage more passively. Others are a combination, seeking some experiences but avoiding others.

Why Does Sensory Health Matter for My Child?

Your child’s sensory health influences their:

behavioral/emotional regulation
self-esteem
social participation
ability to plan and perform motor actions
learning, and more.

“The sensory domain is where the brain and body connect and thrive. It is through robust sensory processing that we develop resilience, and establish a tolerance for stressful situations, learn to be calm under pressure, and process experiences that are challenging or upsetting. With well-integrated sensory processing comes a wealth of daily sensory-affective and sensory-motor experiences that cultivates the development of autonomy, competence, interest in learning, goal orientation, sense of purpose, resilience, social engagement, and agency.”

-STAR Institute

Sensory health also plays a huge role in falling asleep, staying asleep and sleep quality. Your child has a daily quota for a vast array of sensory experiences as they continue to build their perspectives and self-concept. Overstimulated nervous systems, or those with unmet needs are not ready for sleep.

How Sensory Processing Impacts Sleep

Different sensory stimuli elicit different neurological responses. Our sensory systems communicate directly with brain areas that regulate arousal states (low energy vs high energy).

If a child’s body is not receiving, or interpreting cues that signal down-regulation or low-arousal, they are likely going to have a difficult time drifting off to dream land. Studies have shown that sensory processing challenges and poor sensory health have negative consequences on sleep duration and quality.

Avoiding an overstimulating environment and activities (i.e. bright lights, itchy or ill-fitting pajamas, loud noises, rambunctious play etc.) and providing more calming sensory input can help. Paying close attention to calming sensory activities at bedtime can improve sleep.

Signs your child needs some sensory strategies for sleep:

They are having trouble settling down even though they are tired
They are irritable
Restless or fidgety
Sensitive to tags, textures, or noises
Frequent night wakings

In the case of winding down for bed— there is a lot you can do to let your child’s nervous system know it’s time to sleep now. Some simple sensory routines before bedtime can make a big difference.

A Soothing Sensory Bedtime Routine and Environment

Bedtime-Routine

We can’t emphasize enough the importance of routine for your child. It is how children learn to regulate their nervous system. Their brain makes connections between sensory experiences, their feelings, and specific activities.

By repeating the same predictable routine each evening, you’re providing your child with feelings of comfort and safety. They'll learn to associate these sensations and feelings with winding down for bed. You are wiring their brain to expect rest after they complete the routine.

Don't overcomplicate it. Dinner, bath, pajamas, brush teeth, comb hair, story, bed. If your child is requiring curated sensory input to wind down... choose some activities from the suggestions below and use what works consistently. For more on how to create a dreamy bedtime routine read “5 Key Steps to Create the Perfect Bedtime Routine”.

Modeling Regulation

You are the most influential piece of your child’s environment when it comes to regulation. Your child is using your nervous system and responses to the environment as a blueprint for their own.

Use a low voice, whisper even. Get down on their level, crouching or kneeling as much as possible. Sing soothing songs, move slowly and with intention. An erratic and frazzled you is not going to get a child feeling sleepy anytime soon.

It’s not always easy to do– we get it. Modeling self-control and regulation (especially when you are tired and not feeling so charming yourself)--- is invaluable to your child.

They are always watching and learning.

Your Home

When it’s time to transition to bed, make your home a comfortable place. Dim the lighting and use warm/amber tones. Play soft-slow music. Turn off the screens at least an hour before bed time (ideally 2 hours). Add one of our bath bombs to the tub to experience a gentle soothing scent and dreamy bubbles. Clear any clutter from their bedroom and make sure their bedding is clean and inviting. All these elements add up to soothe your child’s sensory system as they prepare for sleep.

Calming Sensory Activities Before Bed

Avoid spinning and rambunctious play at bedtime. This is stimulating for the vestibular system. It will increase your child’s energy even though it looks like they’re “burning it off”.

To soothe your child’s vestibular system, help them rock rhythmically in a chair or swing. Dance to a slow, rhythmic song. Linear, repetitive movement regulates their vestibular systems. If you can time it to auditory cues like music, your singing, or foot tapping–that’s even better.

Ground your child by connecting with them. Sing, pray, talk about the day (i.e. What was the best part of your day? What was the most challenging part?), or read a story together. Allow your steady and calm presence to soothe your child.

Deep Pressure for Kids Before Bed

The sensory system to target when your child is having trouble winding down is their proprioceptive system.

This system allows us to feel deep-pressure input in our joints and muscles. If a child is needing more input for this sense, they are likely feeling a bit untethered. In their attempt to ground themselves they'll appear to be "bouncing off the walls".

You can provide grounding proprioceptive input by offering “heavy work” or “deep pressure” activities throughout your bedtime routine. Here are some examples:

pulling or pushing a full laundry basket to the laundry room
dragging a blanket filled with toys and pillows
playing with suction toys in the bath, pouring heavy cups of water
getting their last drink of water for the day through a straw
wrapping them in a gently weighted blanket and giving them bear hugs
piling pillows and blankets on them in a giant “pillow pile”
providing gentle “squishes” with a pillow or stuffed animal all over their body
giving them a massage after the bath, providing their whole body with gentle, deep pressure input — begin with their core muscles and work outward on each of their arms and legs
place them in a tight blanket burrito roll
perform basic yoga poses together
wheelbarrow or animal walks

Society Note: Have the right tools to elevate your child’s sensory routine.

A few simple tools can make all the difference in curating a charming evening for your child’s senses. Check out our favorites below:

Pajamas made of high quality (and dreamily soft!) cotton or bamboo so they aren’t itchy.
Visually pleasing bath bombs with soothing aromas— that include a premium toy and a quiet matching game for calm connection with your child.
A gently weighted towel that can also serve as a blanket, robe, or play prop!

Avoid overcomplicating providing your child with calming sensory activities before bed. Begin with one or two of the suggestions above and use them consistently in your child’s bedtime routine for a week or so. If you aren’t noticing a difference, try something different! You’ll learn what’s best for your child and you’ll make enchanting memories along the way.

Thanks for dreaming with us,

The Bath & Pajama Society Team