‘What are your Gratefuls?’

My 7 year old son asks me this every night.  This is how we end the day at his bedtime and now, after about 6 months, he initiates it.  For months he loved to hear what I was grateful for each day and would ‘ditto’ those.  It seemed like a special surprise or treat anytime I said that I was grateful for HIM or a specific time shared with him that day.  Now he is catching on and has his own ‘gratefuls’.  This is not only a beautiful ritual to build into your day and your families but it actually reduces stress hormones, like Cortisol, in your body.  Other practices for bedtime that reduce stress hormones and prepare your body and mind for deep, content sleep are intentional breathing and less to NO screens an hour before bed.  

Try  breathing in through your nose for 4 seconds, emulate a slow sip to elongate and then breathing out thoroughly for 6-8 seconds.  Until your lungs feel truly empty.

Keep this up for at least 2 minutes as you first rest your head on your pillow and hands are on belly.

Sweet Dreams.