A friend’s daughter brought home a school assignment where one of the questions was, “What is one thing your Mom does really well?” Her daughter’s response? “Sleep.”
My friend was a bit embarrassed by this answer, but I reacted with envy! Being able to gain good sleep, is a skill that can positively impact one’s life in so many ways.
As a child my home was safe and secure and I slept well. But, as it is with many people, as I grew into adulthood I discovered my worries (job, money, children, errands, spouse) dramatically disrupted my sleep. And, I really had no idea how to shut my brain down in order to allow myself a good night’s rest.
To try to understand my disrupted sleep I began to take notice of my pre-sleep behaviors.
It was no surprise to find my sleep hygiene was terrible; I was doing all the wrong things before bed. I would work until lights out or watch TV until my head hit the pillow, etc. (One big item I discovered is my husband would say to me as we drifted off, “Oh, don’t forget to remind me to do XYZ.” Well, that one comment would fire-start my brain, and I would start the process of redoing my making of next-day ‘to do’ lists. He slept better, but I certainly didn’t. THAT ended really fast.)
I felt compelled to offer a story where children could gently learn good sleep hygiene before the bad habits began. And so, I did. Fast-forward to writing Sweet Dreams, the fifth book in my Norman the Interested Cat children’s book series.
I began thinking about how many more distractions there are now (then when I struggled with my sleep hygiene). Computers, cell phones, video games, streaming shows, unlimited music.
First, I wanted a signal that announced a change from high activity to preparing for bed. And what better way to signal that it’s time to wind down than when the sun and the moon change jobs? It is my hope that as children see dusk coming, their brains will automatically begin to look forward to resting.
Of course, how one winds down is unique to everyone, and it was important to cover a wide spectrum of activities. Our lead character, Norman, does yoga and meditates while looking at the beautiful moon. His neighborhood dog friends Bert and Charlotte find a nice bath and hair wash a way to release the tensions from their days. Frieda, another pup, tucks in her phone in its own bed … then lounges in her bed with a good book. Of course, some individuals need to expend some physical energy in order to rest, and Norman’s other doggy pal, Jake, shows exactly how to burn off his energy by pitching all his squeaky toys into his toy box.
Cheryl Cage
One of the most important seeds I wanted to plant in Sweet Dreams was the knowledge of how to stop your brain from worrying about the things that didn’t go quite right during the day. Deep breathing exercises with a mantra of “I tried my best” is one way to let go of bad feelings or icky days.
Together, the Sweet Dreams sleeping tips include:
Perform yoga stretches — Norman the Interested Cat, the lead character in the series, shows how stretching helps him relax before bed.
Enjoy a bubble bath — Norman’s curly-haired dog friend Charlotte winds down with a bubble bath before bed.
Put away screens that ‘flicker-and-glow’’ — Norman’s dog friend Frieda puts away all screens that flicker-and-glow, then reads a good book to help calm her mind.
Get the extra energy out — To get rid of any excess energy before bed, Norman’s doggy pal Jake likes to put his toys away.
Take slow deep breaths with a mantra — Norman and his friends remember to breathe slowly and deeply before bed; and they’ll even add a mantra.
Remind yourself to “not sweat the small stuff” — notice the lessons from the day but forget the rest of the fuss!
Admire the moon, and give thanks — Norman and all of his friends love to admire the peaceful moon while thinking good thoughts.
Children have so much to deal with in these difficult times. And during tough times, one of the things you need the most but one that is so easily disrupted, is sleep. It is my hope that my beautifully illustrated (by Dennis Caldwell) Sweet Dreams will help your little ones get the good, quiet rest they need.
Cheryl Cage is the author of 15 books and counting, including the children’s book series Norman the Interested Cat. Her varied career includes founding the aviation consulting firm Cage Marshall Consulting and serving as a political consultant and community activist for 20 years. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her rescue pups, Jake and Bert. She and Norman have been friends since 2015.