Meditation tips to ensure a restful night for your kids

Time of India

3 days ago

Meditation can help your child sleep better: Simple techniques for a peaceful bedtime (Image: TOI)
If you have ever tucked your child into bed only to find them wide awake an hour later, you are not alone. Between gadgets, school stress and a million little distractions, many children just cannot seem to power down when the day is over.
Most of the kids keep buzzing around till late at night. Homework is done (or maybe not), the tablet is still warm from that last YouTube video and their minds are replaying a mix of the day's highs, lows and 'what ifs' and then, of course, you tell them it is bedtime.
Sleep isn't just rest. It is when kids' bodies grow, their brains process the day and their moods reset. Without enough of it, you start to see the crankiness, the forgetfulness and the 'I can't focus' moments creep in.
So, how do you actually get them to slow down? One surprisingly simple answer: meditation.
If you have ever tried telling your 10-year-old, 'Let's meditate before bed', you have probably been met with the same look they give you when you say, 'Eat your vegetables'. Somewhere between homework, sports practice and arguing over bedtime, the idea of sitting still with eyes closed feels like a punishment to most kids but kids need rest as much as they need play and in a world where they are constantly stimulated (school deadlines, competitive sports, notifications from friends and the ever-present Instagram reels or YouTube shorts), their young brains rarely get the downtime they deserve.
Sleep becomes restless and mornings turn into a battlefield.
Why today's kids are struggling to switch off?
Is screen time ruining your child's sleep? The surprising role of meditation (Image: TOI)
Let us be honest — bedtime for many kids is not exactly peaceful. Blue light from phones and TVs quietly tells their brains, 'Stay awake, something's happening,' and this constant screen time changes their behaviour pattern and makes them feel restless, always in motion. Some kids just run on high energy. Others are hyped up by busy schedules, noisy surroundings, or even the wrong kind of snacks before bed.
Little minds, big worries.
A fight with a friend, a rough day at school, or changes at home, those thoughts do not disappear just because the lights are out and when sleep suffers, you see it in the morning: short tempers, wandering minds and homework that takes forever.
What meditation actually does?
Can meditation really help your child wind down before bed? (Image: TOI)
In an interview with TOI, Priyankka Sanap, Counselling Psychologist, Founder and CEO of Soulful Healing, trained Pranic Healer, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Master Coach and Spiritual Abundance Mentor, shared that meditation isn't magic but it can feel like it. A few minutes is enough to start shifting things in kids' bodies and minds:
Heart rate slows down as it soothes the body and gives the brain a message to relax.
Stress hormone levels drop.
Melatonin
, the body's built-in sleep helper, starts flowing.
Brain activity eases from high-speed 'day mode' into slower, sleepy rhythms.
Emotional control improves, meaning fewer pre-bed meltdowns.
One study in
Frontiers in Psychology
found that just 10–15 minutes a day of mindfulness made kids sleep better and handle emotions more calmly, in only a few weeks while a study published in the
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine
by Stanford University researchers found that mindfulness training significantly improved sleep quality in children. The Stanford Medicine study,
Mindfulness training helps kids sleep better,
underscored the potential benefits of incorporating mindfulness practices into school curricula to support children's mental and physical health.
Here are some easy ways to try it tonight:
1. The Breathing Buddy Trick:
Have your child lie down with a small stuffed toy on their belly. Watch it rise and fall as they breathe. It's calming without feeling like 'meditation homework.'
2. Head-to-Toe Relax:
Start at their toes, move slowly up the body, and have them relax each part as you go. Soft voice, slow pace.
3. Imagine a Safe Place:
Guide them to picture somewhere peaceful.
A beach, a treehouse, a sunny field. Add some details such as the smell of the air and the sound of water.
4. Recall Three Good Things:
Ask them to name three things from the day they're happy about. It shifts their focus from worries to positives.
Tips for parents to make it stick
Keep bedtime roughly the same every night.
Dim the lights about an hour before bed.
Cut screens and wild games before sleep.
Join in. Kids love it when parents do it too.
Meditation won't turn bedtime into a picture-perfect scene overnight but over time, it creates a gentle rhythm, one where bodies slow, minds settle and the day ends on a soft note and here's the bonus: in helping them relax, you might just find yourself sleeping better too.
When we think of 'meditation,' most adults imagine sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, in pin-drop silence. Now try asking a 10-year-old to do that after a day of school, sports and screen time. Chances are, you will get either giggles or groans. So for kids, meditation does not have to look like meditation. It is less about lotus poses and more about creating a gentle pause - a winding-down ritual that slows the brain and relaxes the body.
Bringing her expertise to the same, Dr Mansi Talwar, Mindful Living and Communication Coach, recommended -
1. Redefine Meditation for Kids:
Forget the image of monks sitting cross-legged in total silence. For children, meditation can simply mean 'a moment to quiet the noise in your head'. It doesn't have to involve chanting or incense (unless they like it). For school-going kids, meditation could be:
Guided bedtime stories that slow down their thoughts.
Mindful breathing games like 'Smell the flower, blow out the candle'.
Gratitude reflections, where they name three good things from their day.
Body scan relaxation, where they imagine melting into the bed, one muscle at a time.
2. Make it a Ritual, Not a Rule:
Children resist what feels imposed but gravitate toward what feels special.
Instead of declaring, 'From now on, we meditate every night', start with, 'Let's try something fun before we sleep'. Do it with them. Your calm presence is half the magic. Over time, it becomes part of the bedtime flow - like brushing teeth or reading a book.
3. Leverage Their Imagination:
Kids are wired for stories. A 'meditation' can be a 5-minute guided journey to a magical forest, flying over clouds, or swimming with dolphins.
The key is to speak slowly, use sensory details, and end with them peacefully resting in a safe, cosy space. They'll think they're just enjoying a bedtime story - while their nervous system is winding down.
4. Keep It Short:
For beginners, two to five minutes is enough. The goal is not a 30-minute Zen session but a simple wind-down. Consistency beats duration. Five minutes nightly will work better than 20 minutes once a week.
5. Use Movement Before Stillness:
Some kids can't jump straight into calm mode, especially after an energetic evening. A few minutes of gentle stretching, yoga poses, or even 'shaking out the day' can help release restlessness so they're ready to settle.
6. Model What You Want Them to Learn:
If you tell your child to meditate but they see you scrolling through your phone at night, the message won't stick. Show them that you also take time to slow down, breathe, and prepare your mind for rest.
Children learn meditation less from instruction and more from imitation.
7. Link It to Better Mornings:
Help them see the benefit. Kids won't meditate just because 'it's good for you' but if they notice they wake up happier, get ready faster, and have more energy for sports or friends, they will start connecting the dots.
Meditation for kids is not about perfect stillness; it is about teaching them the art of slowing down. When introduced playfully and practiced consistently, it becomes a bedtime anchor. The beautiful part about it is, it does not just ensure a restful night for them, it creates a few quiet, golden moments for you, too because while parenting is about discipline, it is also about shared peace. Sometimes, the best way to give your child a good night's sleep is to sit together in stillness, no matter how imperfect, and let the day melt away.