Why your child won't calm down in the evening – and the simple solution for better sleep.

💛 Do you want to easily get started with playful yoga for peace and connection? Discover our Family Yoga Cards! Perfect for bedtime and more!

Why your child can't just 'calm down' before bedtime

It's bedtime, but your child is still bouncing around like a kangaroo on a sugar rush. You try to calm them, but nothing seems to work.

Sounds familiar? You're not alone.

We often expect children to simply switch from high energy to complete calm. But here's the truth: they physically can't just do that.

Step 1: First move, then relax

When children are still full of energy before bedtime, their nervous system is still in 'go-mode' (the accelerator is fully pressed). If we skip this step and try to go straight to relaxation, it feels to their body like hitting the brakes while still racing.

Instead of forcing them to sit still, let them release their energy first.

👉 This is the missing step in most bedtime routines!

Step 2: Body awareness – The key to self-regulation

Have you ever noticed how toddlers climb, run, and move all day? That's because they learn about their bodies through movement!

🌱 Body awareness is the ability to feel where your body is in space. This helps children to:

• Understand how their body moves.
• Feel what they need (rest, movement, comfort, food).
• Consciously calm their body.

💡 A child with strong body awareness can regulate themselves better—in other words: learn how to truly relax their body for bedtime.

And how do you build body awareness? By moving.

6-step yoga flow for a peaceful transition to sleep

Instead of forcing them to sit still, try these short and playful yoga exercises. They help your child release energy and enter deep relaxation.

🔥 1. Dragon's Breath

Releases built-up tension | Helps the transition from action to rest

🔹 How to do it:

• Stand firmly with your feet hip-width apart.
• Inhale deeply and spread your arms like dragon wings.
• Exhale powerfully through your mouth, as if breathing fire.
• Repeat 3-5 times.

👉 Extra fun: Let your child add a powerful "ROAAAR!"

🌳 2. Partner Tree Pose

Brings balance & focus | Helps calm the nervous system

🔹 How to do it:

• Stand next to each other and hold hands.
• Lift one foot and place it against your other leg.
• Breathe in and out calmly and stand still for a moment.
• Switch sides.

This pose teaches children balance, focus, and stillness—ideal preparation for sleep.

🐶 3. Double Downward Dog

Calms the nervous system | Releases tension | Deep stretch

🔹 How to do it:

• Adult: Go into a downward-facing dog (hands and feet on the ground, hips up).
• Child: Have your child carefully place their feet on your lower back and make their own small downward-facing dog.
• Breathe in and out deeply together.

This pose physically slows the body while still actively engaging it.

🤲 4. Double Forward Fold

Promotes surrender | Releases the last bit of energy

🔹 How to do it:

• Stand back to back, feet hip-width apart.
• Bend forward from your hips and hold each other's hands.
• Let gravity relax your body.

See this as a full-body sigh—the transition to rest.

🦋 5. Double Butterfly Pose

Opens the hips | Signals the body to rest

🔹 How to do it:

• Sit facing each other, back to back.
• Place the soles of your feet together and let your knees relax outwards.
  
• Adult bends forward, child gently leans back.
• Breathe slowly and deeply.

A gentle way to release tension, feel connected, and come to stillness.

🤗 6. Cuddle Pose (savasana)

Activates the parasympathetic system (the body's 'brakes') | Provides warmth & security

🔹 How to do it:

• Lie down and let your child rest on your chest.
• Breathe deeply, synchronizing your breath.
• Feel the rising and falling movement, the warmth, the connection.

✨ This is where the magic happens—deep relaxation and readiness for sleep! ✨

More peace & connection before bedtime?

This yoga flow is just one of many playful ways to help children regulate their emotions, strengthen their focus, and naturally calm down.

💛 Discover our Family Yoga Cards!
Simple, playful, and easy to follow—perfect for bedtime, busy moments, and emotional balance.

👉 View the Family Yoga Cards here!