Sleep-deprived mamas, listen up! Sadie Reid shares the bedtime rituals that help her kids sleep (with a little helping hand from this skincare brand!)

I have been a fan of the luxury, BioOrganic skincare brand, Aurelia Probiotic Skincare for years mainly relying on its award-winning probiotic products to help my sleep-deprived face and body not look so tired after I had my first and then my second son. Sleep in our household became a rarity overnight when Max was born five years ago, so much so, that my husband and I often wondered how Max continued to function on the little sleep he was getting. We sought out help but often were met with quick fixes only to fall back into a no-sleep routine that would surely send us both mad. It was after I had my second son, JJ, now 16 months, that we truly grasped the importance of a calming bedtime routine, and with it, the heavenly products from Little Aurelia. After a few weeks of consistently doing the same soothing actions over and over, JJ was going to bed like a dream and sleeping often until 7 am the next morning. Now, if I have learned anything from having my children it is that everything is impermanent – the good phases and the bad – they all change and develop as the kids (and the parents) grow, so I am not suggesting for a second that this wonderful increase in sleep is destined to last forever. However, I have loved the shift in gear at the end of the day once all the mayhem and chaos begins to settle and come 6 pm, we start the evening wind down with our bedtime routine, which I wanted to share with you. 

The wind down for our evening ritual begins after supper when I come home from work. The kids are always happy to see me and we spend a bit of time mucking around to expend all that after-supper energy. We then head up to the bathroom all together. With the promise of supporting your little one’s wellbeing and helping them sleep soundly, Little Aurelia’s gentle yet effective blends combine soothing essential oils that are designed for babies, toddlers and children – so perfect for both Max and JJ despite the nearly 4 year age gap. In order to make sure the kids are extra snoozy, we add a capful of Little Aurelia’s BioOrganic Sleep Time Bath & Massage Oil to the bath. Not only does the calming scent derived from lavender and chamomile help induce a better night’s sleep but the coconut and jojoba oils nurture my kid’s skin too. This has been particularly great for Max, who has always suffered from dry skin and patches of eczema. And he loves the little characters on the bottles often asking if there are cuddly toy versions that he can take to bed!

In the bath we use the Sleep Time Top to Toe Wash – great for washing both their hair and body – and won’t dry their skin out. And like with all the Little Aurelia products – it smells divine and will leave my little ones feeling content and calm. I try to keep playtime in the bath fairly relaxed – but it doesn’t always go that way – which is mainly down to my very active 5-year-old who likes to splash around with boats and a few members of the Paw Patrol gang. For him, I’d say that his most calming moment is when we get out of the bath, where I tend to use either the Top to Toe Cream or the Massage Oil to give his legs a massage. Max suffers terribly from growing pains and has done for a while, he also has a cyst in the back of his right leg (fairly common in active boys) which causes him a bit of discomfort – the massage really helps to ease all this. JJ finds it harder to sit still at the moment but I usually manage a quick foot massage before applying a little bit of the Comfort & Calm Rescue Cream to JJ’s cradle cap and Max’s eczema patches. Then it’s time for their PJs (which I spray with the Little Aurelia Sleep Time Pillow Mist in order to seal the deal and ensure a restful night’s sleep) before their milk (Max still has a glass of milk before bed – a habit he won’t give up!) and two stories, with an aim of a 7.30pm bedtime. Then it’s time for my own evening ritual – but that’s another story for another post.

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