A Gentle Path to Self-Regulation

As parents, we’ve all seen how much energy children carry — sometimes at the most inconvenient times. Just as you’re preparing for bedtime, your little one suddenly discovers they have enough energy to bounce like a kangaroo or chatter like a parrot. It can be exasperating, especially when what you long for is calm and quiet.

The truth is, this energy isn’t a sign that your child doesn’t want to rest — it’s a sign that their body still has work to do before it can settle. Movement is one of the most powerful ways to help children regulate their bodies and emotions. Just as adults might take a walk to clear their heads or stretch after sitting all day, children need structured opportunities to move, stretch, and release their energy.

And that’s where the concept of a sensory diet comes in.

---

What is a Sensory Diet?

Despite the name, a sensory diet has nothing to do with food. Instead, think of it as “nutrition for the senses.” It’s a carefully chosen set of activities that provide the sensory input a child needs to feel balanced and regulated.

Every child’s nervous system processes sensory information differently. Some crave movement and noise, while others prefer quiet and gentle touch. A sensory diet helps to “feed” these sensory needs — giving the brain and body what they require to feel grounded.

For some children, that might mean:

• Heavy work (pushing, pulling, carrying things)
• Rhythmic motion (rocking, swinging, bouncing)
• Stretching or deep pressure (hugs, weighted blankets, yoga poses)
• Breath-focused activities (slow breathing, blowing bubbles, candle breathing)

When offered at the right times of day, sensory activities can help children:

• Focus better on tasks
• Calm down after excitement or stress
• Sleep more soundly
• Manage big emotions

In other words, sensory diets help children do what adults often take for granted: self-regulate.

---

Why Movement Helps with Sleep

Many families find evenings to be the trickiest time of day. Everyone is tired, parents are juggling dinner, homework, and tidying up, and children’s moods can swing wildly between silliness and tears. Adding movement might feel counterintuitive — but done gently and with purpose, it can be the bridge between chaos and calm.

Here’s why:

• Releases pent-up energy – All those wiggles and giggles find a safe outlet.
• Supports body awareness – Proprioceptive input (the sense of where our body is in space) helps children feel more secure and grounded.
• Activates calming systems – Certain types of rhythmic movement activate the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling the body to rest.
• Strengthens body-brain connection – Coordinating breath, movement, and balance helps children practice self-regulation skills.
• Creates predictable routine – When movement becomes a nightly ritual, the body learns: after these activities comes rest.

Instead of fighting your child’s energy, you can gently channel it into simple, playful movements that guide them toward sleep.

---

A 10-Minute Wind-Down Routine for Kids

This bedtime movement sequence is simple, playful, and requires no special equipment. Just a bit of space and a willingness to join your child.

Each of the six moves lasts about 1–2 minutes, bringing the total routine to around 10 minutes. Feel free to adapt, shorten, or extend based on your child’s age, mood, and needs.

1. Animal Walks

Invite your child to move like different animals:

• Bear crawl on hands and feet
• Duck waddle low to the ground
• Frog hops with big jumps
• Cat stretches on all fours

These heavy, grounding movements give “deep pressure” to muscles and joints. That pressure is like a reset button for the body, helping children release energy and feel organized.

Prompt: “Shall we see which animal is the sleepiest tonight?”

Variation: For younger children, keep it short and simple (just one or two animals). For older kids, turn it into a challenge: “Can you make it from the sofa to the bed as a frog?”

---

2. Rock and Roll

Sit on the floor with knees hugged to the chest and gently rock back and forth, like a small ball. This movement stimulates the vestibular system (the sense of balance in the inner ear) and can be very soothing.

Prompt: “Let’s be little rocking boats drifting out to sea.”

Variation: Try side-to-side rocking while sitting cross-legged for children who find back-and-forth too stimulating.

---

3. Wall Push-Ups

Stand facing a wall, place palms flat against it, and gently push in and out. This gives children heavy work through their arms and shoulders, channeling strong energy into calm effort.

Prompt: “Can you push the wall all the way to the moon?”

Variation: For little ones, turn it into a pretend game: “What’s hiding behind the wall? Let’s push to find out!”

---

4. Butterfly Stretch

Sit with feet together, knees open like butterfly wings. Slowly flap knees up and down, or hold them still while breathing deeply. This stretch is grounding and encourages stillness.

Prompt: “Our butterfly wings are getting sleepy. Let’s let them rest.”

Variation: Pretend the butterfly has landed in a flower and is closing its wings for the night.

---

5. Starfish Breathing

Stretch arms and legs wide like a starfish, then curl into a tiny ball like a seashell. Breathe deeply as you move between the two. This teaches children to pair movement with breath — a key tool for calming the nervous system.

Prompt: “Big starfish… tiny seashell. Breathe in… and out.”

Variation: Add counting: “Stretch out for 3 breaths… curl up for 3 breaths.”

---

6. Weighted Blanket Hug (or Pillow Hug)

Finish with deep pressure — wrapping up in a blanket, snuggling under a weighted blanket, or hugging a big pillow. This provides proprioceptive input and a strong signal that it’s time for rest.

Prompt: “Let’s hug the day goodbye and say hello to dreamtime.”

Variation: Younger children might enjoy a “pillow sandwich” (lying between two pillows for gentle pressure). Older children might prefer simply cuddling with you.

---

Tips for Parents: Making It Work for Your Family

• Keep it playful. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s connection.
• Watch your child’s cues. If a move feels overstimulating, skip it and try another.
• Create consistency. Doing this most nights builds predictability.
• Join in yourself. Children regulate better when you model calm movement alongside them.
• Stay flexible. Some nights you may only manage two moves, and that’s okay.

Now here are your files:

---

Beyond Bedtime: Other Times for a Sensory Break

While this sequence is designed for bedtime, you can use sensory diets at other times, too:

• Before homework or focused tasks
• After returning home from school
• During a mid-afternoon slump
• On rainy days when kids are restless

Think of it as a “reset button” you can press whenever energy feels too big (or too small).

---

In just ten minutes, you’ve helped your child move from energetic to grounded. More importantly, you’ve built a rhythm — a family ritual that says, we slow down together at the end of the day.

Children thrive on these gentle transitions. Over time, they learn not only how to settle for sleep, but also how to listen to their bodies, release stress, and find calm when life feels overwhelming.

🌙 Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a little frog hopping down the hallway who needs to be tucked into bed.

With gentleness,
Lily Luz
Spoon & Sky