Natural Ways to Help Kids Sleep Better (From a Mom of 5)

By Marisa Tolsma, Certified GAPS Coach | Bumblebee Apothecary

Quick Answer

The most effective natural ways to support kids’ sleep are foundational: a calm, consistent bedtime routine, nourishing dinners that stabilize blood sugar overnight, magnesium-rich foods and magnesium baths, plenty of daytime movement and natural light, and a dark, screen-free sleep environment. In my home with five children, these gentle, food-and-routine-first approaches have made the biggest difference. Always check with your pediatrician before giving your child any supplement, and about any ongoing sleep concerns.

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Natural Ways to Help Kids Sleep Better

If bedtime at your house is a struggle, you are so not alone. With five kids, I’ve walked through every season of sleep you can imagine: the toddler who fights bedtime, the child who wakes at 3 a.m., the kiddo who just can’t seem to wind down. Over the years, I’ve learned that the gentlest, most natural approaches are usually the ones that work best and last longest.

I want to share the natural, food-and-lifestyle-first ways I support my own children’s sleep. These are simple, doable things rooted in nourishing traditions, not quick fixes. And before we start, one important note: this post is my experience as a mom and a Certified GAPS Coach, not medical advice. If your child has ongoing trouble sleeping, please talk with your pediatrician, since sleep struggles can sometimes point to something worth looking into.

Start with a Calm, Consistent Bedtime Routine

This is the foundation, and honestly it’s the most powerful tool we have. Children thrive on predictability. When the body knows what’s coming, it starts to wind down on its own.

What a gentle routine can look like:

A warm bath (more on why baths help below)
Dimming the lights an hour or so before bed
Turning off screens well before bedtime
Quiet activities like reading books together
The same simple sequence every night, in the same order

The magic isn’t in any single step, it’s in the consistency. Same rhythm, same time, every night. It can take a couple of weeks for a new routine to settle in, so stay with it. Going slowly and gently is important.

Nourish with Sleep-Supporting Foods

What our kids eat during the day, and especially at dinner, has a real effect on how they sleep at night. This is the part I find most overlooked, and it’s where my heart is as someone who believes food is foundational.

Stabilize blood sugar with a nourishing dinner

One of the most common reasons kids wake in the night is blood sugar dropping too low while they sleep. A dinner built on protein, healthy animal fats, and nourishing vegetables helps keep blood sugar stable through the night. When kids eat a dinner that’s mostly refined carbs and sugar, blood sugar can spike and then crash a few hours later, which can wake them up.

In our house, dinners centered on good meats, plenty of healthy fats like butter and tallow, and cooked vegetables make for calmer nights. This is the same nourishing, ancestral way of eating I write about throughout the blog. If you’re curious about that foundation, my free Gut Wellness Getting Started Guide is a great, gentle place to begin.

Magnesium-rich foods

Magnesium is a mineral involved in relaxation and rest, and many people (kids included) don’t get enough of it from modern diets. The lovely thing is that you can support magnesium intake gently through food. Magnesium-rich, kid-friendly foods include:

Pumpkin and squash
Leafy green vegetables
Avocado
Bone-in fish like sardines
A little dark chocolate as a treat (for older kids, not near bedtime)
Yogurt, kefir, and other nourishing dairy
High quality mineral salt added to meals and drinking water, like Baja Gold

Building these into meals is a food-first way to support the mineral that helps bodies relax, no supplement required.

A warm, soothing bedtime drink

A small warm drink can be a cozy part of winding down. Some families enjoy a little warm milk, a cup of gentle herbal tea like chamomile (check with your pediatrician for little ones), or a bit of warm meat stock. The warmth itself is calming and signals that the day is done.

Try a Magnesium Bath

This is one of my very favorite gentle tools, and it folds right into the bedtime routine. A warm bath with magnesium (as Epsom salts, which are magnesium sulfate, or magnesium flakes) is deeply relaxing. Magnesium can be absorbed through the skin, which is called transdermal magnesium, and the warm water itself helps bodies unwind before sleep.

How we do it:

Add a child-appropriate amount of Epsom salts or magnesium flakes to a warm (not hot) bath
Let your child soak and play for 15 to 20 minutes as part of the wind-down
Follow with the rest of your calm bedtime routine

Another gentle option some families use is a magnesium lotion applied to the skin at bedtime. I make my own organic magnesium lotion, and I share the full recipe and how I use it in that post. For children specifically, start gentle, use less, and check with your pediatrician first, since the right approach depends on your child’s age and needs.

Please note: I’m not giving doses for children here on purpose. The right amount of any magnesium product for a specific child is a conversation for you and your pediatrician, because it depends on your child’s age, size, health, and any medications. What I can say is that warm magnesium baths are a gentle, time-honored part of many families’ bedtime routines.

Move the Body and Get Natural Light During the Day

Good sleep at night starts in the morning. Two of the most powerful (and free) sleep supports happen during daylight hours.

Daytime movement

Kids need to move. Lots of active play during the day, ideally outdoors, helps their bodies be genuinely tired at bedtime. A child who has run and climbed and played hard outside will usually settle more easily at night.

Natural light and grounding

Exposure to natural daylight, especially in the morning, helps set a child’s internal clock so their body knows when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to sleep. Time outside in the sunshine, even barefoot on the grass, is a simple, lovely daily rhythm that supports nighttime sleep.

Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

The room itself matters more than we sometimes realize.

Make it dark. Darkness signals the body to produce the hormones that help us sleep. Blackout curtains can help.
Keep it cool. A slightly cool room supports better sleep than a warm one.
Remove screens. Screens and their light are stimulating and disruptive to sleep. Keep them out of the bedroom and off well before bed.
Consider reducing EMFs. Some families choose to reduce electronics and EMFs in sleep spaces. I share how we approach reducing EMFs here.

The Gut-Sleep Connection

Here’s something close to my heart as a Certified GAPS Coach: gut health and sleep are deeply connected. The gut is involved in producing and regulating many of the compounds that affect mood and rest. When a child’s digestion is off, when there’s discomfort, irregularity, or imbalance, sleep often suffers too.

Supporting your child’s gut with nourishing, traditional foods can have a beautiful ripple effect on sleep, mood, and focus. If you’d like to learn more about that whole-body approach, my post on the GAPS diet for kids walks through how I support my own children’s health from the inside out.

A Gentle Reminder for Tired Parents

If you’re reading this at the end of a long day, running on too little sleep yourself, I want you to hear this: you’re doing a good job. Sleep seasons come and go, especially with little ones. The gentle foundations, a calm routine, nourishing food, movement and light, a peaceful room, tend to work slowly and steadily rather than overnight. Start with one or two, stay consistent, and give it time.

And if your child’s sleep struggles are persistent or worrying, please loop in your pediatrician. Sometimes ongoing sleep trouble has an underlying cause worth exploring, and you deserve real support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What helps kids sleep naturally?

The most effective natural supports are a calm and consistent bedtime routine, nourishing dinners that keep blood sugar stable overnight, magnesium-rich foods and warm magnesium baths, plenty of daytime movement and natural light, and a dark, cool, screen-free bedroom. These gentle foundations tend to work steadily over time rather than overnight.

Is magnesium safe for kids for sleep?

Magnesium is an essential mineral that children get from food, and magnesium-rich foods and warm magnesium (Epsom salt) baths are gentle, widely-used ways to support relaxation. When it comes to magnesium supplements for a child, always talk with your pediatrician first, because the right type and amount depend on your child’s age, size, health, and any medications. This post cannot provide supplement dosing for children.

What foods help children sleep better?

Nourishing dinners built on protein, healthy animal fats, and cooked vegetables help keep blood sugar stable overnight, which supports staying asleep. Magnesium-rich foods like pumpkin, squash, leafy greens, and avocado support the mineral that helps the body relax. A small warm bedtime drink can also be soothing.

Does a magnesium bath help kids sleep?

Many families find that a warm bath with Epsom salts or magnesium flakes is relaxing and a lovely part of a wind-down routine. The warm water itself is calming, and magnesium can be absorbed through the skin. Use warm (not hot) water, keep it to about 15 to 20 minutes, and check with your pediatrician about what’s appropriate for your child.

Why does my child wake up in the middle of the night?

There are many possible reasons, but one common and overlooked one is blood sugar dropping too low overnight, often after a dinner high in refined carbs and sugar. A more nourishing dinner with protein and healthy fats can help. Other factors include an over-stimulating bedtime, too much screen time, a room that’s too warm or too light, or an underlying issue worth discussing with your pediatrician.

How can I help my child wind down before bed?

Dim the lights about an hour before bed, turn off screens, offer a warm bath, and move into quiet activities like reading together. Keep the same simple sequence every night. Consistency is what helps a child’s body learn to wind down on its own.

Gentle Support for Your Whole Family

Better sleep often starts with better-nourished little bodies. Here are a few ways I can help:

🌿 Free: Gut Wellness Getting Started Guide, a simple, beginner-friendly place to start nourishing your family.

🌿 Make it yourself: My organic magnesium lotion recipe, a gentle, natural body care staple for our family.

🌿 Book: Natural Living Recipes, 50+ of my favorite DIY natural living recipes, including body care staples.

Join our traditional wisdom community, and grab a free Gut Reset Jumpstart when you subscribe!

Gut Reset Jumpstart Guide a step by step plan to start feeling better this week

The information in this blog post is my personal experience and opinion as a mom and Certified GAPS Coach. It is for general information purposes only, may not apply to your child as an individual, and is not a substitute for your pediatrician’s medical care or advice. This post does not provide medical advice or supplement dosing for children. Always consult your pediatrician before giving your child any supplement, and with any questions about your child’s sleep, nutrition, or health. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical care because of something you have read on this blog.

💛 Marisa