Reading is Good Medicine

This is how one of my problems also was able to help my son's....

I love to read before going to sleep at night. It wasn't always that way.  I was always a very light sleeper and everything and anything woke me up. I couldn't sleep through the night. I would wake up several times a night and I never really reached that deep sleep state. My husband's restless leg syndrome was torture. We live two blocks from a train track and trains go through constantly. I considered going to a sleep therapy clinic for help but I knew it wouldn't be a cheap route. I was hoping that there might be some other alternative.
Then ten years ago it changed. I'd like to believe that the universe brings to you what you need, when you need it. It only took two simple things, an ordinary fan and a book.
One summer while very hot, I noticed that while running our fan during the night I didn't hear the trains going by. At that time I still didn't completely sleep through the night for my mind from my busy day kept churning but the fact that the fan was helping mask some of the noises which contributed to me awakening several times a night was certainly a good start. That same year I had joined a book club and started getting a lot of books. Some of my favorite books are those that inspire you. I started reading a few pages every night while sitting in bed. I noticed that reading these books and pages was relaxing and I didn't think about work or other things before bed. Before long I was able to get into that deep sleep. I was no longer  bothered by my husband's legs and he can't believe it. Now I sleep with a fan all year long and read. I created my own sleep therapy!
I have also been able to help my eight year old son. Now for him he had no problems staying asleep, he just wasn't able to initially get there. He would state that he couldn't stop thinking of things, some of which were fears that he had. Although I would reassure him, he was getting to the point where he didn't want to sleep in his own room. Since the kids were real little I would read to them but I decided that it might be more beneficial if he read himself . At first he would read to me then I started leaving the room and allowed him to read by himself. I would tell him how many pages to read and then he needed to go to sleep. I would then go back and check on him and he would be asleep or close to being. I guess it allows them to focus on something else . Having my son read himself also increased his attention span as well as help him jump a reading level while he was in school. Kids don't even know they are learning.
I am now always looking for good positive children's books that I know that he would be interested in. Oh, and reading lights are cool too!
May you have some good z's!