Sleep Meditations for Kids – What Are They and Do They Work?

Sleep Meditations for Kids – What Are They and Do They Work?

27 August 2021 • Words by Alyssa Morgan 3 mins

Sleep is essential. We all need to sleep. As we get older, we learn to appreciate why – from more energy to better health to a sharper mind – but as a little one, sleep isn’t always a dream. We want our children to be well-rested and feel like they can conquer the world, but knowing how to help them achieve this can sometimes evade us. By making bedtime a little bit more fun, through things like storytime and sleep meditations, we allow our little ones to build a much-needed positive relationship with sleep.

What is Sleep Meditation? 

In this day and age of health and wellness, we are all familiar with what meditation is – techniques such as mindfulness and heightened focus on a particular object, thought, or activity that helps train our minds to be more attentive and aware of both our surroundings and our feelings. 


But what exactly is sleep meditation? Simply put, it’s a technique that helps us let go of worries, stressors, and negative thoughts/emotions, and allows our minds and bodies to fully relax for a great night of sleep. Like other forms of meditation you might already be familiar with, sleep meditation involves shifting your focus away from any chaotic thoughts to sensations in your body and imagination.

How is a Moshi Sleep Meditation Different from a Moshi Story?

Moshi Sleep Meditations are deeply calming audio sessions created to help little listeners settle down or drift to sleep – or both. Featuring simple breathing exercises followed by plot-free narration that encourages kids to visualize and build detailed Moshi scenes in the mind, these magical meditations differ from Moshi Stories because they are less musically complex, and do not feature sing-song choruses. 


That said, Moshi Sleep Meditations are proving to be very popular with kids (and parents), not just at bedtime but whenever they need to relax or reset racing minds. Check out this short sample from one of our Sleep Meditations, Growing a Mind Garden with Pooky.

Sleep Struggles in Children

62% of parents surveyed said that anxiety and stress are keeping their little one from getting adequate sleep and 45% said the uncertainty of the global pandemic is having an impact on their child’s sleeping patterns.* 


It can be hard for little minds to slow down in time for a peaceful bedtime, especially in this busy and ever-changing world we live in. In general, children need a lot more sleep than adults because “sleep supports and facilitates normal and proper biological development of the brain, nervous system, and establishes a biological rhythm that is cued with the day (sunlight) and night (darkness).” – Dr. Azizi Seixas

What Keeps Kids Up at Night?

There are many factors that impact bedtime and can lead to night wakings for little ones. Here are some to keep in mind if your child is struggling with sleep:

The Benefits of Sleep Meditation

Sleep, or rather a lack thereof, affects just about every aspect of our functioning – productivity, learning, quality of life, communication, problem-solving, energy, motivation, motor skills, memory, weight management, outlook, coordination, reasoning skills, relationships, judgment, reaction time, decision-making, fine motor skills, mood, and resilience (just to name a few).


So, why choose sleep meditation? Especially if your little one has difficulty falling asleep, meditation has been shown to improve the quality of sleep, how quickly you fall asleep, and how long you can stay awake during the day. Having your little one complete a Moshi Sleep Meditation before bedtime can help them fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. 


In fact, using Moshi has been proven to help children fall asleep 28 minutes faster and stay asleep 22 minutes longer than normal. What parent wouldn’t love an extra 28 minutes in the evening to relax and catch up on some Netflix?

Alyssa Morgan