When infants sleep restlessly or even fail to sleep at all, it can be very worrying and stressful for mothers. The nights pass with the baby unresponsive to your lullabies and your head full of unanswered questions. Why won't he go to sleep? Is he ill?"
In fact, this is quite a common occurrence and nothing to be alarmed about; indeed, it involves a high percentage of children in their first 20 months. In 80% of cases, insomnia has a psychological basis, i.e. due to fear of the dark or fear of being abandoned by mum and dad, to over-stimulation or to stress. Parental behaviour can also be the cause sleepless nights, e.g. letting the child go to sleep on your lap, allowing him to play before bedtime or letting him rest too long during the day. Experts advise you to create a sort of bedtime routine that has a calming effect on the child: a series of small rituals that you always repeat at the same time every night. That might be a bath before supper, and a lullaby in bed. You can also use a pacifier, or a soft toy that carries your scent and that will help calm your child if he wakes in the night. But don't panic if none of these strategies solves the problem, there is still another option: chamomile, known for its digestive properties and as an aid to restful sleep for both adults and children. The choice of a good variety of chamomile tea is not as simple as it seems, and we advise you to look carefully at the label to see how much sucrose it contains (more commonly known as table sugar). The risks of excessive sugar intake are now well known, ranging from obesity to tooth decay, and you can never take enough precautions when it comes to children. Fortunately, there are chamomile teas on the market that contain not sucrose but grape sugar, a natural ingredient that contains 35% less sugar than the traditional table variety. One such variety is Mister Baby chamomile tea, which also comes with a practical dispenser that makes it easy to prepare a pleasant drink, even with the use of cold or lukewarm water.