Most people don’t know this but we actually have EIGHT senses 🤯 In addition to the five we all know about, we also have: Vestibular sense: located in the inner ear and responsible for our spatial awareness, balance and coordination. It's activated by movement, especially movement that involves being upside down. Proprioceptive sense: our body awareness, or to put it another way, knowing what our body is doing without having to look at it. It’s is activated by movement and pressure on muscles and joints. Interoceptive sense: internal cues our body gives us about how we are doing, for example, whether we're hot or cold, hungry or full, have to go to the bathroom, etc. What does any of this have to do with sleep?! When a child’s vestibular and proprioceptive systems are well supported, the nervous system is at ease and the body is in a state of homeostasis. Essentially, their body feels calm. When there's mismatch between the sensory input a child needs and the sensory experiences they're getting, it can cause their insides to feel all jittery and frantic. Their insides feel the OPPOSITE of calm. Naturally, this is going to get in the way of being able to lie down and fall asleep. If bedtime is taking forever, sensory play throughout the day - and ESPECIALLY before bed - is definitely one piece of the sleep puzzle to consider. Things like: * rough and tumble play * deep pressure massage * dancing * spinning * swinging * sliding headfirst * hanging upside down * heavy work like pushing, pulling, carrying or stacking heavy things * crawling / animal walks * jumping / running across pillows A lot of these activities are really tiring for the body, making them a great activity before sleep. And the best part? Kids usually love them! They leave kids giggling and feeling connected to us, which further helps calm their nervous system, which further helps sleep! It’s win win all around #bedtimeroutine #babysleep #toddlersleep #babybedtimeroutine #14monthsold - @kaitlinklimmer