Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Contest and Sleep Tips for Parents

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Do you have trouble sleeping? Some might advise counting sheep. Or, you could read Susanna Leonard Hill’s wonderful picture book, Can’t Sleep  Without Sheep. Or, on May 7th, you could purchase an ebook copy of Can’t Sleep Without Sheep. Or, you could grab some paper and sharpen your pencil and write a jingle.

YES!  It’s contest time over at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog. To celebrate the release of the ebook edition (come back on May 7th for the link to purchase) of Can’t Sleep Without Sheep, Susanna is holding a contest. Hurry over to her blog to read the rules and join the fun and have a chance to win a fabulous prize!

Here’s my jingle – to be read as an upbeat chant:

Ava Ava needs some sleep.

Ava Ava counts some sheep.

Ava Ava wide awake!

Ava Ava take a break,

Count some pigs and cows instead.

Much too noisy for my bed!

If you please, I need my sleep

Cannot sleep without my sheep.

Insomnia is actually a serious problem for many people. Some cannot fall asleep…others wake in the middle of the night and cannot fall back asleep. Do you have helpful tips?

Children can suffer from insomnia also.

  • Set routines for bedtime and be consistent
  • Avoid overstimulating near bedtime – quiet stories are best
  • Address any concerns your child may have such as fear of the dark or monsters
  • Consult your pediatrician if the sleep problem persists

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34 thoughts on “Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Contest and Sleep Tips for Parents”

  1. LOVE this, VIvian! It’s perfect, and so well done 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in the fun. And your sleep tips are very helpful. You realize that what gave me the idea for this book was my son… whose mind was so busy when he was little that he couldn’t fall asleep 🙂

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    • I’m sooo glad you liked the jingle, Susanna! I actually woke up in the morning with one more floating around in my head: It’s a kind of cheer: Give me an S, Give me an H, Give me an E E P! Can’t Sleep Without Sheep! I love your contests, Susanna…they help me write ‘out of the box’. :)Many kids have sleep problems…but not many moms get a picture book published about it…kudos for you, Susanna – your inspire me!

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    • Thanks so much, Catherine! Sleep problems are very common – in adults and in children. There are many things we can do to help – consistent routines head my list – as well as making my to-do list for the next day right before I go to sleep – this relieves my mind and the stress of having dozens of things running around in my head…they are all neatly written down…it’s almost as if I have done them already. 🙂

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    • Hahahaha…you are so funny, Julie! I love that…yes, perhaps I need a profile pick in a cheerleader uniform…after all, we all need a cheering committee and parents are a child’s most important fans is what I am all about.:) Thank you for the kind words.:)

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  5. I love it, Vivian. And your tips are great as well. I’m face booking as many as I can since i’m on blogging break. Not good with jingles or chants I”m afraid. 🙂

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        • You are so right, Clar. I think the most important thing is to have fun with whatever you do. If it gets overwhelming or impinges on your enjoyment of life, then it is something you pass on. My mistake was getting involved in so many social media networks right in the beginning. But I’ve stepped back from the Twitter scene and rarely go there, except to follow someone in the kid lit community. I like the Google+ because it has the hangout function…you can hangout ‘skype-like’ with anyone around the world for free…and automatically make a YouTube video if you want to at the same time. One has to set aside time for writing which, after all, is what we all really want to be doing. 🙂

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    • Glad you liked the jingle and the tips, Penny! I love to connect my posts to parenting concerns…this one was a natural because so many kids have trouble sleeping. Setting a good routine and sticking to it is one of the best ones to combat that. I also meant to include a couple of picture book suggestions for stories that relate such as ‘Cornelius P. Mudd, Are You Ready for Bed?’

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  7. Haha, very funny jingle! Oh, sleep, my dreadful friend… I’ve got so many thoughts in my head, I hate waking up in the middle of the night because I start thinking. I often take anti-allergy meds before going to sleep. They make me a bit drowsy and get rid of the throat itching that tends to wake me up during the night. I love going to sleep quickly and waking up 6 or 7 hours later without any waking in between. Uninterrupted sleep is the best!

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    • So true, Nancy. And often, as we get older (me, not you :), little aches and pains can keep us from getting a good night’s rest. I find that doing 15-20 minutes of low impact aerobics in the morning keeps my body from getting stiff…if I miss doing it for a day or two, I really feel the difference. And a 30 minutes walk during the day is helpful also…no running or jogging necessary.:)

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  11. I think insomnia is common among writers. We all get so caught up in our little worlds sometimes that it is difficult to get ourselves into sleep mode. Cute jingle Vivian. As you can tell from reading my post, I also love chants. They are so upbeat!

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    • I loved yours, Heather! Regarding insomnia in writers – I like keeping a small pad of paper and a pencil by my bedside – I think it helps me relax when I know I have the means to jot down any ‘writerly’ thoughts – which tend to come to me just upon awakening. 🙂

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  14. Vivian this chant is just delightful! And those tips are so helpful. I know you had fun with your chant. I had the biggest grin from the very first line. Oh so wonderful!

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