Worry can be a big problem when it comes to getting to sleep. Especially as children get older. But relaxation techniques and visualisation can help take their minds off these worries. This story can help get them started as they imagine they are lying on the beach, with the sound of waves lapping the shore and a warm breeze passing over them.

This is a technique best suited to children aged four years and up, and best used at a time other than bedtime to start with. We don’t want them getting worried about the technique working, which can happen if they start learning it at bedtime. Start perhaps on the floor of the bedroom in the afternoon. When this technique works, you’ll find children start to use it naturally before bedtime.

Oh, and it’s best not to ask a child about their day just before bedtime. If things haven’t gone so well, this may upset them. Try talking about the day in the afternoon or at dinner time.