Life is already stressful for children in modern times. Studies, sports, creative pursuits, and social interactions often end up burdening kids with anxiety and worries beyond their years. As a result, most kids nowadays suffer from childhood anxiety, sleep disorders, or seasonal depression. A wonderful way of getting rid of all these health issues naturally is gardening daily. Gardening offers multiple health benefits to children, like,
Gardening forms the holy trinity of mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. And because of its stress-lowering effects, gardening also improves your kid’s sleep patterns. Here’s a quick guide to gardening’s impact on children’s sleep patterns.
Gardening helps kids channel their restless energy into fruitful physical activity. It requires considerable physical effort and labor, so kids also get to break their sedentary streak. From digging and weeding to pruning and trimming to lifting heavy pots and equipment, gardening also helps improve kids' muscle strength and endurance. And sufficient physical activity ends up exhausting kids and making sure they sleep well.
Gardening also exposes children to fresh air and sunlight, ensuring they get their much-needed daily dose of vitamin D, which strengthens bones and promotes healthy enzymatic function. Fresh air also soothes kids, increasing the oxygen supply to their brains and keeping anxieties at bay. Spending time outdoors tires kids in a good way, making their bodies ready for sleep by the time bedtime rolls around.
Gardening helps develop mindfulness in kids. Mindfulness refers to the delicate yet strong act of focusing on the present while letting the future be. It includes savoring every moment and living it to the fullest. This improves focus and helps kids improve their attention span. And since gardening can be enjoyed as a solo venture as well, after school or work, once proficient, it is a healing and healthy coping mechanism for negative emotions and anxiety triggers.
Gardening helps keep stress at bay. If your kid is surrounded by lush leaves, scented flowers, heavily laden fruit trees, lazy swings, and the gentle cooing of birds, they will go on daily mini vacations in their secret garden haven. It will not only keep their minds off academic and personal stress but also help them mull over the problem in peace and come up with a fresh perspective to deal with life. And nothing helps humans sleep better than some soothing gardening time and a solution to their problem, kids and adults alike.
Sunlight and exposure to greenery help regulate kids' circadian rhythms. This ensures that your kid is more alert during the day and falls asleep easily at night as darkness descends. Creatures across the world follow this rhythm, which makes early morning and late afternoon the ideal times for gardening. Beginning or end the day engaged in gardening, and then a hot shower ensures that your child is ready, be it for an energetic day or a relaxing night.
Gardening is highly beneficial for children in many ways, especially in improving sleeping patterns and lowering stress. This activity also manages to keep children away from their devices every once in a while, and engages them in daily physical labor. It also improves their physical health and mental wellbeing. And since a sound body and mind require adequate rest to thrive, gardening prepares kids for the same to ensure their healthy and wholesome future.