Figure 1: Sleeping peacefully through the night – a dream for many parents. Everyday life often looks different.
“IT'S TIME FOR BED!!!”
Yes – I deliberately wrote that sentence in capital letters. I bet every mother (and every father) has at some point voiced that sentence with the same emphasis – even if only internally in a raised voice. Nothing is more frustrating than a child who cannot be calmed and absolutely will not fall asleep.
Except, of course, the child who wakes a few hours after falling asleep and asks you in the middle of the night to repeat the entire bedtime routine.
Don’t worry, dear parents! Homeopathy can help. We’ll take care of it.
Sleep problems in children
Insomnia in children often differs fundamentally from sleep disorders in adults. As adults our minds tend to race and keep us awake. Babies and toddlers have not yet established a firm day–night rhythm, i.e. they do not wake at night because an important meeting is scheduled for the next morning or because the to‑do list keeps growing. They simply need a gentle nudge towards a normal sleep–wake cycle.
Let us consider four different scenarios of sleep problems and take a look at four homeopathic remedies that can bring order to a chaotic evening routine.
Figure 2: Did you know? Chamomilla has proven effective for irritable, restless children.
Homeopathic Remedy No. 1: Chamomilla
For restless, irritable children, Chamomilla C200 has long been tried and tested. It helps to calm the child so that they can fall asleep more easily when it is bedtime. The remedy is given twice daily until a clear improvement is seen. Further information on dosage and potency can be found here.
A “Chamomilla child” may react particularly sensitively to pain. Chamomilla should therefore be considered first when the child is teething. If none of these main features apply, Chamomilla is probably not the right remedy.
Figure 3: Nux vomica is especially helpful for sleep problems after medication.
Homeopathic Remedy No. 2: Nux vomica
Sleep problems often occur in children who have had to take conventional medicines. Even if the child themself did not take over‑the‑counter or prescription medicines, drugs used during pregnancy and childbirth can have a lasting effect on the unborn child.
Nux vomica C30 (twice daily until a marked improvement) can help to eliminate complaints caused by medication. Other important indications for this remedy (besides difficulty falling asleep) include waking between 2 and 4 a.m., irritability and possibly accompanying constipation.
Figure 4: Sleepless nights can be calmed somewhat with Coffea cruda.
Homeopathic Remedy No. 4: Coffea cruda
Coffea is another homeopathic remedy to consider for overstimulation related to medicines. The overall picture, however, is a little different. The child may fall asleep initially, but then wakes up again. Falls asleep again and then wakes again. This pattern repeats throughout the night. It is not that the child cannot fall asleep, but rather that they cannot sleep through.
If the child is still being breastfed, this sleep pattern may also be due to the mother drinking coffee, eating chocolate or consuming other stimulants. The child is engaged with many things during the day and may seem a little nervous or anxious. Unlike the other remedies discussed here, Coffea C200 is taken once daily before bedtime.
Homeopathic Remedy No. 4: Pulsatilla
“Pulsatilla children” are sweet, but can also be clingy and perhaps even needy. At night the child wakes and feels abandoned. “Where is everyone? Why am I all alone? Where did everyone go?” This child needs affection and attention, which is why falling asleep is difficult.
If this sounds familiar, Pulsatilla C200 (twice daily until improvement) can relieve the child’s separation anxiety so that they can sleep through the night calmly in their own bed.
Insomnia in general
None of these measures are intended to be a bespoke protocol for specific complaints. Nevertheless, I have successfully used them for decades in my practice and also used them with my own children when they were small.
Sleep serves a restorative function for both children and parents. When one cannot sleep, the other is thrown off balance too. Homeopathy can gently and kindly help your children to fall asleep – and to sleep through – so that nights become more restful for everyone in the family.
I have previously written about sleep and medication. The treatment of troublesome sleep apnoea has also been the subject of my blog. Have a look and pick up suggestions for many restful nights for children and adults.
Because homeopathy helps – pass it on!
Yours sincerely,
Your
Book recommendations:
Figure 1: DONOT6_STUDIO/shutterstock.com ; Figure 2: Oleg Kozlov/shutterstock.com ; Figure 3: Tatevosian Yana/shutterstock.com ; Figure 4: dragon_fang/shutterstock.com
26 June 2025
