Sweet Dreams

“I’ve
been falling asleep in class….

…I’m scared to sleep at night because
I don’t have sweet dreams.”

Here are
four ways I attempted to fix that for my sweet, sleepy little third grader:

Sweet Dreams Foldable

I print this
poster for students to keep somewhere near their bed. I ask them to look at it
before they go to sleep and mentally check off each step. Once they’ve checked
off everything on their list and are ready for a good night’s sleep, they relax
their mind and focus on the positive.

The poster
has five tips that spell out SWEET:

Sounds that
are pleasant

Way cozy
setting

Environment
for happy dreams

Eat well

Talk it
through

By following
these five tips, students will increase their chances of having sweet dreams
all night.

After I’ve
discussed the tips on the poster, I dive deeper into each tip by using the
foldable activity. The foldable is quick and easy. It also is only one piece of
paper with double sided printing. Making copies isn’t a pain!

It downloads
in a black and white version making this foldable a fun coloring/calming
activity as well. I like to take advantage of the time it takes to color the
cover to get to know my student better. Coloring makes establishing that
connection and then sliding into the real issues much easier for all of us.

This
foldable is also neat because it has students think deeply about how to
incorporate the new behaviors outlined on the poster into their everyday life.
By answering questions, drawing pictures and imagining themselves sleeping
peacefully, students learn how to create a positive sleep environment for
themselves.

Setting the
stage for sweet dreams will hopefully lead to sweet dreams.

The foldable
is easy. I have students cut off the excess border, fold the page in half with
the cover facing out and then cut slits on the dotted lines freeing the
separate sections and creating five separate flaps.

Examples:
Under the Sounds that are pleasant flap, it asks:

1) What
pleasant sounds do you think would put you to sleep?

2) Draw
yourself sleeping peacefully.

Under the
Way cozy setting flap, it asks:

1) Draw
yourself cozy and ready for sweet dreams.

2) How do you
get way cozy and ready for good sleep?

Each flap
has the student imagine themselves sleeping well and having sweet dreams
throughout the night. A positive mindset and calming environment are half the
battle.

Dream Trappers and Dream Creators

This one is
great for students who come to school a little rattled from a bad dream the
night before. It’s a quick fix that lets students move on from the dream and
get back to focusing in class.

Students follow the printed steps to
create each of the two parts to this activity. I like to have students start by
creating the dream trapper. I like to get rid of the negative as quick as
possible and end every lesson on a positive note. Therefore I start with the
dream trapper and end with the dream creator.

After I single side print both the
dream trapper and the dream creator, I set the dream creator to the side. The
first paragraph of each page lets students know whether they are using the
dream trapper or dream catcher. Once they identify the differences, I have the
student focus solely on the dream trapper, setting the dream creator to the
side.

Students start by writing down their
bad dream/nightmare on the inside of the trapper and then cutting out the
entire shape.

Cut out the entire shape, creating a flower like object.

Fold the flaps inwards, trapping the dream.

Write a note to the dreams to go away.

When ready, tear the dream trapper to pieces, destroying the dream forever.

We then move
on to the dream creator. I ask students to think about what kind of dreams they
would like to have instead.

We follow the same steps we did to create the dream trapper, except this
time we decorate.

In the end, instead of tearing it up, the student takes it home and places
it under their pillow to create the best dreams possible.

Dream Catcher Activity

Ancient
legend says that a dreamcatcher has the power to trap bad dreams for eternity
while passing good dreams straight into your sleep cycle.

When placed above our beds while
sleeping, it is thought that dreamcatchers catch our floating dreams. The good
dreams, the bad dreams, the unmemorable dreams, even the scary dreams; the
dreamcatcher can trap.

Students can decorate and design
their very own dreamcatcher to promote good dreams and catch and trap scary
dreams.

The good dreams are caught in the
dreamcatcher’s web and then slide down into the feathers. From there, the dream
is sent straight into our dream lineup to create similar dreams in the future.

Bad, scary or unpleasant dreams get
stuck in the dreamcatcher’s web never to be dreamt again.

Hang your dreamcatcher above your
bed to increase your chances of sweet dreams.

Sleep well my friend.

Write a Letter Activity

This writing activity is a therapeutic way for
students to let go of their bad dreams/nightmares and the associated feelings.

Assembly is easy. All you need to do is grab
some crayons, glue and scissors.

Double side print the letter and envelope
template. Cut apart to free the pieces.

Fold on dotted lines and follow the included simple
assembly instructions to create the envelope.

Fold to create flaps.

Fold over, glue front to flaps

Finish creating envelope!

Once assembled, write the letter, place inside
envelope and use glue to seal envelope shut.

For added affect, place letter in mailbox to
“mail” it to the Dream Processing Center.

I am not
licensed to do any type of intense dream therapy and do not have the time or
skills to help students get to the deep seeded root of their bad dreams or
nightmares. I can however be there the next morning to help them pick up the
pieces so they are able to get back to class and be able to focus on learning. These
four activities have helped me, to help my students, successfully do just that.