Since age 3, my daughter has been sleep challenged.  Once asleep, she's fine, but getting relaxed and into the bed has been the challenge (for all of us).  Children display their anxieties about life and changes in so many ways.  We as parents need to be so aware of different cues and actions that are really telling us "Mom, I am stressed out".  My daughter is so curious about everything that at night, turning the inner buttons in her mind to sleep mode has been hard.  I guess I could blame the binky...gosh had I known giving up the pacifier would be so hard, I would have thought twice about giving it to her in the first place.  My son, sucks his index finger, falls asleep like a charm, without fail, but we cannot take his finger away....so that's a whole other blog in itself.  I know so many parents face these challenges and the evening can turn into a crazy scene of tears and frustration.  SO, in my many efforts to create calm, I decided to use my own practice of meditation with my 7 year old.  We start by having "a slumber party" in bed and turn the lights off and watch a little tv.  Then, we turn the tv off and maybe read a book or two outloud (gotta time this stuff because before you know it, bedtime routine is taking up WAY too much time).  We make sure our teeth are brushed etc. etc.  THEN, we start a gentle meditation.  It's all about focusing on the breath.  She is in her bed, all tucked in, eyes closed, ready to go.  I am sitting next to the bed holding her hand (we are working on breaking this habit of the hand part, but it's been slow progress....baby steps!)  Here are some simple ways you can do this as well.   It was explained SO well in the October issue of Yoga Journal that I will give you a summary of their recommendations/article here:  "If your child is prone to anxiety or has trouble falling asleep, the following meditation practice is appropriate for 6-10 year olds.  Once they become familiar with the practice, they can do it anywhere - in bed, on their yoga mat, or in the car on the way to school....Sit comfortably together or lie down in a quiet relaxing spot.  Keep your instructions simple.  First, ask your child(ren) to place a palm on their belly and begin breathing through their nostrils.  Then ask them to feel their belly expand under their hands as they inhale, and feel the belly gently sink as they exhale.  Start with 6-12 breaths and continue for up to 5 minutes if they are game.  You can make suggestions like:  "Let your mind pay attention to your quiet breathing and the peaceful place you feel inside."  You can also ask more experienced children to being making the exhalation a bit longer than the inhalation to further activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers the relaxation response." - excerpt from "Teach your Children Well" by Sharon Sexton, Yoga Journal October 2010. 

My daughter and I are making progress.  She is excited to learn about yoga and meditation, and she has her own mat and meditation cushion too.....so, progress and breathing.....it's all good.