Rest Reset Slides Rest & Reset
Understanding the Sleep-Body Connection
The Big Question
"Why is it hard to fall asleep after running a race?"
Body is fast!
Brain is busy!
Engine vs. Parked Car
Running Engine
Vibrating and loud
Hot and fast
Ready to MOVE!
Parked Car
Quiet and still
Cool and calm
Resting for tomorrow
What is Tension?
Tension is when your muscles stay "switched on" like a running engine.
Tight Squeeze
Soft Release
The Body Battery
When we sleep, we plug our bodies in to recharge. To plug in, we have to turn the engine off first!
Ready to Recharge?
In our next lessons, we will learn how to turn off our "Body Engines" piece by piece, starting with our feet!
Body Battery Worksheet My Body Battery
Lesson 1: Sleep-Body Connection
Name:
Date:
1. My Battery Levels
Color in the battery to show how much energy you have at these times:
When I wake up
Color it in!
Right before bed
Color it in!
2. My "Body Engine"
Draw what your body looks like when the engine is running fast vs. when it is parked and resting.
Running Engine (Busy/Tense)
Parked Car (Calm/Soft)
3. Thinking Time
How do your muscles feel when you are ready to sleep? (Check one or write your own)
Heavy and floppy
Still and quiet
Soft like a pillow
Remember: To charge your battery, you must park the car!
Engine Analogy Guide Teacher Facilitation Guide
The Engine Analogy
Building the foundation for PMR through imagery.
Objective
Explain the concept of physical tension and its role in preventing sleep.
Time
20 - 30 Minutes
Key Terms
Tension, Relaxation, Reset, Engine, Body Battery.
Facilitation Script
The Hook
"Imagine you just ran the fastest race of your life. Your heart is thumping, your legs are shaky, and you're breathing fast. If I told you to lay down and fall asleep right that second, could you do it?"
→ Expected answer: No! / Too much energy!
The Analogy
"Think of your body like a car engine. When we are playing at recess, our engines are loud and hot! But to go to sleep, we can't just leave the engine running in the driveway. We have to turn the key and shut it down so the car can rest and stay cool."
Checking for Tension
"Sometimes, we don't even know our engine is still running. Squeeze your fists as tight as you can. Feel how hard they are? That's an engine running! Now, let them go completely floppy. That's a parked car."
Quick Practice: "The Switch"
1
Engine ON: Have students stand up and shake their whole bodies while making a "vroom" sound for 10 seconds.
2
The Reset: Say "Key Turn!" and have students immediately collapse into a chair or onto the floor, completely silent and still.
3
Self-Check: Ask: "Can you feel your 'engine' cooling down? Does your body feel heavier or lighter?"
Teacher Tip: Not Just Sleep
Students might think relaxation is only for when they are tired. Clarify that 'shutting down the engine' is a choice we make to help our bodies start the charging process (sleep).
Wiggle Free Slides Wiggle-Free Feet
Settling our lower body for rest
Step 1: The Toes
The Bedtime Wiggles
Sometimes our legs feel like they want to keep running even when we are in bed! This is just "engine energy" stuck in our muscles.
1. The Toe Squeeze
TENSE
Curl your toes down like you are grabbing a pencil. Hold it... hold it...
RELEASE
Let your toes go floppy and soft. They feel like melting ice cream!
2. Stiff Logs
Make your whole legs as stiff as logs!
Press your heels into the ground. Feel your calves and thighs getting hard.
Spaghetti Legs!
Release and feel them wiggle like cooked noodles.
Melting Away
Now your legs feel heavy, warm, and ready to stay still.
They are "parked" for the night.
Heavy Legs Worksheet My Heavy Legs
Lesson 2: Lower Body Release
Name:
1. The Bedtime Check
After you practice with the class, check off each step!
Toes Squeeze
Grab the pencil!
Toes Floppy
Melting ice cream.
Leg Logs
Stiff and hard!
Spaghetti Legs
Wobbly and soft.
2. Sleepy Colors
Draw or color your legs below. Use "heavy" colors like dark blue, purple, or gray to show they are parked and ready to rest.
Draw Here
How do your legs feel now?
Heavy
Warm
Quiet
Lower Body Script Facilitation Script
Lower Body Release
A guided script for "Wiggle-Free Feet"
Preparation
Students sitting in chairs or on mats.
Dim lights if possible.
Voice: Calm, low, and slow.
No shoes (optional but helpful).
SAY THIS
Phase 1: The Toes
"Take a deep breath in... and let it out. Now, find your toes. I want you to curl them down as tight as you can, like you're trying to pick up a pencil from the floor with just your feet. Squeeze them! Feel how hard and tight they are. Hold it for 3... 2... 1..."
"RELEASE."
"Let them go completely soft. Imagine your toes are like melting ice cream on a warm sidewalk. They are floppy and still."
Phase 2: Stiff Logs
"Now, let's look at your whole legs. Keep your toes soft, but make your legs as stiff as wooden logs. Press your heels into the ground and push! Feel your calves getting tight... feel your thighs getting hard. You're a strong, stiff log! Hold it... hold it..."
"RELEASE."
"Let the logs turn into cooked spaghetti. Wiggle them just a tiny bit and then let them stop. Your legs are becoming heavy. They are sinking down, down, down into the floor."
Phase 3: The Parked Car
"Your lower body is now 'parked.' It feels heavy, warm, and very quiet. If your legs wanted to wiggle before, they are too sleepy to wiggle now. Take one more deep breath and feel that peace in your feet."
Note: If students are giggling, acknowledge it ("It feels funny to be spaghetti!") and then bring them back to the "heavy" feeling.
Belly Balloon Slides Belly Balloon
Softening our center for deep sleep
Our Soft Center
Our belly and back are like the "home base" for our body. If they are tight, our whole body feels tense!
The Big Balloon
Breathe In
Your belly pushes out like
The Hug
TENSE
Hold your breath and squeeze your belly muscles tight, like someone is about to give you a big bear hug!
RELEASE
Let the air out with a long sssshhhhh . Feel your belly go soft and sink down into your bed.
Floating Away
Now your core is soft. Your back is flat. You are ready to float away to sleep.
Core Relaxation Script Facilitation Script
Core & Torso Release
A guided script for "Belly Balloon Breathing"
SAY THIS
Phase 1: The Inflation
"Place your hands on your belly. Now, take a slow breath through your nose and watch your hands rise. Imagine there is a big, colorful balloon inside your belly getting bigger and bigger. Fill it up all the way!"
Phase 2: The Squeeze
"Now, hold that breath! Squeeze your belly muscles tight, like someone is about to give you a big, friendly bear hug. Squeeze your back muscles against your chair or the floor. Make yourself strong and hard for 3... 2... 1..."
"RELEASE."
Phase 3: The Feather Fall
"Let the air out through your mouth like a slow, quiet whistle... sssshhhhh . Feel your belly go soft and flat. Your hands sink down. Your back feels like it is melting into a soft pillow. All the air is gone, and you feel light as a feather."
Watch For:
• Shoulders rising (encourage belly breathing instead).
• Holding breath too long (keep it to 3-5 seconds).
• Gasped releases (encourage slow whistling air).
Imagery Swap:
• Instead of a balloon, try a sleeping kitten on the belly.
• Instead of a bear hug, try armor or a shield.
Balloon Breath Tracker Worksheet Balloon Breath Tracker
Lesson 3: Softening the Center
Name:
1. The Sleepy Breath Steps
1
Fill the
2
Bear
3
Slow
4
Soft
2. My Dream Balloon
Draw a large balloon below. Inside the balloon, draw or write things that make you feel calm and ready for sleep.
Draw Inside
Take 5 Balloon Breaths tonight before bed!
Smoothing Face Slides Smooth as Silk
Relaxing our face to quiet our mind
"Goodnight, Brain!"
The Brain Connection
Our face muscles are right next to our brain. When we squeeze our eyes or clench our jaw, our brain stays "awake" and busy!
Step 1: The Sour Lemon
SQUEEZE
Scrunch up your eyes, nose, and mouth like you just ate the sourest lemon in the world!
SMOOTH
Let the lemon go. Feel your forehead get wide and flat. Your jaw feels heavy and loose.
The Sleepy Mask
Imagine a soft, cool cloth being placed over your forehead and eyes.
It "irons out" all the worry lines until your face is perfectly smooth.
Eyes Closed Softly
Don't squeeze them shut. Just let the curtains fall down gently.
Brain is Sleeping
"When my face is quiet, my brain is quiet."
Facial Relaxation Script Facilitation Script
Facial & Mental Quieting
A guided script for "Smoothing the Face"
SAY THIS
Phase 1: The Sour Lemon
"Take a deep, slow breath... and now, imagine you just bit into the sourest lemon in the whole world! Scrunch up your eyes until they are tight. Squeeze your nose. Pucker your lips. Hold that sour face! Feel how tight your forehead is. Hold it... 3... 2... 1..."
"SMOOTH IT OUT."
"Let the lemon go. Feel your forehead get wide and smooth, like a still lake. Your eyes are closed so gently, like the curtains of a window just floating down."
Phase 2: The Loose Jaw
"Now, look at your mouth. Sometimes we hold our teeth together tight. I want you to let your bottom jaw drop down. Let your tongue fall away from the roof of your mouth. Your jaw should feel heavy, like a sleepy hinge on a door."
Phase 3: The Sleepy Mask
"Imagine a soft, dark mask is resting on your face. It is cool and comfortable. Your eyes feel heavy and tired. Your brain sees that your face is quiet, so your brain says: 'Okay, it’s time for me to sleep too.' Your mind is getting quiet and dark, just like a peaceful night sky."
Pro-Tip for 2nd Graders:
Remind students that they don't have to "try" to fall asleep. They just have to "smooth their face." The sleep will happen on its own once the muscles are quiet!
Peaceful Face Worksheet My Peaceful Face
Lesson 4: Quieting the Mind
Name:
1. Drawing the Difference
The Sour Lemon Face
Squeezed & Tight
The Sleepy Mask Face
Smooth & Still
2. How does it feel?
Draw a line from the body part to how it feels when it is RELAXED.
Forehead
Eyes
Jaw
Mouth
Gently Closed
Wide and Flat
Soft Lips
Heavy and Low
Finish this sentence:
"When my face is quiet, my brain is ."
Full Routine Slides The Full Shutdown
Connecting all the pieces for a perfect sleep
What have we learned?
The Feet
Squeeze and Spaghetti
The Belly
Balloon and Hug
The Face
Lemon and Smooth
The Sleepy Sequence
01
Park your FEET (Spaghetti legs)
02
Soften your CENTER (Balloon breath)
03
Quiet your FACE (Smooth skin)
04
Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z
Let's Try It Together
Get into your "Sleepy Position" (Sitting or lying down).
Whisper voices only!
Your Home Mission
You will get a Sleepy Checklist to keep by your bed. Use it every night to turn off your "Body Engine"!
Full Body Shutdown Script Master Facilitation Script
The Full Body Shutdown
A complete 5-minute PMR sequence for bedtime.
Voice: Soft & Slow
"Find your sleepy position. Laying on your back is usually best. Close your eyes gently... like the sun setting over the hills. Let's take three deep balloon breaths. In through your nose... and slowly out through your mouth like a whistle... (Pause 10s)."
"We start with our feet. Squeeze your toes down tight. Make your legs as stiff as wooden logs. Press them into the bed! Hold it... hold it... and... RELEASE. Feel the logs turn into soft spaghetti. Your legs are so heavy they are sinking deep into the mattress."
"Now, fill your belly balloon one more time. Hold the breath and give yourself a big internal hug. Squeeze your belly and your back muscles. Hold it... 3... 2... 1... and... RELEASE. Let all the air out. Your center is soft and quiet. You are light as a feather."
"Finally, your face. Make a sour lemon face! Scrunch up your eyes, nose, and mouth. Squeeze your brain quiet! Hold it... and... SMOOTH. Feel your forehead get wide. Your eyes are heavy. Your jaw is loose and low. Your whole body is now a parked car. The engine is off. It is quiet. It is dark. It is time for sleep."
"(Whisper) Goodnight, body. Goodnight, brain. I am ready for my battery to recharge."
Note on Pacing: Leave at least 15-20 seconds of silence between each muscle group. The "Release" phase is where the relaxation actually happens—don't rush through it!
Sleepy Checklist Take Home My Sleepy Checklist
"Turn off your engine for a great tomorrow!"
1. Spaghetti Legs
Squeeze toes, then let them go floppy.
2. Belly Balloon
Big breath in, bear hug, then slow hiss out.
3. Smooth Face
Sour lemon face, then smooth as silk.
4. Quiet Brain
Close your eyes gently. Brain is sleeping.
My Sleepy Promise:
"I promise to help my body rest tonight."
Signed:
Teacher: Cut these out and send them home with students. Encourage them to tape it to their bedframe or nightstand!
