Sleep and Shine

 Sleep and Shine

As a mother, the 2 things that every mother is concerned about are:

Nutrition

Sleep

Nutrition is something that we normally manage some how. Not just the mother, everyone in the house will be Keen to feed the baby. Or at least they will remind mommy about that. We consider food as the only thing that will make our babies healthy mentally and physically. But sleep is equally important as nutrition or food is. It has very solid effects on mental and physical growth of not just a child, but every human being. Following a sleeping pattern is important. If you follow a proper bed time routine then it can help you in strengthening your bond with your kid. And ample sleep time helps us to get a more relaxed mind and body. That in turn helps in learning and growing.

I remember, first 1 and a half month was really difficult for me as a first time mommy.. I couldn't get enough sleep, not just because if the baby, but because of the fears that this motherhood brought for me. I woke up many times, just to check if she is breathing or not,  or to check if i am laying on her or on the bed.. or if her diaper has leaked or not. But it got better with the passage of time. I couldn't get proper sleep during that first month...result was a lethargic and tired mind and body. That I didn't want for myself or for her. So I worked on Her sleep patterns. I stablished a routine for her, and then I didn't change that routine for anything or anyone. We are home or out of station, she will sleep between 7 to 8 pm ...and she will wake up early in the morning. And I won't need an alarm for myself. I wanted to sleep, but I had to wakeup, since she wanted us to play with her, as soon as she woke up. I didn't even change her sleep pattern for my own sleep or ease. And I remember till date, her smile that she gave me whenever she woke up. And those precious little eyses and hands waiting for my my kiss and touch. That worked for me as a power bank.

Till the age of 2 or 2.5, she had the habbit of taking a nap around 2 o clock. But then I changed that habit according to our ease. The things that I learnt about her through her sleep cycle  is, if a kid woke up, fresh and active, it means he/she had enough sleep, not less than what was required and not more than what was needed. So rest of the things were easy to do. That little human is not cranky so she won't drive you crazy with her tantrums. And she is open to anything being offered. Be it food or playtime or a walk. It's easy to manage sleep patterns till your baby starts walking and talking. Because after that you have to convince the baby and everyone  around that it's time to sleep and we have to sleep on time. So here comes the monster of social pressure, your way. There will be a lot of arguments, taunts and negative/mean comments for you.. there are chances that you might lose your mind and accept the pressure..but during those times remember that it's good for your baby .infact your baby needs it .So stay firm. So after being firm about the time and routine, the seco d thing that I did was, telling her bed time stories. And those were not the stories that we read during our childhood .I made stories for her, according to the problems that I faced everyday. Or you can say, I made stories for her according to her needs .whatever I wanted to teach her regarding life skills of manners, I did that through bed time stories .I taught her about praying, sharing and caring through these stories. And I trained her for bathroom through those stories. Another thing that I experienced myself was that the words or things that we hear right after talking asleep or few moments before falling asleep are the ones that our brain usually never forgets. So I developed a habit of whispering in her ears during those moments. I remember telling her " I love you Oma, please always love your mommy"  and she would almost always reply me with " I love you too"..no matter how much sleepy she is.

So for  good mental and physical  maintain a healthy sleeping pattern, according to the needs of your kid. And maintain a bed time routine too. Stories, dua's and whispers of "I love you"