Restful sleep, mode and monsters under the bed

I love sleep very much. Waking up has always been the hardest process for me. I set the alarm five times at 5-5 minute intervals to somehow wake up to the end. I could not even imagine that I would not need an alarm clock after the birth of Ilia. Today my body wakes up by itself at the same time, it is interesting that often two minutes before Ilya wakes up. How this happens, I do not know for sure, probably because the mother's instinct is obviously a very strong factor. Time passed and I almost forgot the dark nights during the first three months after Ilia's birth, of course, I, like many mothers, did not really sleep in the first months, I had a messy time and routine of everything. Ilia grew up, we got back to sleep at night, everything calmed down and was sorted out. I think I have achieved this in many interesting ways, which I would like to share with you in today's blog. During the conversations of the mothers, I heard that there are children who sleep peacefully all night from birth, do not ask for anything until the morning and wake up at 11 o'clock. My son, in terms of biological rhythm, as they say, is a torola. He wakes up at 8 o'clock and starts "Opa-Opa" energetically on the bed. However today, when Ilya is almost three years old, I can confidently say that he sleeps very well. The first and most important element in this success is mode. I am a "regimeist". Ilia eats according to the regime, walks according to the regime and sleeps according to the regime ... In this mode I attach great importance to the afternoon sleep. I want to maximize this time .. The older a child falls asleep in the afternoon, the less his mind is overloaded with emotions and the less tired he sleeps at night, hence the less nightmares and fears he will have. Afternoon sleep is a prerequisite for unwinding, rejuvenation and smooth development of the adolescent. I, as a servant mother, am very happy with the fact that my son spends the whole evening with me energetically and cheerfully, we attend many places, visit friends, attend interesting events. Afternoon sleep plays a very positive role in this. The second important element is the ritual. Before going to bed we have some important things that are repeated every day. This is a sign that the baby is getting ready for bed: swimming, brushing teeth, reading a book, singing ... For three years there have probably been only a few days when this ritual has been broken. Ilia knows that he falls asleep after all this. Prepares itself and asks to turn off the light. Familiar rituals predispose the child to sleep, relax and ensure his restful sleep. It should also be noted that Khanka children wake up at night not to drink water, but out of fear of something. In this case, you should consult a doctor, but I want to talk about two reasons for crying at night. The first is the fear of the night, the second is the nightmares. The difference between the two is as follows: in the night's fear, the child gets up a few hours after going to bed and starts screaming, his eyes are open and he can not calm down. During this time he may sweat, breathe in a hurry, suddenly pass everything in one second and continue to sleep. He did not even wake up, his body just did not realize that he had to move from one phase of sleep to another. Even in the case of nightmares, the child wakes up because he had a dangerous dream, he remembers things that scared him and it is difficult to regain sleep. In both cases there is a third element to my list - conversation. Delicacy is most important when talking to a child. Listen, find out what scared you, try to understand what was the main reason (emotions during the day, quarrels, disputes, spiritual discomfort ...), talk constantly, ask indirect questions, the main thing is to understand what is the main cause of fear. Never mention night incidents. Do not tell this story to others in the presence of a child. Keep calm. Also keep in mind that a child caregiver who has fallen into a state of uncontrollable fear may also use this trick specifically for future manipulation. And my favorite item - a sleep guard. Think of a character / toy that will protect your child from monsters at night: Soldier, Superman, Woody Cowboy and, of course, make you feel like you's the main guard - often repeat to the child that you are guarding him / her, that you are by his side and that he is with you Together is safe. If your baby is not sleeping with you, be sure to set up a radio nanny - to hear the call and to be by his side when needed. We were little too and we were scared at night too. I personally still have this habit - I never leave my foot outside the blanket during sleep, unless a monster accidentally eats me.