The apple of my eye!

There is one thing that nobody can choose not to be influenced by – a well rested baby’s smiling face! Whoever comes across it has something to admire about it – either the gleaming smile of innocence or the chubby cheeks, rosy lips, the fairness of skin or just the plain curious look of a baby. Every baby fills the air with infectious merriness and you cannot help but become a part of it. It is needless to state that a happy baby creates a happy environment.

As I mentioned, this can be possible only if the baby is healthy and well rested. The key is a good night’s sleep. And the things it does before sleep.

The following are the bedtime rituals I follow to put my baby to sleep:

Diapers

First things first, I change the diapers so that the baby does not wake up abruptly from sleep, when its pants are wet. This buys me some time to check back on the baby’s pants every once in a while during the nights so that the baby’s cry does not ring as an alarm to me and the wetness does not upset the baby’s sleep too.

Clean bed

I lay out clean sheets of blanket in multiple layers, preferably cotton that is soft and light. Cotton is easy to clean and is a natural fibre. Anything natural is always safe, gentle and non-allergic to a delicate baby skin.

Darkness

According to science, the prominent cues that a human body understands, before going to sleep, are light and darkness. It dictates the sleep rhythm/ cycle. Hence, it is very important to dim the lights before tucking the baby to sleep. I dull the lights out in my room as an important step for preparing my baby to sleep.

Rocking

A gentle rocking motion would lull my baby to sound sleep. I prefer my lap, this way the baby is very much in skin-contact with me and there is a good flow of affection and love. A baby that is unable to speak yet can always speak through a loving touch.

Music

I’m a good singer, though not capable of winning medals, I can sing decently. There is no living being on earth that does not love music. And surely, a baby does like a lullaby. I sing lullaby gently and smilingly so that as my baby dozes off to sleep slowly and steadily, it looks at me and feels the motherly warmth of love as it gradually blinks its eyes with the rocking motion. I love the sight of it!

Bedtime routine

Last but not the least, it is very crucial to have a regular timing for baby’s sleep. Doing the same relaxing things every night, makes the baby pick up cues that it is bed-time. It would not be too long before my baby is sound asleep.

Do check out the link https://www.rewardme.in/tag/Pampers for more tips on babies' growing up.

Written for Indiblogger.in Happy Hours.