Pregnancy has not been the best sleep aid for Elizabeth. She's tossed and turned for months now. Some nights are better than others (especially now that we learned about the snack before bed trick). Also, we've been exercising more (gotta love those New Years resolutions), so that's helped. But still, I wouldn't recommend pregnancy as an alternative to your Ambien...although the crazy dreams are probably similar.
I understand that babies are also notorious for not sleeping all that well. I'm going to have to find ways to get Nugget to go back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night (drugging him is not out of the question). So to kill two birds with one stone (prepare for Nugget and help Elizabeth), I decided to practice lullabies. I figured if Bugs Bunny could get the Monster to sleep by doing it, then it wouldn't hurt trying.
Lullabies are an important of the oral tradition of our species. They can be traced throughout the histories of the world, and are entwined in the fabric of nearly every culture on Earth. The simple and repetitive nature aids in the creation of normal sleep patterns. In addition to this, researchers have found lullabies to have strong therapeutic values, promoting slower heart rates and a more rapid growth in neurological development. They also provide a deep connection between infant and parent.
I went for the tried and true last night, though a quick search last night came up with songs that I had NEVER heard before (or maybe I have and they have been lost to the fog of baby memories). I went for "Itsy Bitsy Spider" as an opener.
I know that most of these songs are supposed to be telling a story. They are offshoots of storytellers passing along the knowledge of a society to the newer members. But what message is this trying to tell? What is the meaning behind it? Why an "itsy bitsy spider"? I don't have answers for these, but if anyone out there does, let me know!
What is most interesting to me is that this is a lullaby is meant to help children get to sleep. The song is about a relentless spider that does not let the forces of nature stop it from ultimately continuing its climb. Sure, the rain comes down and washes the spider out. But the spider is patient, and there's no mention of rain at the end of the song. Instead, we see that spider is slowly climbing up the spout again. Terrifying.
Try singing this song to your partner before bed and not have them laugh at you. I think it'll have a better effect on Nugget...but not by much.
The other lullaby I practiced was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." A classic little ditty that reminds me of recorder practice in elementary school. I got this one a little bit better (I think my pipes were finally warmed up at this point), and I even found that I was putting myself to sleep after a few runs through of it. It's a soothing song, and it lends itself to being sung very softly and very quietly.
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" has a special place in Elizabeth's heart (and now mine) because of how she used to sing a particular part of it:
"Upta bubda world so high..."
That's right, "upta bubda." I can only hope that Nugget gets his vocabulary from her.
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