Sleep Tight

Becoming a mother is a wonderful thing. But if you have any sense at all, you're also nervous about that little bundle of joy, long awaited and much loved, who is about to turn your world upside down and spin it around on its head. Although every baby is a family adjustment, none is more shocking than your first. Mommies-to-be ask everyone they know for advice about what to expect and how to prepare. I know I did, and I loved it when friends would give me specifics! ("You'll figure it out," stressed me beyond belief! What do I do before then?!) So when my friend Jennifer, who is expecting her first child in just a few weeks, asked me about bedtime routines, I shared what worked for us. I told her about swaddling and white noise, and then I told her something I always forget to share. I told her to choose a bedtime song.

Before E was born, my friend Tara gave me the Celine Dion CD, Miracle. I'm generally not a Celine Dion fan, but neither is she, so when she told me she liked to listen to it while she was preparing her son's nursery, I figured I should give it a try. The first night we were home from the hospital, I popped it in the player during E's "bedtime" feeding.

It was beautiful.

My post-partum hormones may have had a little something to do with it, but tears streamed down my face as I listened to the words of each song, words that so perfectly described how I felt about my precious baby boy.

Over the next few weeks, E & I listened to that CD every night. We transitioned from playing it through the entire bedtime routine to rocking for just a few songs before I put him down. Eventually, we listened to only one, E's bedtime song: Sleep Tight.

Little did I know, defining a bedtime song for E was one of the best ideas I've ever had, and when W was born, I chose the same one for him without hesitation. It's a ritual with a clear beginning and end, impossible to stretch out. As much as I love cuddling and discussing their day, the hours after my sons go to sleep are gold. It's the only time I can talk to my husband without interruption, watch whatever I want on TV, and read for longer than 30 second bursts. And let's face it, when the day is over, I'm done, so having a quick and reliable bedtime routine is important.

But what I really love about our bedtime song, even more than what it does for me, is how it comforts them. On a rare occasion, one of the boys will wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Maybe they had a bad dream. Maybe they miss me. Maybe they're convinced it's time to get up, even though it most definitely is not. We try pacis, Tylenol, teething tablets, changing diapers, rocking - nothing works. Except that bedtime song. There's something about hearing their song that helps them relax and go back to sleep, without fail.

Having a bedtime song has made traveling easier too. We take our iPod and mini-speakers everywhere we go, and no matter where we are, playing that song is their cue that it's time to sleep. And it works!

If you're expecting, or if you're having difficulty with your current evening routine, try choosing a bedtime song. Because even away from home, even experiencing a birthday sugar overdose (Sorry about that, W!), even the first night in a big boy bed (E did great, by the way!), the bedtime song works magic for us.

My Babies Before Bed