One sleepy post

When I was in school and college, my mother woke me up every morning by shouting out my name from the kitchen. Blissfully lost in my dreams, her voice would make me jump out of my skin and I would sit bolt upright, taking a while to get my bearings. No matter how many times I told her to call out softly, she forgot and invariably did the same the next day and the next.

So when I had kids of my own, I remembered the violent waking up I did every day and carefully refrained from screaming to the kids to wake up. In fact I perfected the wake-up routine to the T. But this meant that I had to start at least half an hour before the scheduled wake up time. I would first go and muss their hair and whisper to them that it was time to get up. The older one would mutter, turn over and go back to sleep. No movement from the younger one. Ten minutes later, I would stand at their door and call out their names in a normal voice and repeat the message. This time the older one would actually get up before flopping back on the bed. Still no reaction from the younger one. So I would go in and shake him a bit. He would turn on the other side and continue sleeping. Another ten minutes later I would holler from the next room and the older one would get off the bed and move to the bathroom.

The younger one was another matter altogether. He would groan and moan and try going back to sleep; but I would go in and pull off the sheet/quilt. He didn’t mind the loss of it and would curl up without the cover – even in Delhi winter! So I would bodily lift him out of the bed thinking he would wake up, but he would lie half on the bed and half on the floor and continue  sleeping. Another five minutes later I would half lift and half drag him to the wash basin and prop him there. And folks, he would lay his head on the cold rim of the basin and continue sleeping! He would only wake up when I thrust the brush in his mouth and then he would start wailing about having to go to school everyday! It was a daily litany.

Had the Brats been girls, they might have remembered how much effort it took for their dear mother to wake them up, but alas! Boys are not gifted with the memory of such things.

Today I see even young kids staying up late, really late. They sometimes sleep till late evening and then stay up late because they weren’t sleepy. Why can’t parents put them to bed on time so that they can get enough sleep and not sleep through their play time in the evening?  And what do they do sitting up that late? Watch all the serials along with their parents, that’s what they do. ‘My son/daughter never sleeps till midnight,’ they boast, as if it were a big achievement for a three or four-year-old. The bleary eyed kid is then woken up at an unearthly hour in the morning and sent off to school/playschool. I wish someone gave these parents a sleep chart that tells them how many hours of sleep a small child needs to be healthy and alert.

I used to have a sleep chart of my own when the brats were growing up. Starting with 8 PM when they were in nursery, their bedtime was pushed back gradually till, when they came to high school they got about 6-7 hours of sleep allowing them enough time to study. The body gets used to the sleep pattern when it is reduced gradually as the kids grow older and so is not any the worse for it. I have read that starting with the late teens till you are 30-35 your body can function to full capacity with just 5-6 hours of good sleep. When they grew up, the Brats became Nishacharans (demons) and sometimes they are turning in for their night when I am waking up for my day. But that’s another story.

Are you asleep yet? No? Then read on about the Cybernag’s slumber tales…

It has been many years since I was able to stay awake to see the New Year ushered in or to watch a late night movie. Everyone who knows me, know better than to call me after 9 PM.  The stories of my early bedtime started getting more and more preposterous till the rumour went that I slept at 7 PM! Talk of exaggeration! Honest, I sleep at 8 PM and that too only on some days!

When the little one was about six or seven months old, she used to sleep at 7 in the evening and someone had to stay with her in case she suddenly woke up and got scared. Guess who volunteered? Her pati of course! I ate an early dinner and turned in with her, both of us fast asleep in a few minutes leaving her parents to relax and catch a movie or read a book. But in subsequent years while my bedtime has remained the same, the little one’s has become later than mine and so she bids me goodnight these days!

When normal people lose several hours of sleep, all they have to do is to maybe sleep an hour or two extra to make up for it. But my sleep deficit defies this logic. If I lose an hour’s sleep, I need to sleep an extra three hours to make up the loss. So if I stay awake say, till midnight one day, I need an extra nine hours’ sleep to make it up. Others need their work-outs, gym and yoga and even tonics to keep fit; I need my snoooooooooze. I don’t sleep during the day and so need to make up only at nights by sleeping earlier! So you know what I’d do if I got any extra hours in a day.

The L&M is not so lucky when it comes to sleep. He is unable to sleep more than five hours and he won’t let me hear the last of it, the way he goes on cribbing. So other than making me feel guilty for sleeping soundly, he has calls me a sleepyhead.

Sometimes I feel sorry for the L&M, but please don’t go telling him that, will you? Besides I am mad at him for something else. Do you know how to find out if someone is sleeping? If you were the L&M, you would ask the person if he or she is sleeping, of course! He usually sleeps later than I do and so would come in and ask in a stage whisper, ‘Are you sleeping?’ so as not to disturb me apparently!

Now if you think it is an exaggeration, I can swear it is true. Why, you can ask him yourself if you want. More often than not, I would be woken and then he would get an earful and this in turn would make my sleep dissipate completely. And then he would begin snoring and I would be gnashing my teeth at him counting the hours. But if he came sufficiently late, I would have slept off so deeply that nothing would awaken me.

…not even an earthquake. Recently the earthquake which woke up and rattled all of Delhi passed me by completely, so lost was I in the land of the nod. I bet I give Kumbhakarna a run for his money, don’t I?

87 comments

  1. I know your sleep timings only too well 😀 And you know my sleepless sob stories even better. But the kids are blessed. They both sleep well but Ammu is a tad bit more like me as she can wake up any time. She has got a bit of my anxiety as well. After 35 years of my life, I started the habit of drinking coffee to shoo away my sleeplessness and right now trying not to become and addict.

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    1. Coffee for sleeplessness? I thought it kept you awake? I drink it when I can’t nap during the day. And never have coffee in the evenings after 5pm, else I will be wide awake the whole night!

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      1. yeah…when I am too sleepy and tired and restless, then coffee makes it all better 🙂 me too…never drink coffee post noon

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  2. Another enjoyable read from your archives, Zephyr! I laughed at the part about your L&M having this habit of asking ‘are you sleeping?’ Because I have this bad habit too 🙂 Though I have gotten better over the years, especially in the last 26 years living with a man who can go to sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow!

    I am a light sleeper myself, and as far as I remember I didn’t use to have much difficulty getting up even when I was young, in school days. But as the oldest child in the family I often got this responsibility of waking up younger siblings for school, and that would prove to be difficult esp with one of my sisters. And she still to this day is very fond of sleeping and is a heavy sleeper.

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  3. jaishvats · · Reply

    My mother in law has an amazing sleeping pattern…sharp 9 30 to 10 she would sleep and would arise early at the most by 6 30…. It keeps her mentally calm and refreshed…something i havebeen trying to incorporate but i am not evening close to it yet

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    1. Don’t worry. We all go through the less-sleep-while-raising-kids phase and then slip right back into the long sleep pattern. You have many years to go but take heart in the fact that you will begin your long-snooze-nights in your 50s and later 🙂

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  4. it is very true – sleeping habits to be cultivated for children. my daughter is five now & the pattern is set & i dont have to work too hard or drive myself crazy to either put her to sleep or wake her up at 7 a.m.
    though as you mentioned, a little cooing & pampering & whispering into the ears is a preferred ritual both with daughter & father 🙂

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    1. Hey Sujatha, don’t be so complacent about habits being set. They suddenly become aliens as the enter their teens and then set their own patterns. 🙂 But by then, their bodies have got well adjusted to the demands and they are able to cope. Being gentle while waking up the little ones and sometimes the older ones always makes for a happy morning 🙂

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  5. Haha…I had serious fun reading this. Specially about the younger one..
    And see, its 2:48 AM right now and I am fully-awake. Not even the slightest trace of sleep. Probably this is how this generation has grown up to be with the internet n facebook.
    Came across this entry through another blog which provided a link. Glad I did 🙂

    Do check out my blog at http://antarik.blogspot.com if you are free and would like some humour. 🙂

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    1. And I woke up a few minutes after you posted it 😀 Do you know the younger one btw? I will definitely check it out, but give me a few days, will you?

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      1. Haha…thats great!
        No I dont think I knw the younger one…(how would I?)
        Sure, chk it whenever you feel like 🙂

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  6. […] 12 AM, I got up from my bed and started tapping the keyboard while Sadda Haq was playing loud. As a blogger once said, I belong to the owl generation who can rarely sleep early. Though I usually go to bed by 11 or so, […]

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  7. Lovely post. Had the brats been girls you wouldnt have had so many things to narrate.

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  8. What?? the younger one had nothing to say on the post!! I was dying to read his comment on this!!

    I am blessed with the ability to sleep anywhere – while in college, i slept standing on the bus. During the gujarat 26th Jan earthquake, my maid tried to wake me up saying earthquake earthquake. I told her anyway we are on the 10th floor, we wont escape and went back to sleep!!

    The tall one needs his 8 hours of sleep, has to sleep in a particular position, has to sleep at a particular time – such complications i say for such a simple thing…

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    1. You are my soul sister — I slept through the Delhi quake 😀 The younger one was thrilled to bit to read about his sleeping habits but was too busy to comment. I can sleep anywhere too, with anything for a pillow and in any damn new place. But the L&M is like your Tall one, asking for a certain pillow, certain bed etc. etc. and still wake up before me 🙂

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  9. 🙂 Thanks for your sweet comment. It brought a smile to my face:)) And, thank you for visiting and following my blog!
    I have just begun networking on a couple of ‘Blogging’ websites, Indiblogger, BlogAdda and such. Until now, I was writing just for friends and family. I am glad to have discovered these platforms; have discovered many a wonderful blogs there. I found your blog on IndiBlogger, if am not mistaken, and I absolutely love it:)

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    1. I still don’t know how to network and rely on my friends and readers to help me publicize my posts 😀 Glad that you like it and I hope you visit again to leave a comment.

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  10. I loved the post, it could’ve very well been me. It’s the same scenario here, my L&M sleeps 4-5 hours and gives me grief over my sleep and my brats follow the same wake-up patterns:)
    Just happened upon your blog…am gonna follow it religiously now…can use some tricks of the trade of raising brats;)

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    1. First of all, I have to comment on your smile. I love profile pics with such wonderful smiles, since they bring one to my own face! I am gratified to see that many women share my nocturnal habits 🙂 btw. how did you ‘happen’ on my blog? I am done raising kids and am enjoying my grandmotherhood now! Do visit again. Incidentally, I loved your blog and have subscribed there!

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  11. I am a deep sleeper.. and a committed one, that too. All I need is a horizontal surface. You wake me up from sleep, and put me back; I would be dozing off once again.

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    1. Good for you! Some people don’t even need a horizontal surface to snatch their naps. you sound like the younger one in his childhood 🙂

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  12. Ah! sleep dearest sleep….It’s a guilty pleasure! 🙂
    The most challenging task I’ve done is to abandon quilt at 4 AM in WINTERS 😦 😀
    i hope people share the same pain 😛

    grt post!

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  13. Really one of the best blogs I’ve read in months.

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    1. Thank you Emily 🙂

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    2. And why did you have to abandon the quilt at 4 AM? But did you not enjoy the sunrise and the rest of the day once you did? Come on, be honest. There is something to waking up early, you know.

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      1. Lol you are actually right! I’m finding it so hard to sleep these days and waking up so early… nervous with college preparations I guess 😀

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        1. All the best for your exam preparations. And sleep all you can once it is over. The good news is that when you are younger, you can make up for lost sleep in one go — as in weekends. 🙂

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  14. So true. You can surely give all Kumbhkaran a run for their money :).

    For the FIRST time in my life i have met a woman who echoes my habits. I too am very particular about sleep. If i miss a few hours i HAVE to make it up. And for me, ever since hostel days i would sleep early. Even after marriage its the same. My hubby sleeps late and so do my daughters. But i for one, once dinner is over and other chores are done with and nothing much interesting to watch on TV, simply go foo to slumber. Happy to know i am not alone 🙂

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    1. Hey Abha, I should be the happier one, having been the butt of jokes and leg-pulling by everyone and sundry — to have found a soul mate at last! Welcome to the snooze club!

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  15. Oh! I am part of the owl gen as I too can’t sleep early. 🙂 I feel sleepy only in the morning when Dad tries to wake me up :p But yeah, I love good amount of sleep and even I believe that it is healthy!

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    1. Another nishachari 🙂 I guess the entire physiological make-up of the next generation will be that of owls at least as far as sleep goes. 🙂

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  16. I’m an early sleeper too..My mom has never had the problem of waking me up, Lucky her.. 🙂

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  17. I’m an early sleeper too..My mom has never had the problem of waking me up, Lucky her 🙂

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    1. Truly lucky 🙂

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  18. The blog does not allow me to reply there. So, here I am.
    That time they were in school.
    But to be fair to them, I have never seen them sleeping beyond 9am, irrespective of the time they sleep.

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    1. Oh, I didn’t know it didn’t allow replies in the comments. I am so sorry. The reason they need to get up for the day means that they lose sleep, which is not good in the long run. The boys do the same too: sleep in the wee hours of the morning and rush for an early morning meeting or to office 😦

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  19. I love sleeping..But at times it is difficult to get my 8-hours sleep..
    I used to envy my brother who will be sleeping under the quilt when I have to go for tuition at 6 am on rainy mornings..
    there were times during college days that I used to miss my 830am classes for sleep. 😉
    But now when the alarm rings,a flood of thoughts come to my mind;cooking,cleaning,office etc..so in the end I get up by 7am 😦

    Loved the post !!

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    1. Hey Bhavia, nice to see your smiling face here after a long time 🙂

      I think it is galling to see someone else sleeping when we need to get up early or stay awake. The body has its own ways of making up. I know of a young man who sleeps all of Saturday and part of Sunday to make up for the heavy loss of sleep during the week. The problem is that he has two young kids who miss his company due to this 😦 It is for this precise reason you have stated about having to wake up at 7, that it is important to allow children to sleep all they need, even if they don’t want it. They have no responsibilities and cares as grown ups do.

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  20. So funny! Well, i am doing some things right :). Kids are off to sleep by 9.30. I never had a problem with waking them up, and they do get up easily. I only allow them a little leeway during weekends. But noone in the house sleeps later than 8 am on any given day. I can also give Kumbhakaran a run for his money because, as my husband says, I can sleep anywhere at any time and yet sleep on time at nights :). Loved your post!

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    1. It is good for children to get a little bit of discipline in this department and also in the department of eating. But as you have pointed out, it is easier to enforce anything only when the elders in the house stick to something. The L&M would nod his head at your husband’s statement because he is also baffled as to how I can sleep on time after sleeping for 9 hours the previous night! He doesn’t understand my need for sleep compensation, see? 😀

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  21. I just loved this wonderful post spread across generations and somehow could relate to each leg. Be it the unforgettable shrill war cry of our parents or the soft half-annoyed cajoling that we practice in the face of reluctance of our kids. And the kids hanging around watching television late into the night is O, so familiar!

    I especially enjoyed the determined (dogged?) slumber of the ‘younger one’. I also smiled at your religious sleep schedule. Judged by your standards I am quite a ‘nishacharan’! But slowly (but surely) my body can’t take it any more. I find again something familiar in the way you catch up with your sleep with a revenge. Believe me, I recently took a week off just for making up for sleep lost over past few months!

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    1. It is nice to know that you enjoyed the journey from childhood to adulthood through the post 🙂 The thin is, we come a full circle as far as sleep goes but some people like the L&M can still sleep less and feel fresh. I guess it is their biological need to sleep less, though he will kill me if he saw this reply 😀

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  22. I get cranky if I don’t get my quota of at least 8 hours of sleep. But these days with full time work and blogging, even 6 hours of sleep is a good night’s sleep. So yes, I am cranky most of the time. 😦

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    1. LOL I suggest that you catch up with the deficit, even if you don’t follow my ratio of 1:3 🙂 As we grow older we need to have more hours of sleep to refresh us, so take my advice!

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  23. Drove my sleep away..Very true..I can empathize with you as I also sleep early to get up early, I was wondering if this is how a sleepy post is how would be awakening post 🙂

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    1. You could try reading posts filed under Mistral Moments; they are the ones on issues that make me mad and so I nag the world too 🙂

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      1. Shall surely do so…

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  24. Unlike the older generation, the present day children believe in ‘ Late to bed, never to rise early’!

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    1. Rightly said! In fact, so late they sleep that one sometimes can’t see or talk to them at all 🙂

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  25. I love this post 🙂 But I am one of the ‘nishacharis’ as my mom calls it… most alert when dusk falls… Ur post made me remember my own waking-up routine when I was a child.. My mom could NEVER wake me up, even with all her shoutings and shakings.. It was my dad who with a single ‘Get up’ from the doorway who would jolt me out of sleep. :p Nostalgia!

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    1. Oh yes, gen Y is full of nishacharans and nishacharis, call it the sign of times 🙂 But read the warning: do all your owl hours before you are in mid 30s and then take care of your health by sleeping enough. I am glad you had a moment of nostalgia with the post.

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  26. Yes , i even to go go with policy of good sleep , and recovering the lost sleep with more sleep .

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    1. But as much as me? I mean in the ratio of 1:3? But I tell you, sleep is the best medicine, even ahead of laughter. 🙂

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  27. OOhh.. I am the sweet little peacock in this owl generation of ours 😛 An early birdie, early to bed and early to rise 🙂 Even during exam times, when all my friends stayed up late to study and do all the mugging stuff, I was the one to hit the bed as early as 9 so that I could be up in the wee hrs of the morning.. Somehow I like the stillness of that part of the day more and given a choice, I’d definitely pick that up any day. And oh, did I tell you I had to set about 10 (or was it more?) alarms to wake me up that early 😀

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    1. 10 alarms? How did the other members of the family let you alive? 🙂 I can’t even stand a single alarm and it was counterproductive because I would not sleep properly, looking at the time and waiting for it to ring 🙂 Tell me about the early morning stillness. I love that time too. Since I was not a science student I didn;t have to put in so many hours of solving problems. That gave me the time to sleep instead.

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  28. i could always stay awake as late as possible, but no matter how early i slept, waking up always has been a problem 🙂 mom used to call and call and call… and today i do the same for my son! but no matter how hard i try, its impossible to get him to bed before 10, for the simple reason that everyone at home comes late, eats late, and sleeps late! and 10 is when he is really really tired after hours of gymnastics, athletics and cycling! otherwise, he would be awake all night long! and thats without the tv!!

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    1. Actually a healthy body takes the requisite amount of sleep when allowed to. But modern lifestyles and work culture has made it impossible. As long as you are young, you can manage, it is only when your body starts ageing that the problems begin. I don;t know if it works, but giving him an early dinner and then spending a little time with him in bed, telling stories or going over the day can help him relax and go off to sleep earlier. !0 is way too late for an 8 year old, I feel. But then I belong to an earlier generation and maybe am old fashioned 😦

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  29. We are all genetically predisposed to be owls and fowls. But strangely the younger generation prefers to go the Owl way!

    When my daughter was younger, I could make her go to bed by 10 – but now I can’t do a thing about it 🙂

    And don’t you feel guilty about your sleeping – it’s anyday better that watching television!

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    1. Lifestyles have changed and it is the owl generation now, but I am unable to keep up with them. 😦 I am notorious for sleeping within a few mnutes of lying down. sometimes dozing off even as someone is talking to me. In fact, I warn them not to expect a reply since I might sleep off any time. Guilty? Forget it! I love my sleep too much for that. 🙂

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  30. It seems hollering indeed is the best option – I put my kids to bed early but the morning struggle remains unvaried -,except on Sundays and Holidays -when the kids gang assembles at seven am to plan mischief 🙂
    I also feel it is difficult to inculcate sleep discipline if parents themselves have roller coaster,late night lifestyle,no ?

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    1. I didn’t say by putting them to bed early the struggle to wake them up won’t be there. Only that they will get their full quota of sleep. And when parents work late, there surely will be some alternate arrangement to take care of the kids after school? Well, the idea is to see that whoever provides care, should stick to the early bedtime rule for the children. But when the parents watch serials and are seemingly having fun, the kids will understandably refuse to go to bed. And Yes, I know the early waking of brats on holidays and sundays, They don’t want to miss any of the mischief time!

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  31. My mom – she would fast forward the time by 30-40 mins… its already 6 30 am when it would be just about 6. And yeah she would shout from her room as well.. i tell you – these moms 🙂
    Now she doesnt sleep much, I would be pushing her to have early dinner so that i can hit the sack by 11 pm. And she would play her old trick a bit twisted.. its only 9 pm and you want to have your dinner.. the clock would be almost hitting 9 30pm. 🙂
    Sleep is Bliss..

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    1. So the table has turned, has it? And she is still at her game in reverse, is she? Love her 🙂 Good for children to grow up and become the ‘parents’ to understand the trials and tribulations of their own parents. An honest day’s work, satisfaction with one’s day, a clutter-free mind and you can sleep the moment you hit the pillow.

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  32. Engineering has probably corrupted me into the ways of nishacharan as i usually rarely sleep before 1 and often around 3. And somehow right now i am able to cope with loss of sleep. In fact my current record for not sleeping a blink stands at 106 hours. Avg sleep per night about 4 hours. Guess i need to get my act together in the sleep department! 😉

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    1. You still have at least a decade to start worrying about your loss of sleep. Then the body will demand and get its share, don’t worry. Like I said, days and nights are different for the X and Y generations. Once I found the older one having his dinner at 4 AM in the morning when I came down for my morning cuppa 😀

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      1. Hehe… you won’t believe the number of times I have had dinner at 2-3 am in the morning… and often I turn in for the “night” at 7 in the morning on weekends… 😉

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        1. And when you do it at home your folks wouldn’t be able to interact with you, like it happens with vinni when he comes home.

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          1. At home, we make his life miserable after 2
            I remember my 2 angels being embarrased, when one day, the maid came in at 7.30 am and found them sleeping

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          2. when was this? when they were young or afterwards?

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  33. AlkaGurha · · Reply

    My son behaved exactly the way your younger one did. Even now when he is home for hols it is the same story. Sometimes I wonder how he wakes up in hostel on his own.
    You have narrated the waking -up saga so well that I was transported back in time…Every post has me nodding my head in agreement with a smile on my face.

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    1. The thing is like Manju says, we mothers tend to take our jobs too seriously. Just imagine, if he didn’t wake up on time, how will he manage at college? T-up call,hey become responsible when there is no one else to fall back on. And that’s what happens when they grow up. But as kids, they need our wake-up call both literally and figuratively.

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  34. Such a lovely post. Couldn’t stop laughing.
    Our home ground bcoms a battlefield at nightimes, since both sonny and his father like to sleep late and wake up late, while I am the opposite. And while both can snore away to sounds, earthquakes, thunderstorms, I can’t.
    And if I wake up once in the middle of the night I can’t sleep again. Result headaches, droopy eyelids and sarcastic grins from the other two. 😦
    How I wish I had a daughter too.

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    1. Don’t let them bother you. My bedtime is the joke of not only the family but also the friend circle and neighbours and I still sleep, don’t I? Listen to your body and if you can afford to sleep early, why not? And daughters can make fun of you too, so don’t feel bad.

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  35. Oh yes I love my sleep too and like you if I get extra time that is the one thing I would do for sure. However for me it need not necessarily be night though as I used to work in varying night shifts so for me it is when i reach home and eat something its sleep time and 8 hrs from then is wake up time. Now its reduced 6 hrs though but i manage more on weekends…….

    As usual you have brought about the humorous aspect of your tryst with sleep and which is a delightful read.

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    1. The problem with me is that I can’t sleep during the day unless I have a migraine in which case the sleep doesn’t count 🙂 So the deficit keeps adding up and I end up sleeping long. 🙂 You can continue with less sleep till you hit your mid and late 30s after which you have to begin sleeping more or pay the price in terms of health.

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  36. Ha ha! Loved this” One sleepy post”!

    I’m the opposite of you in this regard. I’m a night-owl- rarely go to sleep before 11. I also wake up early though! 🙂

    My experiences of waking up the children were the same as yours, though. I used to think that they would never be able to get up in the morning if I were not there!

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    1. By the standards of the nishacharans and nishacharis of today, 11 PM is just evening! So you technically are not an owl. 🙂 they usually would not be able to get up without our help. So you were right! Once they leave home, they learn how to wake up on time and rush to college. The older one used to say that he would get ready in 10 mins (without a bath of course) in hostel. 😀

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  37. Like they say “agar dil saaf hai toh neend jaldi aur lambi aati hai “…….obviously your ‘dil’ is ‘saaf’ hence sleep lady’s blessed ya !:))
    I too need my quota of sleep…..yes siree !

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    1. A lot of people don’t realise that a good night’s sleep (not during the day) keeps one healthy and fit. But your quota of sleep is certainly less than mine, I suppose? 😀

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  38. Oh we are soul sisters…I can sleep anytime anywhere anyhow..and my dad woke us up exactly the same way as your mom..just that he would ‘RM RM RM wake RM’ as if some kind of an emergency had taken place..and then you would get up wondering if the house is on fire..and this continues EVEN TODAY!

    I am like your second one…I would sleep till my brother pushed the brush into my mouth 🙂 yaa yaa my elder brother..he is sweet that ways 🙂

    As usual, I LOVED THIS POST!

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    1. I dare not wake up the Brats these days unless they specifically ask me to. They are adults and better face their day themselves, right? It is sweet of your father to wake you up even now 🙂 Hope you don’t bawl him out. Did you also complain about having to go to school everyday?

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  39. read recently that lack of sleep leads to heart attacks!
    there! one more good reason to live longer so you can sleep longer!!

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    1. What a wonderful thought! 😀

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  40. I had (still have) a poster in my bedroom back in India that read “Sleeping is my favorite hobby” and that pretty much summarizes my view on sleeping 🙂 Anna used to do the trick of removing the sheet and I can’t sleep without the sheet, so would be forced to get up. Thankfully my parents never resorted to that kind of a trick and neither does K.

    I loved the part on compensating for one hr lost sleep by sleeping for 3 hrs – I hear ya, sista!

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    1. There are times especially during winter when the bed provides the ultimate bliss and to sleep just when your eyes start drooping, that’s wonderful. You could take lessons from the younger brat on how to sleep without a sheet — so long as he gets to sleep! As for the sleep compensation, I hope you realise that with such a ratio, the deficit is never completed before more hours are added to it 😀

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  41. Wow,.. I love my sleep. I work nights, and by the time i hit the beautiful bed, its about 4 am. I’ve tuned myself to sleep through the maid sweeping, swabbing, washing clothes, light and pressure cookers.

    Mom has a rather unique way of waking me up though, she comes and startles me by telling me the time in a stern voice. 12:30 she says, and I sit up straight in bed, asking her why she didn’t wake me earlier.

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    1. That is my girl! Sleeping through the din, which is how you get complete rest for the body and mind. Oh, my mother did that too. She would add the time after calling my name and doubly startle me. But poor mothers (me included) — look at what they have to do for their jigar je tukde 🙂

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