Good night routine
Mariko Tagami
good morning.
Hello.
Good evening.
As winter arrives, the days get shorter and shorter.
These days, it takes a long time for light to come in the morning, so I often end up going back to sleep.
This is the Utsushiki staff blog that is updated every Monday morning.
What time of day do you all watch it?
Today, I would like to write about the "good night routine" in my home, where we feel the importance of sleep time.
If you like, after work, after dinner, or after taking a bath to warm up,
I would recommend you change into loungewear and read this in a relaxed position.
Our "good night routine"
This is something I started to become conscious of after my son was born, and it may be because he is particularly bad at falling asleep.
It seems to be common in childhood, but I feel a vague fear of going to sleep.
It was pitch black and I couldn't see anything, so my imagination was running wild.
You become trapped in a terrible delusion.
After we turned off the lights and said goodnight, my son said in a small voice,
"I'm having scary thoughts...what should I do?" they ask.
I remember when I was about my son's age, I would often have scary delusions and dreams and go to my parents' bedroom seeking salvation.
How did you actually sleep?
I wish I could count sheep
Think about your favorite toy?
Remember the fun times
None of them have resonated with my son, so we are still in the process of trial and error.
For now, breathing meditation is something we have been able to continue without any difficulty in our home.
Even though you know your 5-year-old son probably wouldn't understand, what is one thing you wish you had been taught when you were a child?
As I thought about this, I thought of guided meditation and decided to give it a try.
"Close your eyes...take a deep breath...and exhale."
"Imagine a balloon on your stomach... when you breathe in, the balloon will expand."
"As you breathe out, the balloon deflates and becomes smaller and smaller, and you feel the center of the balloon."
Deep breathing still seems difficult for my son
You may be good at imagining things.
"When you breathe in... the balloon in your mind will fly out into space, drawing a pillar of light through your stomach, chest, and head...
When I exhale, pillars of light appear again... passing through my head, chest, stomach and the soles of my feet before falling to the ground."
He seemed to like that image, and while breathing he followed me, asking, "Where are the balloons now?"
Some days I finish and say, "That felt good."
Of course there are times when it doesn't work, but I've noticed that I'm not as fussy when I can't sleep as I used to be.
I think breathing when falling asleep is important.
It's a bit of a somber bedtime routine for kids, but...
But I was under the impression that it would be difficult for children...I'm embarrassed!
When you close your eyes, the world is pitch black, but it is an infinite world that you can freely imagine.
Let's spread a positive image rather than a scary one.
I hoped that my son would feel at least a little bit of it, and decided to enjoy his bedtime routine.
It's easy to get sick during the change of seasons, but please take deep breaths and get plenty of quality sleep.
Have a healthy week ♡
