I decided to make friends with sleep very early in life. But I still gave everyone a tough time when I first came home, because I would take hours to get to sleep. I would cry and cry and cry. Mama used to call me her ‘geeennnnn bachcha’ because I could go on and on crying eeeennnnnnn…. for hours like a stuck record even while I was half asleep. And then when I would doze off I would just sleep for ages. That had everyone worried because I wouldn’t even take a food break. Yes that’s right, no food break. In fact sleep was my first passion, an even greater one than food.
Sleep tight
Even now once I’m asleep I’m asleep, that is, unless I get hungry. Food and sleep are the two great loves of my life. Mama adores me for being so uncomplicated. I’m not like N who takes forever to drop off. She’s very easily distracted. These days she sleeps only with mama unless she’s very very tired. But like I said, I’m a simple guy. I can nap anytime anywhere – in the mall, in the park, in an auto and even on the road in my stroller. The first time we went to the mall I slept my way through it all. In any case shopping is boring! When I was a baby and used to be fed milk out of a bowl, I’d fall asleep in mama’s lap while she was feeding me. Once our neighbour came visiting with her mom. And even though I’d never met them I dozed off in her mom’s lap. And everyone kept marveling at how cool I was with no hang-ups about a strange lap. Yes, that’s me – a no-hangups guy! Then there was the time when I dozed off on the doctor’s table while he was examining me. And there’s another one of my legendary sleep tales, a tad embarrassing, but I’ll still share it. I fell asleep while nani was cleaning me up after a potty session!! Now haven’t I bettered Napoleon’s sleep-on-the-horse record?
On the bed…… I sleep like a king, on my back with my hands up. But these days I’ve started enjoying sleeping on my stomach too and Meena didi says I’ll never have a bulging tummy, thank God! Since I’ve learnt to get around a bit I constantly move even when I’m napping. Once I really scared mama. She has this habit of feeling for me in her sleep. So she stretched out her hand one night and found… nothing! She sat up in shock to find me sleeping with my head near her waist. Heh! heh! heh! That was fun though she wasn’t amused. She lectured me no end on how I can fall off the bed if I kept moving around.