"Mom, I'm thirsty!". Why do babies ask for water before bed?
When children are small they are not always able to fall asleep easily. Some of them, thanks to the commitment of the full days spent in kindergarten, collapse in the evening from fatigue but this is not the case for everyone. There are those who are afraid of monsters and who do not want to be alone in the dark and then there is the frequent phenomenon of thirst that comes just before bedtime: they are already about to fall asleep, but suddenly they call their parents to ask them for a little bit. "water. But what does this request hide? Is it really thirst that disturbs them and prevents them from falling asleep? Yet their days are really full and they should all be tired in the evening!
Real need or pretext for pampering?
At first glance, one might think that the request for water before bed actually hides a desire for pampering. Often, however, the child who asks for water is already under the covers and has already experienced the bedtime ritual: soft lights and a good book to relax in the arms of mom and dad should therefore have already had their effect. How come then Are you still calling your parents? Are you perhaps looking for reassurance? Does asking for water then become an excuse to attract the attention of grown-ups again?
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In reality it is only partially so: what he tries to tell us when he calls us with this request is that he wants to be sure to find us if he needs us. In short, yes, it is a need for reassurance, but it also proves to be functional so that our child can spend the night more peaceful and quiet.
If the baby is peaceful, the night rests better
Satisfying the child's request does not cost us much effort and will help the whole family to sleep better, enjoying a more relaxed and effective rest. For some mothers, being able to hope for a few consecutive hours of sleep is a mirage, so they are always looking for useful ideas to understand how to solve this problem.
This will probably not be the final solution and we know that not sleeping is really hard, but we must remember that paying attention to the small signals that our children give us can reveal their needs and their needs that sometimes they do not know how to express. This is why it is important to talk about these aspects that help us understand them better and make small adjustments that become precious tools for their growth and for our family well-being.
