Sunday, June 17, 2012

How does a sleeping child know he is touching his parent?

Last night my 6 years old son while sound asleep scooched up to me until he pressed the top of his head against me. He then stopped and fell into a deeper sleep breathing pattern.

It was the same deeper breathing that happens when I put my hand on them when they are sleeping alone where they will take a deep breath and settling into deeper sleep breathing.

Even when I put the back of my hand against their hair, or against their cloth covered chest they recognize the touch of another person.

How are they able to distinguish the touch of a parent from the touch of any other object?

Please note : this post is currently being written, read at your own risk

I've often wondered if more than a physical touch occurs. A mother is connected to her children, especially babies, by an unseen communication. Is the connection similar?

This capacity to communicate while sleeping, as well as our general awareness of those around us signifies that the family bed is natural to man.

In our house the sleeping patterns are fluid. Last night three of the children slept in the bed, where as on other nights there will be only our 2-year old daughter. But what is a fairly steady constant is the children want to sleep by someone until they are about 12 years old.

We have a sense when someone is present in a room with us, or when someone is watching us from across a room at a distance where we cannot see the direction of their eyes.

more to come.

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