My son has always been a difficult sleeper. It’s not his fault, really; he has a father who talks in his sleep and a mother who is restless. He has heartbreaking night terrors, has trouble sleeping alone and crawls in bed with me almost every night.

Putting my son to sleep has improved as he has gotten older. He enjoys his nightly routine, and my husband has taken over bedtime, giving me a welcomed break at the end of the day. Still, there are nights when my sonneeds me, and on those nights, I use the best tool I have for getting him to sleep: singing.

I don’t have any real musical talent, just a tolerable voice that somehow my son finds soothing. I have sung him “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star,” “Rock-A-Bye Baby,” “This Little Light” and many more, since he was a tiny baby snuggled up on my chest. I would sing these tunes that have put millions of babies to sleep. Then one night, I started singing my own tune. Though I may not be musical, I am a writer and words are my instrument. I started singing and the words flowed through me as if they had always been inside me and were just waiting for the right audience. A crude melody formed around the rhymes, shaping my words into song and song into lullaby.

This is the lullaby I sing softly to my son, as I gently rub his back. This is the lullaby that I sing as my own eyes droop from exhaustion. This is the lullaby I sing knowing my son will soon be too old for bedtime stories and cuddles. This is the lullaby just for him.

It’s Okay To Get A Little Bit Sleepy

You’ve got weary eyes
On your heavy head.
So, close them shut
And go to bed.
You’re sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)
Sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)

And, it’s okay to get a little bit sleepy.
Okay to get a little bit sleepy.
Sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)

The day is done,
So put away your toys.
It’s quiet now;
No more noise
You’re sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)
Sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)

And, it’s okay to get a little bit sleepy.
Okay to get a little bit sleepy.
Sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)

The sun has set,
And the moon is high.
So, with a yawn
And with a sigh
You’re sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)
Sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh )

And, it’s okay to get a little bit sleepy.
Okay to get a little bit sleepy.
Sleepy.
(Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh)

Do you make up your own lullabies? p
Please comment.