I have been a worried parent for the past one week. My eleven year old just has a deep sleep for two hours and the rest 7 to 8 hours its light sleep. Gosh…it means his sleep pattern is disturbed…
By Pragya
I immediately turned to Google and typed “disturbed sleep in a child.” My worst fears came true. It said my kid could be suffering from symptoms of EDS which are obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome!
Of course, my next step was to Google names of the best hospital and the doctors available in Gurgaon. I made a frantic call to my mother to ask her home remedies for a good night sleep.
In an almost panic state of mind I even checked his timetable and exam date sheet…just two hours of good sleep…that’s it? What will happen?!
I called his doctor to inquire about a valid line of treatment. After hearing out a hyper me, he just had one question to ask…” How do you know he sleeps well for only two hours for the past week?” I am sure the doctor posed this question to understand the validity of my knowledge. But I couldn’t be a more confident mom…I read it every day on my cell in the mi fitness band app! I mean come on it’s the fitness band telling me- how can I get it wrong?
And this is precisely where we get it all wrong. Our dependency on gadgets to keep a tab on our health and looking up the internet for answers to our queries is causing a mental havoc! If we were to follow the internet Cancer is waiting around the corner to attack us while we munch on the simple joys of eating cakes or having wafers! Suddenly the glass of milk which we felt thoroughly satisfied giving to our kid, is not so complete a food now. We have to force them to have all kinds of superfoods…wondering where they were in our times? An apple a day kept us going strong and happy. Did it not?
Are we obsessing over irrelevant information available to us? Are we losing our sleep over a child's sleep which is decided by the app software?
Why are we not letting the soft snores of the child or a typical peaceful pose in his sleep decide if he is sleeping well!
Why can’t I say I had a busy day and just drop to bed without wondering if sudden lethargy means depression or anxiety! Why do I have to “suffer” from something when I get a normal headache?
Such is the fragility in which our minds have started operating in this technology-driven lifestyle.
I wonder if as a parent I am solving my child’s problems or adding stress to it.
And before I turn to the internet to find the answer I will sign off and rest my case!
About the author: The author is a discerning Gurgaon resident and a hands on mom to 11 year old.
This article was first published in the Print version of SUBURB March 2018 issue.
