Article by Bob Lancer
(see many more articles at www.boblancer.com) The Early Morning Riser Don't be overly concerned with what anyone tells you about normal sleep patterns because every child is different. The child will generally fall into the sleep pattern that is healthy and natural for him if he is in a stable, loving environment, not over-exposed to intense emotionalism and nervousness, consistently treated in a caring, conscious manner, and provided with a basically healthy diet and sufficient physical exercise. His awakening 5AM - 6 AM is not only perfectly normal, it is a great indicator that he finds life interesting (a sign of healthy attention) and feels enough love to be eager to get into his day. Those who sleep late are often depressed - both adults and children. It is also a welcome sign that he is naturally an early riser, something you definitely do not want to discourage because that will support him later when he needs to wake up in the dark to arrive at school on time. The early morning rising pattern makes a wonderful contribution to his overall development: mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. He is nurtured and awakened to life at a very deep by the natural activities that occur around sunrise. The beginning of the new day connects his spirit to the beginning of his new life in subtle but rich ways. Letting him hear the birds singing and see the sky as it changes from darkness into light teaches him profound life-wisdom on a non-verbal level, including the fact that light (enlightenment, wisdom, learning) follows darkness (ignorance, uncertainty, doubt) if you are willing to awaken. Additionally, the morning light reveals that the concealed (the spiritual, invisible world) is really beautiful and nothing to fear. The songs of the birds strike a sacred chord, awakening him to the sensibility of the sacred within himself, others, life, and the natural environment. The early morning awakens and nurtures the joy of just being alive. Without this, the child tends toward over- dependence upon possessions and external intense sensation to hold his interest (symptoms of and contributors to a weak attention). In sum, his early morning awakening produces a more deeply caring, aware, optimistic human being. Getting him to bed around 8 PM is just right. If you let or make him stay up later, as his tiredness increases it lowers his power of self-control, resulting in his development of over-emotionalism, weaker attention and weaker self-control in general. Make bedtime a calm, loving and harmonious time of bonding, helping him to get in synch with the coming on of night, to cultivate the rich inner development of imagination and trust that night brings to the young child's inner life. Make early morning a time for the same, helping him to get into the day in a loving way, with a foundation of confidence that he is truly loved. To lead your child into sleepiness in the evening, and into bright awakening in the morning, provide him with activities that interest him that involve his fine motor skills. This can be as simple as having him move small beads, one at a time, from one cup into another. By getting him to exercise his physical and mental concentration in this way, he exhausts himself in the evening and brings his mind into sharp focus in the morning. Recommended for additional insight: Bob Lancer's CD Recording: Developing Your Child's Will. $12.95 - includes postage and shipping. Special offers available. E-mail your request for more information . 
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