So lately I've been having some trouble getting and staying asleep - I think a lot of that has to do with the job search and the fact that now I've passed the part of the post-election process where I'm enjoying being lazy and doing nothing and have now entered the part where I'm bored out of my mind and desperately want something meaningful to get back to.So night after night I kinda dread going to bed - until last night, when I got the first good night's sleep that I've had in a good long time. I won't bore you with the details of how I'
ve been not sleeping or how I've been waking up every 30 minutes, suffice it to say that the night before last I thought my sheets were fire. No, they weren't hot or ON fire - they WERE fire... weird I know...So regardless of the reason, I haven't had much luck in the sleep department - I had a friend text me the other night asking what to do if Tylenol PM didn't work (and yes, I've tried that too, and it hasn't been working like it's supposed to...) and that got me thinking about all kinds of sleep-related things - how important it is to our lives, how relaxing or frustrating an activity it can be depending on if you're getting it or not, and what we do to actual fall asleep... our sleep rituals...
I haven't deviated much from my sleep ritual - usually I'll start getting read for bed at midnight -
use the bathroom, brush my teeth, pour a glass of milk and settle into bed with a book. I read a few chapters as I drink my milk and then when my eyes start to get heavy, I put the book down and turn off the light. After that I lay on my right side in an elongated fetal position, always on the left side of the bed. This is also my prayer position - I know, I know - I should kneel while praying, but this is my habit... sue me... After a few minutes I give in and lay on my stomach with my right arm outstretched onto the other side of the bed, my left arm under the pillow, and I gradually fall asleep.So my question to ya'll is - what is your sleep ritual? And what do you do when it doesn't work?
6 comments:
Ok so you know I love this topic... Mainly because I am a ritualistic person and because I love sleep.
My sleep ritual:
• I have to have a shower (extremely hot unless it is summer then only cold will do)
• Brush my teeth
• Say my prays
• Read my scriptures (except lately I haven't really been into that one, I'm working on it)
• Then I prep my bed. My blankets have to be orderly and in the same direction. I put all my pilows in the places they belong and then I get in bed. Turn my fan on low and cover it with a sweatshirt so the stupid light on it won't take away for the darkness. I then make sure my window is the right amount of open depending on the temperature outside. Place my phone on my window cil.
• I then watch a little TV
• When I am about to go to sleep I turn off my laptop put it to the side of the bed and place my squishy pillow on my face to block out noise and light.
And like magic I am asleep
You sleep with a pillow over your face? Wow...
wow...I like to get tired somewhere other than my bed. Then brush my teeth, wash my face, say personal prayers, say prayer w/ Joe, climb into bed under covers. I switch back and forth from side to side. I lay in the flamingo position...one knee up the other straight. Joe loves getting my knee in his back or stomach! Two pillows, and nothing covering my face. I like breathing clean and cool air. I think being a teacher and working out usually poops me out pretty well. I can't start a project before bed or I can't sleep because I have a hard time not thinking about finishing. Weird that you aren't sleeping better, especially after all of the running you have been doing!
In my perfect world, I am in bed by 10:30, and up around 5:30 so that I can read scriptures, say prayers, empty the dishwasher, send a couple of emails, and maybe do some exercise before the kids wake up between 7 and 8. Well, they conspired against me last night.
11:14--I laid down and was out pretty much instantly. I started dreaming about Jack doing a funny dance with Grammy.
11:30--Jack starts crying. He's been sick, so I understand this might happen once or twice tonight. I go in to his room, give him his paci, hoping he'll go right back to sleep, but he doesn't, so I hold him for a minute, realize he has a wet diaper, go to change his diaper, find that the drawer has no diapers, neither does the reserve spot, and open a new box of diapers I find under his crib. I hold him until he calms down enough to go back to sleep. I check on Cat to make sure that she has enough covers, etc., and go back to bed.
12:16--Jack starts crying again. Remind myself that he's sick and it's okay if this happens a couple of times tonight. Hopefully, he won't wake anyone else up. I give him his paci, but he won't go back to sleep, so I hold him and cuddle him, realize he feels really warm, take his temperature, find out that he has a slight fever, but not enough to worry about, but he still won't go back to sleep, so I make him a bottle, he drinks it, calms down, and goes back to sleep.
1:13--Jack wakes up crying again. It's okay. 3 times when he's sick isn't too bad. He just wants the paci this time, so I give it to him, he goes back to sleep, and I take great pains to get incredibly comfortable in bed, with body pillow between my legs and all, because I'm confident that he's really out now.
1:29--Jack starts crying again. I'm confident that this is a brief crying spell, so I let him cry for a minute so that he can try to get himself back to sleep. No luck. I get up, hold him, try to calm him down for several minutes while praying desperately that he’ll get better, for his sake of course, and hope he doesn’t wake anyone else up. He’s pretty upset now, so I give him a little medicine. I get him ready to go back to sleep, lay him down, and realize that his humidifier is out of water. I consider leaving it, but realize that if I want him to get better, I need to do everything in my power to help him out. So I take the tank to the laundry room, refill it with distilled water, and put it back in the base for him.
3:32—Two hours of uninterrupted sleep! Life is good. Jack wakes up again. Surprise surprise. I change his diaper, but he’s still upset. I stumble to the kitchen, hoping that I don’t give him a concussion while trying to find the kitchen, make him a bottle and sit down in the rocker with him so he can drink it. He has about 3 sips, calms down, takes the paci, and gets ready to go to sleep. I try to lay him down in the crib, but he starts fussing again when I lay him down. I decide to move him to the bouncy seat in my room. I wake Ben up while trying to get the bouncy seat ready by my side of the bed. Lay him down, he goes right to sleep.
5:50—Ben wakes up to get ready for work. I told him last night to please make sure I get up with him so that I can start my day right. He tries, but I rebuff him, tell him I’m going back to sleep, roll over, and close my eyes.
6:22—Cat walks in my room and says cheerily, “I made my bed! Will you make me breakfast now?” I tell her it’s not time to be awake, and she can either get her blankie and lay down in the bed with me, or go in her room and play quietly. She chooses to lay down with me.
6:26—Cat is whispering nonsense songs next to me, with her cold feet (or hands?) under my bottom. I remind her that it’s not time to be awake, and she needs to be quiet.
6:31—I drift off to sleep. Woohoo!
6:32—Ben’s ready to leave for work, and comes in to say a quick family prayer with us.
6:46—Cat notices that “the sun is awake” as the tiniest bit of sunshine comes through the curtains. I tell her that it’s only a little bit awake, and we need to stay in bed until it’s more awake. We can get up when the clock says 7-0-0.
6:47—Cat excitedly points out the “7” on the clock.
6:49—Jack is snoring on one side of me, but sleeping, thankfully, and Cat is singing nonsense songs again. Somehow she cues the song “Eternal Flame,” and it gets in my head. I guess that will be my background music for the day.
7:07—Cat wakes me up. I am glad that Jack will sleep a little longer while I get going, but look over and see that his eyes are wide open. I get out of bed to make Cat’s requested breakfast of leftover mac & cheese from last night. I try to remind myself that I’ll miss these days… one day.
yikes - that's quite a night... no kids for me in the forseeable future...
you should get something with valerian root in it. i have major sleep issues and it is fantastic.
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