Keep Calm and Dream On: Five Things I Do Before Bedtime

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Are you one of those people who falls asleep the minute your head hits the pillow?
Or, are you like me -- where bedtime means 
it's time for your brain to start doing mental aerobics?

I used to blame my inability to fall asleep on work stress,

but I don't have that excuse any more.
I just can't seem to turn off my brain,

and it can take hours before Mr. Sandman shows up.
 I've tried...


  Warm milk
Counting sheep
Redecorating my house in my head
Counting backwards from 100
Getting out of bed and walking around 
Reading a boring article
Ambien
 
Well, okay, the Ambien worked,
but I didn't want us to become regular bed partners.

And then, by trial and error...
I finally found a combination of five things that seem to help me fall asleep faster. 

At the risk of jinxing myself, I'm going to share my pre-bedtime ritual with you,
on the chance that it may help in your quest for sweet dreams.

1. Turn off electronics at least 30 minutes before bed.

Source: Somee Cards

I know, I know, I'm not the first to come up with this.

It is, however, the one thing I have resisted doing, until recently,

and you know what? 

I do think it makes a difference. 

It's a nightly battle, though. 

I'm so attached to my laptop that I actually have 
separation anxiety when turning it off at night:

I'll just answer one more email...

and edit a few pictures...

have one last check of Google Analytics...

take another peak at Facebook...

Ooh...what was that website for the cool business cards?

I'll give myself five minutes on Pinterest, and THAT'S IT.

Oh, and Instagram! Just three more little minutes. 

Let me just say this:

Shut. It. Down.
It works. 

2. Make a cup of "sleepy" tea. 

After I shut down my laptop and phone,
I brew myself a cup of Sweet Dreams herbal tea.
You may remember that I included these tea bags in my Stress-Buster giveaway box.
I let it steep for four minutes, 
so the chamomile, hibiscus, mint and rose blossoms are nice and potent.

Ah, so soothing.  

3. Grab some pencils and color!

I could never find a time during the day to just color away, and de-stress.
Now that my laptop isn't burning the midnight oil,
I found a half hour at the end of the day to give my colored pencils a workout,
while I'm sipping that tea.
Gotta be careful not to spill it on my coloring book, though. 

4. Do a "gratitude" review.

I have, at times, kept a gratitude journal.
But now, truth be told, I try to review everything I'm grateful for
while I'm lying in bed.
I find it very relaxing to think about something positive
right after I get into bed.
I couldn't come up with a way to take a picture 
of what's going on inside my head;
hence, the photo of the written journal.

5. Use the 4-7-8 breathing method to inhale essential oils. 

 

  I found an essential oil called Sleep Ease from Eden's Garden here.
I was skeptical, but ever since I've been putting a couple of drops 
on the soles of my feet
(don't ask me, I read about that online),
I seem to be sleeping much more soundly. 
After rubbing my feet together
(yes, I look a bit like a contortionist when I'm doing this),
I rub my hands over my feet.
Then, I inhale the scent of the oil on my hands,
  using the 4-7-8 breathing method that I learned in yoga
(Inhale 4 seconds, hold 7 seconds, exhale through mouth 8 seconds),

Before I can say "keep calm and dream on,"
I'm (usually) drifting off to slumberland.

*****************************

So far, this bedtime ritual is working for me.
I'm sure I'll still have sleepless nights every now and then,
but hopefully, my little pre-bedtime ritual will make them less frequent.
  
What are your strategies 
for winding down at the end of the day?  

   Linking With:
Simple and Sweet Friday 
Let's Get Real 
Home Sweet Home 
Home and Garden Thursday 
Bouquet of Talent