a peek inside the fishbowl

23 Oct, 2020

Bedtime routines for grown ups

Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life

Why is it considered lame if you go to bed early?

If there have ever been young children in your life you probably already have a keen understanding of the importance of going to bed at a reasonable hour.

Let’s be frank. When our kids didn’t get enough sleep, they were, ahem, rather hard to live with the next day. The interesting thing about bedtime is that the events leading up actual bed time (bath, teeth brushing, story, changing into pjs, dimming of the lights, etc.) were an important part of that too. Those things were a cue for their small bodies. A signal that it’s time to wind down and get on that train to Dreamland.

At what point did my own bedtime routine fall apart? I can’t even say. I do know that for many years, my routine consisted of me, falling asleep on the couch while we watched a show. Sometimes I simply dropped my weary body into bed. I bought face wipes for the times that I didn’t even have the energy to wash my face.

It occurred to me that I’d solve a lot of my problems, and dare I say, improve my life, if I just gave myself a bedtime, like we used to do with our kids. So every night around 9:30 p.m. (YES, REALLY) I put my phone on the charger and head upstairs to begin my bedtime routine.

By starting my routine a bit early, at a time which might seem a bit early to many, it meant I suddenly had time to do the things I wanted and needed to do, things I wasn’t really doing before, like flossing and writing in my journal and adhering to a proper skin care routine. When I’m in bed early, it also means I have more time to read before I pass out. This is a real treat.

It’s worth noting that I am almost always asleep by 10:30 p.m.

Going to bed early also means that I am able to wake up a bit early and do the things I want and need to do before I start my work day. I enjoy a leisurely coffee, do a 10-minute guided meditation, a yoga routine*, eat breakfast, and go for a brisk walk on the treadmill or outdoors if it’s nice enough.

On most days, I feel rested and better equipped to deal with stress or worry. I’d call that a win!

 

*This is just a fancy way of saying I do some stretching, but it’s really helped me. More about this later!

 

 


No Responses to "Bedtime routines for grown ups"

comment form:

Archives

Me and my pet projects

Ottawa Bucket list

Subscribe via email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


  • Gretchen Humphrey: I had a beautiful bee& birdbath filled with a solar fountain and dozens of antique marbles that were suddenly disappearing. At first I thought my
  • Jinjer: I am sobbing reading this post. And you're right, companion is not enough. Little furry treasured gifts that they are. Thanks for sharing cutie-pi
  • Karen: Dear Andrea, Mark and your daughters I am so very sad for your family xxx Piper was/is my favourite Instagram post. You shared with us so intimately
  • Christina Banuelos: Thank you for sharing Pipers life with us. Your posts of Piper brought me joy. Every time I see your post and see what kind of mischief Piper was gett
  • Carla Slocum: I am sitting here yet again crying at your loss. We have known that loss with Asta the WFT our first pup but now have the enormous gift of Stryker the
  • Janelle Brown: Dear Andrea Thank you for sharing Piper’s story with her followers. I empathise with your grief and emptiness as I lost my 14 year old Westie last
  • Natasha McReynolds-Nicholl: My god reading this is heartbreaking. December 1st was the as you describe longest day of my life, we lost out beautiful WFT hazel. Pipers final momen

The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Piper who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. We also have two human offspring: Emma (24) and Sarah (22). During the day I work as a writer at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

If you'd like to contact me, please use this form. If you're so inclined, you can read more about me here. Thank you for visiting!

 


Connect with me at these places too!

Still calling it Twitter