For a little fun; do you have any self soothing thing you do to help you go to sleep?

[*********]

The other night, I was laying in Zee's bed, which is a nightly ritual around here. I like to lay with the boys for a few minutes, until they are calm and settled in. Anyway, I was rubbing my feet together, and realized that I've done that since I can remember. I rub my feet against each other when I'm laying in bed, getting ready to fall asleep. Just for a few minutes. It soothes me, relaxes me in some way. Then I thought of how strange that is, and it made me think it would make a fun thread on this forum. :tongue_smilie: I guess it's my grown-up version of sucking a pacifier or my thumb.

 

I asked my dh, and he doesn't do any self soothing thing to fall asleep. He did mention that he's noticed he has a peculiar way he holds his hand when he's just sitting around relaxing, because it's comfortable for him. :001_huh: Don't know if that's really the same thing, but whatever. :D

 

So do you have any weird habits that help you relax and fall asleep?

 

 

Disclaimer:

I don't quite know how to say this, but I realize this might open the door for less than modest talk. I'd much prefer if we kept the posts in this thread to G rated; I'm not interested in hearing about anything that's not G rated. :blush: Ugh, ok, not trying to be a prude. Well, maybe I am. Whatever... :leaving: :D

Edited February 1, 2010 by bethanyniez
spelling

[MyLittleWonders]

I'm not sure if it qualifies as "self-soothing," but I pull out my rosary and sometimes just finger the beads. I might start saying the prayers in my head, but even just having the beads in my hands calms and soothes me, and I tend to fall right to sleep. (I'll often wake with my rosary in a neat little pile to my side.)

[Heather in OK]

I don't know if it's what you would consider self-soothing but I do progressive relaxation. Similar to what I used during labor and a coping technique I teach in childbirth classes.

 

I get comfortable then do abdominal breathing. For whatever reason I always start with my feet and try to relax them as much as I can. Basically I focus on quieting my mind and making my body limp. If I don't have a lot on my mind I *always* fall asleep before I get to my calves. lol If my mind won't shut down I go take some homeopathic Valerian and go back to bed and try again.

 

Some of my childbirth class students have come back saying, "It's not working! I'm trying to practice my relaxation but I always fall asleep!!" LOL! ;)

[*********]

I get comfortable then do abdominal breathing. For whatever reason I always start with my feet and try to relax them as much as I can. Basically I focus on quieting my mind and making my body limp. If I don't have a lot on my mind I *always* fall asleep before I get to my calves.

 

I do this as well! I take one or two very deep breaths, very slowly, then concentrate on relaxing my entire body; but I start at the top of my head. I usually fall asleep before I get to my hands if I'm tired, lol.

[mcconnellboys]

I don't think I do anything. My husband, however, rubs his feet together like this. It shakes the bed so much, LOL!

[hornblower]

I count to 4 with my breathing. One inhale, two exhale, three inhale, 4 exhale. A few reps and I'm asleep. I also tuck my thumbs into a loose fist. :)

[Julie in CA]

Well, now that I'm trying to type it out, it does sound weird....

 

I have a tiny air freshener on my nightstand. It's the kind that has little bead things in a jar with a lid. It's *the best* thing I've ever smelled, and every night before I go to sleep, I open the jar and give it a little shake, so I can smell that wonderful scent right before I drift off to sleep. I close the jar right away, so the smell won't wear out, lol, but I've gotta have that little refreshing scent to go to sleep to. What I'll do when it finally does wear out, I have no idea! Just the thought makes me :001_unsure::crying::svengo:

 

Weird, huh? :tongue_smilie:

[*********]

Well, now that I'm trying to type it out, it does sound weird....

 

I have a tiny air freshener on my nightstand. It's the kind that has little bead things in a jar with a lid. It's *the best* thing I've ever smelled, and every night before I go to sleep, I open the jar and give it a little shake, so I can smell that wonderful scent right before I drift off to sleep. I close the jar right away, so the smell won't wear out, lol, but I've gotta have that little refreshing scent to go to sleep to. What I'll do when it finally does wear out, I have no idea! Just the thought makes me :001_unsure::crying::svengo:

 

Weird, huh? :tongue_smilie:

 

Julie, that's just the sweetest thing...

[bluemongoose]

I also rub my feet together...and I also read.

 

In the winter DH rubs my legs and feet for me to help me go to sleep. I have achy legs when it is cold because I had leg braces as a child.

[elegantlion]

Do benadryl and a wine cooler count? :tongue_smilie::lol:

[*********]

Do benadryl and a wine cooler count? :tongue_smilie::lol:

 

 

Ummm, I dunno... :tongue_smilie:I'm gonna assume you had an allergic reaction to something in (or while drinking) a wine cooler. At least, that's what I'm telling myself.

 

LA LA LA ..... I can't HEAR you, my fingers are in my ears LA LA LA ...

 

:D

Edited February 1, 2010 by bethanyniez

[elegantlion]

Ummm, I dunno... :tongue_smilie:I'm gonna assume you had an allergic reaction to something in (or while drinking) a wine cooler. At least, that's what I'm telling my self.

 

LA LA LA ..... I can't HEAR you, my fingers are in my ears LA LA LA ...

 

:D

 

Yes, I have allergies and the wine cooler is for um..well that's the relaxation part I guess. :lol:

[Janet in Toronto]

Reading always puts me to sleep. When I wake in the night and can't get back to sleep, I start saying the rosary and am usually asleep quickly!

[BikeBookBread]

I add 1 or 2 drops of pure lavender oil to my facial moisturizer and/or hand lotion. The scent is so calming...

[Peela]

Sometimes I will put my feet in a bucket of hot water before bed. I find it very soothing and relaxing- its a traditional Chinese thing.

[ELaurie]

which is a hand held bio feedback device.

 

I have an older model, that was also less expensive, but when I can't sleep it's very helpful.

[jail warden]

I pull the sheet tight with my fist and hold it next to my cheek. And I must use the restroom right before I hop into bed!:tongue_smilie: I know, I'm very anal!!!

[ereks mom]

...usually a project I want to start -- something to sew, a craft I want to work on, how to lay out my flower garden this spring -- something that I see as "fun". I usually go right to sleep. :001_smile:

[Mary in GA]

Well, it's no good in the winter, but the rest of the year I always sleep with my window open at least a tiny crack so I can hear the insects and frogs--their sounds lull me to sleep.

 

Mary

[sparrow]

Fortunately, I don't do this as much anymore, but I'm a foot jiggler :glare:. Dh says I still do it, but not every night anymore. I would jiggle the whole bed and not even realize it.

[jonnia]

I twirl (as much as a twirl is possible in bed) my foot - usually my right one, but left will work. If it's really cold, I rub my feet together - but in a twirly way. In summer, I usually stick a foot out of the covers and over the side of the bed to get a little more room to move. According to my mom, I did this from day one.

 

This does annoy my husband, but he goes to sleep fairly quickly. As soon as he starts snoring, there goes my foot! ;)

[Daisy]

Nope, not really. Oh wait, unless you count hubby rubbing my hair until I fall asleep. Man, that knocks me OUT!

[*********]

Nope, not really. Oh wait, unless you count hubby rubbing my hair until I fall asleep. Man, that knocks me OUT!

 

Um, Daisy, how do you feel someone rubbing your hair? :001_huh: :D :tongue_smilie:

[Daisy]

Bad choice of verbs, I suppose. You know, like playing with my hair, brushing it with his hand, giving me the chills. Okay, totally G-rated. He just mindlessly plays with my hair until I'm sound asleep.

[Delighted3]

but when I have a hard time falling asleep because my mind is racing. I focus on counting backwards from 500. I don't want to think about anything, but the counting, so I make myself picture each number as I go. I have done this since I was a child and I have never reached the 100's before falling asleep.

Joy

[KidsHappen]

I listen to a soothing music cd and decorate my house in my mind. It keeps my mind occupied because sometimes it takes a long time to fall alseep. If I get bored with decorating I might plan curriculum or think of my to do list. I don't know if it actually helps me fall alseep but it is certainly better than laying there thinking OMG, I can't fall alseep. :001_smile:

[Brooketopia]

My mind races when I'm trying to fall asleep, so I picture a white room and then I force myself to concentrate on the whiteness of the room...nothing else, just white. If I start thinking about anything other than "white" then I have to drag my mind back to the original concept.

 

And that seems really weird, now that I've written it out...

[nono]

I have a hard time staying awake once my head hits the pillow. So, I guess getting horizontal is the extent of my self-soothing.

 

 

[i.love.lucy]

Do benadryl and a wine cooler count? :tongue_smilie::lol:

:smilielol5:

 

 

Uh, me too. Well, not so much the wine cooler as a cup of green tea.

 

Benadryl is my sleep med of choice and if I don't take it about an hour before bed it won't matter how tired I am I won't be able to fall asleep with dh's horrific snoring. I also have to get in the same exact position every time. I'm a tummy sleeper. Puts me right out - when I'm drugged on the Bennies and dh is not too loud - that is.:001_huh::001_rolleyes:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ummm. Does hitting the pillow in shear frustration count?! I have such bad insomnia. Last night I didn't get to sleep until around 3 am.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I must have my ear covered with the sheet (blanket if it's cold). It's too stimulating to have it exposed to air.

 

I count my exhales, and try to relax more and more with each one.

 

If I'm having trouble quieting my mind because I'm troubled, I name attributes of God, in alphabetical order, with each exhale. (Breathe in -- breathe out thinking "awesome"; breathe in, breathe out thinking "bread of life"; inhale slowly -- exhale slowly thinking "comforter; etc.)

 

Sometimes I have trouble thinking of something, and it takes me several breaths to come up with one, but if I stay focused, I'm usually asleep long before I get to the end of the alphabet.

[Evergreen State Sue]

I could tell you what my husband likes to do, but that same thing will keep me awake longer! :001_wub:

[Liz CA]

I read. If the book is good this can spell trouble if I am up too late. If it's boring, I wake up with a book under my back or something like that.

 

If my mind is churning and I cannot even concentrate on the book, I warm up some milk - perhaps put a little raw honey in it and slowly sip it. Works every time.

 

:001_smile:

[LunaLee]

Okay, don't laugh...I listen to the Jim Weiss CD, "Good Night". Puts me right out.

[RoughCollie]

I either read or daydream about what I will do with the money I win in the lottery. The amount I will win is $385 million, so there is a lot that can be done with it.

 

I also pray at those times.

Edited February 2, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Lisa in Jax]

When I first get into bed, I have to get the covers just right -- pull up the sheet, straighten the blankets, fold the top of the sheet down neatly, smooth the wrinkles... If there are big wrinkles in the sheet or blanket, I can't relax. I know, I know: OCD much? ;-)

 

That's about it, usually. If I'm stressed or have a headache, I do progressive relaxation, starting with my feet.

 

If I'm REAALLLY stressed, I spent a few minutes mentally "designing" a box to hold my worries/thoughts in, then lock the thoughts/worries away. I close it (in my mind) with the thought that I'll take out the worries when I need them again. It sounds silly, but it works, b/c I give myself permission to let the worries go until I can deal with them.

 

Lisa

[Jennifer in MI]

I have a pillow that I've had since I was a baby. It's silky. I like the way it feels against my face and my fingers. Weird, I know. That pillow helps relax me. I've used it in childbirth! It travels with me everywhere I go - in my carryon. God forbid I lose it.

 

Oh - and I have to go to the bathroom right before I get into bed too.

[Amber in AUS]

I like to have the covers up over my shoulders and snuggle right into my bed. I always fall asleep on my tummy.

 

My littlest DD has a funny habit. She cuddles a little soft toy elephant and she sucks on its big floppy ear, not just sucks, it is the same action as breast feeding, it is really cute and funny.

[TheCoffeeChick]

I'm a reader too - I read about a half an hour, turn off the lamp, and fall asleep. If for some reason I have to get up after I am done reading (bathroom, kids calling, etc...) I lie awake forever. Most of the time I'll just start all over again and read. :)

 

I'm sure it's from all the years of my mom telling me I can stay up later if I am in bed reading. :tongue_smilie:

[unsinkable]

I either read or daydream about what I will do with the money I win in the lottery. The amount I will win is $385 million, so there is a lot that can be done with it.

 

I also pray at those times.

 

I do this, too! It is one of my favorite things to do when I can't sleep or I have to drive long distances!

[unsinkable]

I have a pillow that I've had since I was a baby. It's silky. I like the way it feels against my face and my fingers. Weird, I know. That pillow helps relax me. I've used it in childbirth! It travels with me everywhere I go - in my carryon. God forbid I lose it.

 

Oh - and I have to go to the bathroom right before I get into bed too.

 

I have a blankie. It is a handknit one that someone gave my mom when she was pregnant with me (I guess it was part of a whole set with hat, booties etc).

 

I took it on my honeymoon and to all my kids' births, too!

 

I take it everywhere. I can sleep without it but if I don't have it, I have to get a towel or shirt or something as a replacement.

[KrissiK]

I don't need anything. When I lay down, I fall asleep, immediately! I am that tired at the end of the day.

[Amber in SJ]

I have to read for before turning out the lights. Sometimes only 5 minutes. Once it is dark, I do one of two number things if I am having trouble falling asleep. One is counting backward from 100 by odds or evens. Just counting backwards doesn't work, go figure. I breathe in 99-97-95-93-91 and breathe out 89-87-85-83-81 and so on. The other thing I do is imagine myself writing numbers in the sand, on a beach, and the waves come and wash them away. It usually takes 4 waves to wash away each number, and I breathe in & out with the waves. Sometimes I draw symbols in the sand that represent my blessings. A heart, a house, a hand, the sun. These don't get washed away, but I can look back at the row as I go.

 

Somehow writing this all down sounds pretty weird.

 

Amber in SJ

[cdrumm4448]

I lay in bed and imagine I am sitting at a green patio table with two chairs and an umbrella by a swimming pool. I sit in the same chair every time. No children are around. I can feel my mind "unhook" for the night.

 

When I am really stressed and trying to go to bed I imagine I am sitting with my two kids next to a lake in the sun, with sand that does not stick to you or anything else. It's perfect weather and no one can intrude on that experience. It's just us. I fall asleep immediately.

[Chelle in MO]

I pray myself to sleep. It's awesome.

 

Chelle