As I’ve mentioned before – I LOVE sleeping.  So, it naturally follows that bedtime is my favorite time of the day.  But, before I indulge in this most joyous event, there are a few things that need to happen in order for me to feel ready to jump in.

My bedtime routine used to be very simple.  Hop into bed and you are done with the routine.  I know you are supposed to brush your teeth and wash your face before hopping in, but as a kid and a young adult – that just seemed like too much work.

Then I had kids and the whole bedtime routine was turned upside down.  Now it was all about the kids.  The routine started with giving them baths, then everyone into their pajamas, brushing their teeth, and getting into bed.  When they were in bed, it was time for snuggles and stories.  I usually fell asleep in one of the kids’ beds while we were reading stories or during those snuggles. After a while – I would wake up in the kid’s bed and it was way past time for me to go to bed, so I just changed into my pjs and hopped into my bed.  No bedtime routine for me.

Lately – I’ve established a better routine for myself now that all my kids are grown. I start my nighttime routine by doing the following:

1. Review my calendar for the next day
   1. Verify any appointments
   2. Organize my to-do list for tomorrow
2. Let the dogs out one final time
3. While the dogs are outside – clean the litter boxes
4. Let the dogs back inside
5. Give treats to both dogs and cats
   1. Everyone gets treats at this time so I can manage to get everyone in the house and be able to lock the patio door
6. Pick up the kitchen
   1. Empty or load the dishwasher
   2. Scour the sink
   3. Clean off the table
7. Prep my coffee for the next day
   1. Empty the coffee grounds from the day before
   2. Put in new grounds, water and place the cup
8. Turn off house lights and go to my room
9. Take off eye makeup (so my daughter and niece don’t yell at me)
10. Put on pjs and carmex
11. Fill up CPAP
12. Turn on alarms
13. Turn off bedroom lights
14. Hop in 
15. While in bed – I allow myself to play about 10-15 minutes of my latest favorite game on my phone

If I had a schedule like this when the kids were young – I probably would’ve had to start getting ready for bed around 6 pm. 

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