Day 3: Have a Dreamy Slumber

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Welcome to Day 3 of my 31 Days to a Less Stressed Nest!

Today I wanted to talk about how we all go to sleep at night.  I don't mean we all lay in our beds and on our pillows.  I mean how we go to sleep.  Do you fall asleep with the TV on?  Your laptop on your lap in bed working?  Reading a steamy romance novel?  Lying in your significant other's arms?

Part of how restful our sleep turns out to be is what we are doing before we go to bed.  What thoughts we are thinking.  What visions we saw or heard on TV.   What kind of day we had.

Here are some ideas for you (and me) to help us have a more restful sleep and let the stress and craziness of the day be released.  {Disclaimer:  I am no sleep expert.  I just know that these things would help me, thus maybe helping some of you.}

Source

Ideas for the big kids (you and me)
1.  Go to bed earlier.  Even 1/2 hour could make a big difference on our bodies and minds and how we wake up the next morning.

2.  Have a bedtime routine, beyond the usual brushing your teeth and putting your jammies on.  Read something uplifting, listen to music that makes you feel good, write in a journal.   You have to end your day in a positive way, no matter how it went.  If you go to bed feeling rushed, frazzled, or stressed, your sleep will reflect that.

3.   Close your eyes and be completely still and quiet for 2 whole minutes.  Doesn't sound like long, but it is because our minds and bodies never stop.  Click this link to try this.  Pretty cool.

4.  Try to let go of anything that is bothering you as much as you can.  Take some deep breaths, count your blessings, and think of all of the wonderful things and people in your life.

5.  Some might pray, meditate, or do some other form of relaxation.

We all know that kids benefit from a bedtime routine to help their minds and bodies settle down and relax so that they can drift off to a sweet slumber.  We wouldn't expect kids to run around outside playing and then immediately put them into bed, would we?

So what about you? What do you do at night before bed to help you relax and relieve stress?  What do you need to start doing?

If you missed Day 1 and Day 2 of my series, click here:
Day 1: Getting Ready to be Less Stressed
Day 2:  Evening Routines=Less Stressful Mornings