Thursday, November 12, 2015

Beyond the Books: Bedtime Routine

This week I'm linking up with KissinBlueKaren for Beyond the Books.  This is a meme where we all answer a non-bookish question.  It's always so fun to see everyone's answers and get a peak at the blogger beyond the books.  This week's question is - What is my bedtime routine?

My bedtime routine isn't particularly elaborate or something that I consciously planned out but it does seem to be the same every night with very few exceptions


First off is a bath.  I pretty much take a hot bath every night sometimes for a long time and sometimes for just a few minutes.  I've found if I skip it it takes me way longer to go to sleep and I don't sleep nearly as well.  On the rare occasion I'm just too tired or it's too late a shower might work but I much prefer a bath.  Plus this is one of the few times I read print books so I'd hate to cut it out!

Second is the whole moisturizer routine.  This is a serious process and one that deserves it's own category.  There is body oil topped with enough regular lotion to sink a ship.  Then there's the wrinkle cream which I started using when I accidentally turned the camera around on my phone and saw my forehead up close and personal unexpectedly.  It was a bit terrifying.

Third is the straightening up the bathroom - PJs on, whatever I was wearing that day put up, towel hung up and everything else straightened up.  This is one I've kind of added because it makes the next day so much easier so it's not fully in the routine.

Fourth is I flip my phone over to vibrate and lay it next to my bed, make sure the Tornado is tucked in, if I'm reading a creepy mystery or romantic suspense I check the door locks again.

Fifth - I settled down with my book (usually my Kindle) and read until my eyes absolutely refuse to stay open anymore.

That's about it!  What do you have to do before heading to bed?

28 comments:

  1. I just let me phone go off all night long. I have no idea how I would wake up without it. My Miguel wakes up to is phone but it doesn't wake me at all. I sleep like the dead.

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    1. My husband sets the alarm clock on his side but I never hear it. It takes me awhile to get to sleep but once I do I'm out!

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  2. I'm not much of a bath person in general, but I have some friends that just love baths. I'm also very much a shower in the morning person. I love how refreshed I feel. I do know what you mean about moisturizing. My skin is pretty dry, and once Fall begins, my skin just gets drier and drier during the winter. So moisturizing is a must!

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    1. I do both the shower in the morning and bath at night. My water bill is not pretty!

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  3. I don't really have much of a routine. I just hop into bed after taking out my contacts and brushing my teeth. I do like to bring my kindle to bed with me and read a chapter before going to sleep but I don't always do it because it irritates my husband. It is a good thing that I don't have much of a routine since I live in a house with only one bathroom and a teenage daughter.

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    1. I'm very thankful to not have a 1 bathroom house! Between me and the other 5 of us it would have turned into a war!

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  4. I try to brush and floss before I wash my face and shower. After I blow dry my hair with my ceramic, round brush, I take out my contacts and slip on my coke bottles. I try to read a bit before going to bed.

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    1. I'm a terrible person and sleep with my contacts in! I can see without them and it makes me nervous to wake up blind!

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  5. Isn't it crazy how we have to do certain things in order to fall asleep? There are certain parts of my routine that if I skip, I can't sleep. I also need to read before bed...it's part of the falling asleep process. :)

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    1. Reading is definitely mandatory. Even if I can only manage a page it must be done. It helps switch my brain over to sleep mode.

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  6. I of course also read before bed. I don't have much of a routine though. Just brush my teeth, wash my face and change into sweats. I should really get into a moisturizing routine though even if it isn't at night time. I also need the wrinkle cream :(

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    1. I have dry skin (probably from the hot water) so if I don't moisturize heavily I'm so itchy all night! I was sad about the wrinkle cream at first but it seems to make my skin look better overall so I'm okay with it now!

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  7. I really need to get on the moisturizer train. I'm so bad about it. I don't really have a bedtime routine. No kiddos here and my work is on my own schedule so I kinda just do what I want when I want. lol

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    1. I think I'd switch completely to nights with that kind of schedule! Without all the other people my self-discipline sucks!

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  8. check the door locks... :) I can relate. I was watching something scary the other night and heard a weird noise, the house was dark. I was like what the bleep was that? Turns out it was just the cats, being naughty as usual. But yeah...

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    1. My cats have been responsible for many semi heart attacks! Sometimes they randomly sit up and stare hard out the window. I think they're just trying to mess with me!

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  9. The only routine I have is reading before bed. :)

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  10. The Tornado is so cute! I do what my son calls my "perimeter check"... I turn off the power strip that all the small appliances are plugged into and check to make sure the burners on the gas stove are completely off, check the backdoor lock and grab a water from the fridge, check the front door lock, turn the bathroom light on so that people think someone is still up (we live in the city) and grab whichever Kindle Fire is charged. :)

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    1. I love the perimeter check! I do a very similar one when my husband is out of town but when he's here I limit my worrying to the locks!

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  11. I'm the same way - I read until my eyes won't stay open anymore.

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    1. I'm not sure I could go to sleep without that part!

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  12. I like your routine...I also like straightening everything up throughout the house and getting ready to read before sleep. I enjoy participating in this Beyond the Books event, although it's been a while.

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  13. I forgot to add checking the doors for my routine. I use my cellphone as my alarm clock but I do lower down the volume so it doesn't wake up everyone.

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  14. Yes to the moisturizer. LOL, especially in winter.

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  15. I make sure I have a drink to keep by my bed; brush my teeth and my hair; if I remember, I check the water bowls for teh cats; turn off the brightness on my cell, flip it so it's screen down, and put it next to the bed; check that my alarm clock is set; move Claude out of the way, and get under the covers. Sometimes I read for a few minutes but not always as I've usually already read for an hour or so.

    I shower in the morning and glob on the moisturizer when I get out. Face first, then the rest of the body. I reapply during the day as needed.

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  16. I really need to make the whole moisturizer thing more of a routine. I've gotten good about it on my face and neck but my feet and legs, especially in the winter, would love to be included in the routine. Need to follow your lead!

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  17. I didn't get to participate this past week, unfortunately. My routine is pretty dull though and very tied to my daughter's.

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