The PREP that none of us do...and SHOULD!

Let's do a quick run down of the things we prepare for in any given day or week--I know you're already forming your list! For every family and I'm sure yours is comparable if not more extensive--the basics:

• we set out clothes, shower, do make-up (okay, who am I kidding...I wear lulus everyday) + get dressed, 
• we schedule the things we want to accomplish--work, play, gym, 
• we prep our children for school: make them breakfast, dress them, pack their lunches, etc., 
• we scribe grocery lists and create meal plans so we can survive meals throughout the week...

• we create lists of things that we (or our household) need(s), 
• we pay our bills and manage our family budget, 
• we prepare bag after bag of athletic equipment and other things our children will need for all those 'other' activities we signed them up for--gymnastics, soccer, swimming lessons, hockey..., 

I'm sure I'm forgetting something...see, WE ALL PREP!
I write all this down above not because we're all so seemingly busy but to highlight the fact that we ALL spend a lot of time prepping for the DAYLIGHT HOURS yet, how much time do you prepare for the NIGHT TIME ones? 

We spend a THIRD of our life sleeping and for many of us, we are bad at it! I myself am a terrible sleeper. Let me re-phrase that, I actually excel at falling asleep--in the car, on the couch, while others are talking.... But, wake me up at after I've fallen asleep and let my brain percolate for more than a quick second and I'm doomed. You know what I'm talking about mothers!! The lists start forming, the 'I should have done this' statements start appearing...it goes on.

I read a really great article last week that talked about the importance of preparing for sleep. It talked about meditation and getting inverted--HOLD UP...my brain shut off. Who the heck has time to meditate and seriously, I'm not standing on my head. I'm just not. 

Although, stay with me...the article did have a few fantastic pointers that are wildly simple yet I've never thought to do them. I guess I've just never thought of bedtime as an event, it was more like something I feel into--the finish line. But we need to re-think how we prepare for sleep. Here are the take-aways: 

• It noted first, setting an alarm. We set an alarm to wake up, why not set one to remind us to sleep? Who hasn't lost 30 solid minutes trapped in the FB|Instagram vortex when we know we should be settling in for the night, 
• When you set this alarm, make it earlier than your actual bedtime. Give yourself 45 minutes to do your routine and if you don't have a routine, like me, create one.
• Consider having tea or doing something calming. My mother used to have a bath each night--I now get it. 
• Set time aside to read and by reading, I don't mean social media or a People magazine. Try a novel. 
• Pamper yourself a little. Buy something luxurious or even just something new--night cream, cucumber face wipes...I'm not talking a full eucalyptus mud wrap but something that makes it a teeny bit 'yours', 
• 4-7-8...not an area code! But, try breathing. Put your tongue on the top of your front teeth (on the inside of your mouth, of course) and keep it there the entire time. Now, 4 seconds in through your nose, 7 seconds hold, 8 seconds out through your mouth. When we breath more efficiently or more consciously, we can shed some of the days's stress more easily. 
• 'De-technology' yourself--yes, that's a word! In more grammatical terms--UNPLUG. Don't put your phone by your bedside table (get a normal alarm clock) and let yourself be mindful. For us Gen-Y'ers, this means be quiet and do a little reflection. Do. Not. Make. Lists. 

Sleep is important to us. We all know how terrible we feel when we have a bad night and for those of us with children, we truly haven't had an uninterrupted night in years. I spend more time worrying about my children's lunches then I do about the six-eight hours I need to re-coup to start my next day off right...

So why do we not prioritize sleep? Why is it seemingly unimportant? 
​
Hey, if you're a terrible sleeper like I am, what's there to lose? Add just one more thing to your list of 'to-dos' this week--try preparing for your greatest night of sleep ever!