Bedtime discipline

Camy here! I’m seriously hurting in the bedtime discipline area.

Hurting as in, I totally suck and couldn’t make myself go to bed on time even if I had an all expenses paid shopping trip to a yarn store in the morning.

(And trust me, I could spend thousands of dollars on yarn. Thousands, I tell you!)

Ahem. Anyway, I’ve been trying to set my alarm for earlier so that maybe I’ll be tired and want to go to bed early.

Nope, not working.

Once in a while I’ll actually make it to bed on time, but I usually end up lying there staring at the ceiling and listening to my husband snore. (He’s kind of loud, if you ask me, but then again, he’s not as loud as my dad.)

But then the next night I’ll stay up late reading or working or playing Bejeweled Blitz. (I LOVE THAT GAME!)

See my problem? I really do suck, I think.

Anyway, I’m going to try to get to bed early tonight and hopefully keep it that way. Because staying up late is not good. I end up not getting enough sleep (but apparently I’m not tired enough to go to bed early! Sheesh!)

Any advice that doesn’t involve pharmaceuticals?

Camy Tang lives in San Jose, California. She previously worked in biology research, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she runs the Story Sensei critique service. Her humorous romance, Single Sashimi, and her romantic suspense, Deadly Intent, are both out now. She also gives away Christian fiction on her blog and her newsletter YahooGroup.

Comments

[Vince Mooney]

Hi Camy:

I have the same problem at times but I don’t resist. I use reverse psychology on my body. I just say, “OK, you don’t want to sleep, I’ll just read.” And I pick up a book and read and it is not too long before I get too tried to read any longer and I go right to sleep. Fortunately, my reading light does not wake up my wife.

I think this might be some kind of corollary of the “turn the other cheek” dictum.

Vince

[C. F. Pagels, Ph.D.]

Camy, You can follow a sleep hygiene schedule and that will help IF you are serious about getting to bed on time. Stay off the computer an hour or two before bed time. Turn down the lights and the noise level. Establish a routine. No caffeine in the evening. Do not watch shows that are violent, etc., or read stuff that is too exciting, e.g., a thriller, before bedtime. Also, there is a homeopathic remedy called Calmes Forte that is available at many drug stores. More than you wanted to know?

[Camy Tang]

Vince, if I start a book, I will almost always stay awake to finish it! I was awake until 7 am once to finish The Historian.

Carrie--now that's a great regimen! Thank you so much for that! I think I will try to follow it, esp the no computer before bedtime.

Camy

[LaShaunda]

I have the opposite, I can't get out of bed. I say 15 more minutes and I'll get up and then I'm running late.