1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to get ready for bed a while 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: before you actually intend to go to sleep. This makes 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: it much easier to get into bed on time. It's 6 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: a truism of time management that everything takes longer than 7 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: you think it will. This is doubly true with things 8 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: that occur when you're tired, such as getting ready for bed, 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: and sadly, the more tired you are, the easier it 10 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: is to delay what will actually solve the problem, namely 11 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: going to sleep. This problem became clear to me a 12 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: few years ago when my husband was traveling a lot 13 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: and my then toddler aged fourth child was popping up 14 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: at five am every morning. I made sure that my 15 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,959 Speaker 1: eldest child was in bed with the lights out around PM. Now, 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: theoretically this meant that I could be in bed at 17 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: ten pm, and in general I do fine with seven 18 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: hours of sleep, but night after night I would find 19 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: it almost if possible to be asleep before ten thirty, somehow, 20 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 1: taking out my contacts, brushing my teeth, washing my face, 21 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: getting my pajamas on, and so forth. Would stretch out, 22 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: probably because I'd look at my phone while setting my alarm, 23 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: or look at the mess in my bedroom and start 24 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: picking it up. It's hard to do anything in a 25 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: focused and efficient manner when you're tired, and this includes 26 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: getting ready for bed. Then I discovered that I didn't 27 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: actually have to wait until right before bed to get 28 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: ready for bed. I could change into my pajamas and 29 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: switch my contacts for my glasses earlier in the evening. 30 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: Since I was completely ready to sleep, I could walk 31 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: into my bedroom at PM and read for ten minutes 32 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: without feeling like I was battling the clock. The lights 33 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: could go off by ten PM, and my morning self 34 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: would wake up, thanking my past self's ingenuity. All would 35 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: be good, well, except for the screaming toddler part. Now 36 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: that I've got a newborn again, I've been reminded of 37 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: the wisdom of this habit. When the baby falls asleep, 38 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: it's good for me to go to sleep too. If 39 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: I'm all ready for bed, this is a much quicker process. Now, 40 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: maybe you don't have young kids, but anyone can fall 41 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: into the trap of delaying bed because getting ready for 42 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: bed sounds like a lot of effort. Turning off the 43 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: TV and going upstairs takes energy. Hitting next in the 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: Netflix queue does not. So if you feel like you 45 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: have zero energy, which many of us do at night, 46 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: guess which is more likely to happen. Now. I'm not 47 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: saying that if you're all ready for bed that watching 48 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: another show won't still be tempting. But if all you 49 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: have to do is slide under the covers, well, that 50 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: lowers the energy requirement significantly, and on the margin, that 51 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: just my tip the balance. So tonight, choose some time 52 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: when you're not completely exhausted to get ready for bed. 53 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: Then when the exhaustion does hit, you can go to 54 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: sleep close to immediately, and with any luck, you'll wake 55 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,239 Speaker 1: up bright and chipper and ready to do great things 56 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: before breakfast. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, 57 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 58 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 59 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 60 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod 61 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 62 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 63 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: Podcast at iHeart Media dot com that before Breakfast is 64 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I 65 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 66 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I 67 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 68 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.