a shower or bath, some hot tea or warm milk. gentle warmth welcomes the body back into the parasympathetic nervous state you want to be in—waking up in the middle of the night is sympathetic nervous activation.
also, counting backwards from 100 helps wind my brain down. sometimes also picturing yourself on an elevator going down or gentle walking into a body of water.
Oct 4, 2024
Related Recs
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Hot mint or ginger tea leading up to bedtime, bathroom, brush teeth, wash face if not too exhausted, lotion on obliterated hands, check on kids, crawl into bed, either listen to any Kevin T Porter podcast or play an episode of a familiar show to drown out the anxiety until I fall asleep (usually takes only 10 minutes).
If that doesn't work I toss and turn and read fanfics or ebooks or watch something I love that will keep me awake for too long but will at least put my brain at ease (usually cdrama or romcom) until I can sleep at like 4am 🥴
Apr 26, 2024
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followed by opening up all my windows to let the cool air in. If it’s cold enough I’ll make a little tea. Then I jammify and lounge/read/listen to podcast all while brushing my teeth (and flossing 💪) and getting ready for bed. Eventually I do sudokus in bed until my eyes start to cross
Sep 8, 2024
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(.. or anything with a tsp of honey!).
Will give you peace and readies your brain for good dreams zzzzzzz
Feb 10, 2024
Top Recs from @its_just_kate
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at least casually. don’t delete the accounts but don’t have the apps on your phone either.
rediscover your love of reading thru the magic of recognizing titles strangers are holding on the subway. become a subway reader.
don’t use sound as an escape from your thoughts/feelings/surroundings. grocery shopping without headphones is actually kind of beautiful!
pick up a new hobby or two or three. one of them should be something you’re not good at, and at least one should be no- or low-cost.
never. stop. learning. the library, the parks and rec department, and nearby museums offer great materials already but also usually have free lectures or courses.
go outside more. like, a lot more.
(took this much less literally, so apologies if it’s not what you’re looking for lol — as a narcoleptic I have no tips on how to Not Sleep since Sleep is basically my job)
Sep 30, 2024
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destined in the stars
Jan 1, 2025
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keeps it funky, keeps it fresh! a book for outside, a book for downstairs, a book for bed, a book for the subway, a book for the bathtub…..
Nov 30, 2024