Falling asleep for the good of all

My best tips

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The household as a whole needs to be as well rested as it can be (and you know what the hurdles are).

The housewife manages the rhythms for the good of all (see this past week’s posts).

That’s so much better than for her to be part of the stress.

As I was telling you, falling asleep is not something that comes easily to me. But lately, I’ve been having less trouble, due to a tip I read about, to add to the ones that were somewhat helping me before.

Here are the methods that have worked pretty well for me before that, to overcome stressing out about everything under the sun (or moon) as soon as I put my book down and turn off the light, and maybe they will help you too:

• Relax your jaw inside your closed mouth, making sure your tongue isn’t pressed up against your upper teeth. With lips together, let everything sag.

• Take deep, cleansing breaths. When I lie down to go to sleep, I have trouble taking one cleansing breath. I don’t know why that is. But if I can manage a few, I will usually drift off.

The issue is the mind.

Although I do pray before bed and have my first thought as I settle down be about the Lord and His goodness, I have to keep it light if I really want to get to sleep.

• I have had some success with deciding on what I would wear the next day, mentally going through my closet and drawers. Often, by the time I sort it out, or well before, I am asleep. But not always.

The tip that turned the tide for me is that one going around about choosing some random word and then trying to find words that start with the letters it contains.

After deciding on what to wear, I choose a word (“How about tangle? Why do I choose words that begin with T? What other words are there?) and then, possibly, begin to find other words (“What other words begin with T? How many should I do? I’ll do two, that’s a good amount, I guess. What begins with A? N?”), I’m a goner.

Lately, it’s been enough just to tell myself I can always choose a word if I have trouble. I’m usually asleep before I get to that point.

Have you tried this method?

Land of Counterpane by Henriette Willerbeek le Mair

As with everything here at the SFH, the best thing is for you to take my ideas, which come from my experience of escaping feminism to enjoy the gift of 45 years of marriage, seven children, and more than a score of grandchildren, and apply them to your situation with discernment, prudence, and confidence — and a sense of humor!

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For the longer version:

My book on how to live with the Liturgical Year: The Little Oratory