go to bed by 10:00 everyday

I’m doing much better with this!

I like feeling more rested. I like being able to get up earlier. I like feeling that I have more of a routine.

10:00 p.m.

Yippeee!

Made it to bed by 10:15. Not too bad. I was worn out yesterday and really needed the rest, so this was a good goal to work on. ;)

Last night I was in bed and under the covers at 10:00 p.m.

Goal: Finish out the week the same way, one night at a time!

I did very badly with this. However, since I’m paying the price right now, it’s quite possible I’ll be in bed by 8:00 p.m. tonight. Yippee. Sweet, wonderful bed. Mmmmm…

Enough said.

I’ve been getting to bed by 10:30 a lot lately – not too bad, but not what I’ve been striving for. Some nights I wind up crashing at 9:00, not that there’s anything wrong with that part. I just would like to be more consistent with getting to bed by 10:00. Maybe I need to establish more of a bedtime routine. Here goes:

Starting at 9:00 p.m.:
Brush, floss, rinse
Moisturize
Read (something relaxing)
Lights out

We’ll give it a try tonight and see how it goes.

I’ve decided that if I’m going to be successful with this goal, ‘everyday’ means ‘everyday’ and not just weekdays. On Friday night I went to bed WAY beyond 10:00 and not for any good reason. Fortunately, I was able to sleep in a little, but I don’t like the way it makes me feel to go to bed so late. It’s weird that I can get exactly the same amount of sleep – but a different set of hours and feel completely different. So on Saturday and Sunday nights I was in bed by 10:00. Much better. Back on track and well on my way to a steady schedule.

Last night I went to bed around 10:10 p.m. Not too bad. The night before I was in bed around 9:50 p.m. On Monday I made it to bed by 10:30 p.m.

Obviously, I’m still a work in progress, but having this goal written down has helped me hold myself accountable. When I see that it’s getting close to 9:00 p.m., I tell myself it’s time to start slowing down and try to get into relaxation mode. I read somewhere that after 28 days of habitually doing something it becomes routine and you have more likelihood of sticking with it. So, I plan to check in every few days within the month to write down my actual bedtimes and see what progress I’m making.

Considering I’m usually exhausted by that hour, you’d think I’d just go to bed. Instead I find “one more thing” that needs to be done, or something earlier threw off my schedule so now I need to stay up later, or something I just HAVE to watch came on TV, or I just haven’t been able to unwind…

I’ve been the queen of excuses and the clock has been my ultimate enemy. So I’m throwing the excuses out the window and I’m going to bury the hatchet with time. We’re going to become new best friends starting tonight. Hello, 10:00 p.m., you’re my new official bedtime limit. 9:00 p.m., you’re going to be the pal who eases me into relaxation. And 7:15 a.m., you’re the moment I walk out the door for work in the morning. We’re gonna do this.