Silent Nights

I will not look at the clock.

I will not look at the clock.

I will not look at the clock.

I rolled over and looked at the clock.

11:30pm starred back at me.

I counted down the hours before I had to get up for an 8 mile run before a 12 hour work day.

4.5 hours to go.  2 (+) had already been wasted.

This was before my days of being anti-TV, so I grabbed the remote and turned on the tube. I focused on the noise and held tight to every word that imbedded itself into my brain.

Our wars within are most likely to battle the strongest when our head hits the pillow. There, without distractions to ease the chatter in our heads, the monsters under the bed poke us all night long.

Going to sleep with a silent mind is a challenge for most of us, even the busiest, most exhausted people. In my quest for a silent night I’ve tried everything from pre-bed time yoga to a hot bath to audios of rolling waves and chirping birds. I’ve found a routine that when applied consistently has successfully closed my eyes and my brain with ease.

What exactly is a routine? A routine is really just a habit, something we do over and over again. I’ve had several bad habits throughout my life, including substance abuse, various forms of self sabotage and being a work-a -holic. When I broke free of those habits, I had to replace them and the time I spent on them with something else. Eventually, the bad habit became a thing of the past (for the most part anyway). If what you’re doing before bed now isn’t calming your mind or sending you off to dream land, it’s time to try a new routine.

First, pick a “lights out” time. Lights out means the time you want to be under your covers with your eyes closed and falling asleep. This should be based on how many hours of sleep you want to get. This time for me is 9pm. (Yes, I know this is very early but so is my wake up time at 4am)

An hour before your lights out time, turn off your phone, tablet, laptop, iPad and any other electronic device you’re likely glued to all day long. You don’t have to turn off the TV yet, but shutting down your devices helps seperate you from your day (where most of your thoughts probably come from).

In the hour before lights out, find a routine. This is different for everyone and there is no right or wrong, as long as what you’re doing doesn’t stimulate your brain. Part of my routine includes having a protein shake. It’s one of the favorite parts of my day and something I look forward to at bedtime! For all of you thinking, “doesn’t eating at night make you gain weight?”  the answer is NO. (More on that topic in a future post!) This is how I make my shake (at least in the winter) in case you’d like to try yourself.

Bedtime Protein Shake

• 1 cup Decaf Coffee (fresh and hot)
• 1 serving of Optimum Nutrition Chocolate Casein Protein. Casein protein is slow digesting. It’ll keep your body nourished all night long while you sleep. If you need a little extra assistance falling asleep Beyond Raw makes a delicious PM casein protein that includes melatonin.
• 1 TSP PB2 (Powered Peanut Butter. Don’t judge, its amazing!)
• 1 TSP Kerry Gold Grass Fed Butter (Again, don’t judge until your try it!)

I add all of these ingredients to a shaker and shake it up! It tastes just like a hot milkshake! I dare you to try it 🙂

I usually make my shake between 8 – 8:15pm.

Once I’m finished slowly sipping my cup of goodness, I throw my hair into a big ball on top of my head and make my way to the shower (no one has time to wash their hair before bed!) I hop out, brush my choppers and lotion up. From there, I head to bed.

I know what you’re thinking. This puts me in bed before lights out! True story. If I’m tired, I lay right down. If I have a little bit left in the tank, I read from the notebook that is beside my bed. This note book is filled with my own hand written mantras. Sometimes I’ll think of a new one as I’m reading them and I’ll add it to the list.  I love that this is the last piece of the outside world that enters my head.

By this point my husband has likely made his way to bed and together we round out the day in prayer. We pray out loud together, and then he leads us through our praise, petitions and requests. When we’re done we continue on our own, in our heads.

I hope everyone reading this post can find a way to create a routine that leads you to a silent night. Here are a couple pro tips:

Eliminate noise throughout the day. Are you a person that “needs” the background noise of TV? Must you wear ear buds while you grocery shop? The less noise you let in during the day the less you need to clear out at night. If it feels uncomfortable not to have these crutches, know it’s OK and normal to adjust without them. Also know that we grow the most outside of our comfort zones.

Set the “do not disturb” feature on your phone. Set it for one hour before your lights out time and at least one hour after your wake up time. All of my family and friends know I have this set. They also know how to ring through in case of an emergency.

Finally, if you need a mantra to put on replay, try John 8:12:

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

When I turn the lights out, I also let the brightest Light in. I’m confident He contributes to my silent nights.