4. Going to bed earlier than usual.

I am a night owl and notorious for staying up very very late. This gets worse when I am caught up in a painting or writing frenzy. And it is absolutely disastrous when I get a really early phone call in the morning–early as in before the sun rises, or shortly after–which means I feel groggy all day long. When that happens, I do my best to sleep in the day after…as long as I don’t have anywhere important to go (like work or an appointment), but somehow, it just doesn’t seem enough. So once in an extremely rare while, I chuck everything, turn the TV off (I’m glad the major show seasons are over, and there evenings when there really isn’t anything I really want to watch), and turn in early.

On nights like that, I don’t even touch the books on my nightstand. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I switch off my bedside lamp, pull the sheets up to my chin, and close my eyes. Now mind you, some nights are near tortuous because even with that ceremony done, my overactive mind just keeps on tossing thoughts about clamoring for attention. On those nights, I end up sleeping at my usual later hours–or worse, not getting any real sleep at all. But on other nights, within seconds of  tucking myself in, I am blissfully unaware of anything and everything around me, as I fall into the deepest possible sleep.

That’s what happened last night, which is why I’m only posting Number 4 today!!!!