Your bedtime ritual?

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I love the feel of die cast metal....that's probably one of the reasons why I have so many die cast Cars and Cars characters. Die cast metal actually has a nice, soothing, cool feel to it. In fact, I used to take a handful of my favorite toy Cars up to this loft bed I used to have at my mom's house and spend about a half an hour playing with them and talking with them until I feel asleep.

I'd take my Tomy die cast of Susie the coupe to bed in a heartbeat, but she's so small and delicate (she's actually a pretty old toy) that I worry about her getting lost in the sheets and blankets, getting broken if I rolled over on her, or her falling off the bed and onto the floor in the middle of night and being cold. Instead, she sits on a shelf next to my bed or on a nightstand to watch over me during the night. I mostly sleep with my plushies in bed now.

Firstly, I need to be alone for about the last hour before bed. If I see or speak to anyone, even if it's just to say "good night," I need to start the whole process over again.

I put on a movie, or a TV show, or an audiobook. It needs to be something I've seen or listened to many times before, that way I can drift in and out without feeling like I need to pay attention. I set the volume low enough that I can just barely make out what's being said. I'm not actually watching or listening, but hearing human voices is comforting.

I like laying under several heavy blankets, but it's usually too hot for that here (I usually sleep during the day), so I'll turn on the AC.

Smoke a quick bowl if I have any weed (and I almost always do), not enough to get really high, just enough to quiet my mind. Then a cigarette or two. A swallow from the bottle of water I keep next to the bed. Then I lay on my back with a couple pillows under my knees, and one on each side of me under each arm, then arrange the blankets so that only my mouth and nose are exposed to the air.

Then sleep, glorious sleep.

Last edited by mds_02 on 20 Jul 2012, 1:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

Mess around on the internet, youtube, forums, whatever.
eat cereal (Sometimes)
clean up the kitchen a bit
brush/floss teeth
spend a few minutes praying
turn the fan on, just for the noise, depends on if its hot or not for if it's blowing on me
lights out, covers on, sleep mask on, good night!

On computer finishing up on an episode of Stargate SG-1, gaze at clock, reads 9:59pm. Hmm, should maybe think about going to bed.
Gaze at it again after what I think is 10 minutes later, it reads 10:22pm.
It's getting closer to bedtime, but I still got eight minutes.
Look at it again, 11pm. Damn I'm late.
Look at it again, 11:44pm.

Get up, toilet, brush teeth, get dressed for bed, turn on electric heater.
Have a way too long conversation with cat, start taking photos of cat.
Force self to go to bookshelf, pick up current book I've been reading every night before bed.
Turn on lamp, turn off bedroom light. Get under covers, read.
Pray.
Turn off light, attempt to sleep.
Think. Think. Think. Think. Think.
Well past midnight.
Light still isn't off.
Turn off light, try to sleep.
Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. Sleep.

Surf from 9PM-11/ish

Clean up music files on Audacity for a song or 2

Edit a few pics on GIMP

Ensure I have enough soda and tobacco to last into the next morning

Pop 2 Benadryls, 20 minutes apart

Bait my master

Have a few drags on a Swisher Sweet

Hit the lights and fade off with the talk radio running

Thank you Kenjitsuka for this post.
It is interesting posts like this that can
offer us great insight into each others
lives.

My bedtime routine is as follows.

MUST BE HOME BY 9.30pm
Wash
Put vitamins out for morning
Wash up
Lock front door and pull curtains
(Trying not to check them multiple
times, yet if I do have compassion
on myself)
In bed by 10pm
Read for half an hour
10.30pm light off
Follow my breath in Mindfulness

I voted that I have no ritual as what I do does not need to be done in a specific order. I usually just mess around on the internet for 4-6 hours and fall asleep with the help of sleeping pills around 6am. I use a very large fan for white noise because of my anxiety and sensitivity to small noises. I also use a fairly thick blanket (comforter?) to sleep with as I have trouble sleeping without the weight of it on me. I sleep with a drum brake adjusting tool that I use as a back scratcher (as well as for it's original purpose, but it is thoroughly cleaned after I use it for brakes). Usually, I also leave my TV on and have to have my ceiling fan on as well.

Take my nightly round of medication

Mutter a couple of prayers under my breath as I run around trying to figure out if there's anything I've forgotten to do

Lie in bed and do one of several things until I fall asleep:

- Talk to imaginary friends
- Watch a show or movie
- Read

I always have to cuddle with my favorite plush toys (currently a Raggedy Ann doll) and favorite pillows.
I also have to lie on my side. I don't like sleeping on my back or stomach.

Summarizing the thread a bit after two pages of replies:

-A heavy blanket seems important to many people. I too need the weight, and can't sleep without it.
-Some people use special cushion arrangements. Myself, I use a very long thin pillow, used normally for pregnant women (Looks something like this http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/ima ... pillow.jpg )
The pillow being in the wrong place can really mess up getting to sleep properly.
-Almost everyone uses a talk show, tv, audio book etc. to simulate human voices whilst in bed. Others prefer white noise (fans) or use earplugs. I used to listen to the radio at night myself, but I couldn't fall asleep, as I was worried I might miss something... Then I listened to the same CD over and over every night, but that too had that "must keep listening" quality for me. So I settled on earplugs.
-Websurfing seems *very* popular to calm down before bed.
-Checking the house, doors and appliances looks to be almost mandatory
-Quite some people play with pets before going to bed.

Keep up the replies, all! Like quaker said, I think we can learn a lot (and incorporate some ideas from others)

P.S. Some people read in bed, but I -again- really have a big problem with being utterly unable to stop doing that.
I follow this "sleep hygiene" rule of "The bed is for sex and sleep, nothing else". If not I can't quit reading/puzzling/playing/listening/viewing etc. etc.

I don't have an exact bedtime ritual, although I do try to be in bed before 11 o'clock. But I know lots of NTs who go to bed around the same time each night, especially if they've got to get up for work each day. Not all are like that though - I remember my aunt telling me a few weeks ago that on a Friday night her 20-year-old daughter said she had a headache and so crept up to bed early and shut off her light and everything, then about an hour later she came back downstairs all dressed up and said, ''I'm going out - my mate has just phoned me and my headache's gone''. Oh my God, I could not ever do that! Once I'm in and planned not to go out, nothing in the world can make me suddenly get dressed all up and go out!

It's a lot of it:
- check that my two blankets, sleeping bag and two pillows are in exact order
- check that all things "in case of emergency" are in order
- check that I've got not less than half of mineral water bottle near bead
- take some puffs from e-cigarette
- check that door are closed, windows are closed and all water/gas valves are closed too
- bath/restroom time
- check the door again
- drink no less than glass of mineral water
- read book for no less than 15 minutes
- lights out, try not to think

Reminded me of how I used to absolutely need my dog lying next to me to fall asleep. Apart from the horrible depression it caused, after she died I didn't sleep right for months.

Aw, f**k. Two years later and now I'm crying over her again.

I don't know how potentially useful it might be, but I also find these little peeks into people's daily lives fascinating.

I'm usually using my computer before I go to bed, so my routine looks a little something like this:

-Brush and floss teeth
-Make sure my wallet, phone, shoes, backpack, etc... are all where they need to be and readily accessible.
-Turn off lights.
-Close curtains.
-Put extra heavy blanket on the bed (I like to be snug ).
-Remove pillows and pull blankets back.
-Place one pillow alongside my bed next to the dresser so I don't bump my head on it. Place the other pillow on my bed.
-Climb into bed. Pull blankets over me, right up to my shoulders. Blankets need to cover me evenly, otherwise they'll bug me to no end. Place right arm over eyes so that my arm presses gently on my eyelids.
-Try not to think. I keep my iPod nearby in case I need some music to listen to. Sometimes I'll talk or sing to myself.

I always thought this was just an idiosyncrasy of mine. Then I came to this site.

I know how many of us with AS can be isolated and find social interaction overwhelming at the best of times. As a result the pc can connect us to the world in a way that is 'workable' but I would really stick my neck out here to say that consuming hyper-arousing imagery or processing to much information through the web or television (and even reading books) before bed can be a major factor in sleep disturbance and depression, which so many of us can suffer with.

I find this thread fascinating because it enters how we all cope and manage with the end of one day on earth, and in preparation for one that follows.

Even though I am excessively routined and for the most part seriously in-flexible with regard to my routines, there is a part of me, which I call my 'deeper self' which often reviews my routines, its like a voice that says, "now does this routine just make me feel safe, which is very valuable, but should I take the risk of change to grow?"

It's funny because my bedtime ritual never changes, it never changes because it works, and it works because I sleep well.

Do any of you incorporate meditation or Mindfulness practice in the ending of your day and the start of new day?

I have to get the pillow in the right position. I often spend a fair amount of time on it.

I have done tactile stimming to fall asleep for as long as i can remember and was unable to sleep without doing it. just didnt realise why until now.