How do you unwind in the evening?

[eldermillenialmum]

I work full time, have young DC and I do a hobby a couple of evenings a week. Other than that, I tend to go to bed once the DC are in bed and watch TV unless I've become invested in a good book. The problem with TV is I just keep watching even if I'm tired but I don't fall asleep until I actually turn it off and I'm not getting enough sleep. The obvious answer is to just switch it off!

What do you do at night? Do you go straight to sleep?

An audiobook works well for me but it has to be an audiobook I'm really enjoying and want to listen to while also not likely to keep me awake.

I don’t really understand; why don’t you just turn the tv off at a certain time to get enough sleep? I unwind with TV and then aim to turn it off around 10 and spend a bit of time doing a skincare routine before bed. I do find reading probably helps me get to sleep more easily though

I watch a lot of TV, spend time reading up on my special interests (lately, true crime and unsolved mysteries) and in summer, DH and I will sit in the garden and have a chat and a drink (beer for him, non-alcoholic wine for me).

Wine and Tik Tok

sex &/or tv

Wine, couple of joints and a bit of TV.

Sounds perfect.

TV, codeine and Amitriptyline for me. A couple of joints would work better.

Tonight: watching the rest of Lethal Weapon (although the tall building bit gives me vertigo), drinking a fruit drink but may have white wine later, nice pasta supper.

Have done wine and watch tv. My kids are uni age. I don’t have a tv in the bedroom so about midnight it’s tv off, and up I go. Try not to look at phone once I’m in bed!

Gym and KO

Running, weights or martial arts.

It depends. Sometimes wine and TV, sometimes cup of tea and a book in bed. Usually sex or some solo attention depending on if my DH is working a night shift or not. If he's home he will tickle my back, that has me asleep without fail. I'm usually asleep by 11pm.

Go to bed and read. I fall asleep with the light on too often, but I do at least sleep.

A bit of Northern soul on YouTube
Read a book
Bit of scrolling on MN.

I must start reading more. I got a can of Pimms and lemonade earlier then worried about how sweet it would be after purchase. It IS sweet, but nice. Being chilled helps.

Cup of tea and scone with jam and cream next.

All sound good

I think it's just a habit to watch tv and not turn it off as I'm enjoying it!

I also like to run but in the morning and I do martial arts @EmmaRose25 but I'm home by 8:30 and still want to watch tv or read before bed

I I had a couple of proseccos last night and it definitely mellowed me out!

Urrrgh the can of Pimms was a mistake. Even though it was a small can (200ml?) and 5.4% I fell fast asleep.

I'm finding it really difficult to sleep at the moment (and for the last couple of years) so I do my best to practise good sleep hygiene.

Usually I watch television until between 9 and 10, then I have a warm (not hot) bath with Epsom salts in (for the magnesium) and read in the bath. When I get out of the bath I sit in my towel for a bit to dry off and cool down, and I use some sleep inducing face cream (Elizabeth Arden) and spray on some magnesium oil. I have health issues which leave me low in magnesium, so I also take a magnesium glycerophosphate tablet.

Then when I'm in bed I read until I begin to feel sleepy, then I put on an Audiobook (on quite quiet) and switch off the light. I have found it is important not to put on anything too exciting and to avoid anything read by somebody who puts so much feeling into it that they are alternately shouting and whispering. A nicely modulated, easily understood, voice is the best, for me. And being English I dislike American voices as I find myself struggling to translate the pronunciations in my head rather than going to sleep. Strangely I don't usually have that problem with different British accents, or with books read by people from non-English-speaking countries who have 'foreign' accents. The best audiobooks for me are something gentle that I have read (in book form) before, so that I don't pay too much attention to them. I'm currently listening to some Terry Pratchett read by Nigel Planer - who is actually very good!

It doesn't always work. Sometimes I don't even get to sleep until after 2am or even later, and quite often I will go to sleep for a few hours and then wake up, and stay awake, for 3 or 4 hours.

I'm sorry you're having difficulty sleeping. Your routine would send me to sleep but it sounds like a long routine. I have a similar thing with American narrators and also likening to read things I've read before. I think if I listen to an audiobook in bed it would mostly send me to sleep provided it's interesting enough to keep me listening but not too adrenaline inducing and not an annoying voice!

I don't think I mentioned in my OP but the DC wake us up around 7 or sometimes much earlier regardless of what time we've gone to sleep.

I'm trying to balance the need for sleep with the need for time to unwind beforehand.

that

then shower, and in bed with a book. I switch off the light when I feel like sleeping, easy.

Tv, Mumsnet & Facebook. My daily screen time keeps totalling ridiculous amounts like 13 hours though so I’m going to make a concerted effort to go out more once I’m fit. Lots of sunset watching.

I watch tv with my teenager then I usually go read in bed until I need to sleep

Usually reading, but if there is a decent chunk of free time available before bed (less so now I have older children) then I love to do jigsaw puzzles or a craft like tapestry.

I see people saying “sex”… unfortunately i dont have that luxury at the moment 😂 so for me its weight training or calisthenic exercise, tv (usually a good horror movie or creepy series) and maybe music.

Usually watch an episode of our current series with dh and teen dc. Bed between 10 and 10:30. I absolutely always read in bed for 20 mins ish.