On Time Management, Back Up Plans, and Sleep

One of the biggest priorities in our time management, is the evening and bedtime being conducive to me (Debra) sleeping. While Mark lays down and goes to sleep, it is far more complicated for me. There are many things I need to do on a nightly basis to (usually) ensure sleep. Last year I spent three months hardly sleeping. The sleep deprivation was worse than any of my post-partum periods. Far far far far worse. There were a handful of nights in that period where I had strung together restful hours of sleep, but other than that it was sleepless laying followed by far too hours of restless sleep. Then the morning came far too soon, and I got to start the whole crazy day of trying to care for three under six, feed my gluten+dairy+corn+soy+black pepper+onion+squash+pea+green bean etc. free daughter, while in zombie state, followed by another sleepless night circle. Let's just say, hat didn't really end up so well. I have been trying to learn what helps my mind and body relax into that sweet, frequently elusive "restful sleep". Thankfully I have some good ideas. I know things that can (usually) prevent the hours of laying there with my brain.... SQUIRREL!!!! Chocolate!!!! x(153-245+456)-B/3!!!! Treadmill+Reading +Podcast!!!! I know he/she/they probably hate me now!!!! Ugh... I am such a mess!!!! No wait... God please, SHOW ME YOUR TRUTH!... what was I saying? Sadly, almost everything I know to help prevent is in stark contrast to our typical chaotic evenings. One HUGE chaos factor has been dinner lately. I have had more and more days messed with by stomach pain and dysfunctional exhaustion lately (yes, I am getting that checked out). This means I rarely know how well I will be able to handle making dinner, yet everyone still needs to eat. Since homemade foods are really the only option around here, Mark makes dinner after work, and/or it is super late as he does other things and I ...slowly...get....it....done.

That throws any resemblance of having a bed time routine (important for my insomnia) or relaxing evening (important for my insomnia) or having a couple minutes of not being energetically chatted at (important for my insomnia) out the window as kids are up late. Strict schedules are kinda a joke with three little children, and a mom who never knows if she can actually do the to-do list. But, there are still things we can do. Need to do, or frankly, I don't sleep. The biggest new evening scheduling "rule" is I have to decide: cook, or don't cook (and use one of the meals we are keeping the freezer stocked with) early in the evening (by four or five), with the intent of having dinner no later then 6-6:30. This allows the evening to be able to take a course away from total chaos most of the time. It let's everyone take a few deep breaths. Breathing helps with sleeping.