Question of the day: Tues. Aug 14

Good evening folks,

Today's question: do you have a bedtime routine? Something you regularly do before bed, what time do you go to bed, etc.?

We shut the computers down, which signals the dogs that it's time to go outside; they all jump up with tails wagging because they know it's treat time. We put them out, put the wet food treat down for the cats and make the coffee. While we are watching the cats to make sure everyone eats, one of us gets ready for bed, then we switch. After they are done, we let the dogs in to get their treats. Brooke goes in the bedroom and usually Harley too for his 15 minutes of lovings. After we chat while petting Harley, he goes out, and LittleOne comes in (if she decides to grace us with her presence. If it's nice out in the summer, we sometimes don't see her for days at a time). After giving LittleOne love, we finally turn off the light and coax her to one side or the other so we can snuggle down.

Ok, now I'm very tired and it's time to start the routine   .

Not really.  I go to sleep at odd hours(usually after 11) and sometimes stay up all night watching tv or just cleaning or playing with the cats.  It is so peacefull to walk the dog when no one is out or to just sit outside with laptop. 
 

I don't have much of a set bedtime or routine, but I go to bed when I'm ready to drop off, which is anywhere from 1 to 4 hours after everybody else has gone to bed. I can't go to sleep until the household is asleep, no doubt some baggage leftover from my childhood. 

I usually watch TV till around 10, take my pills, go to the bathroom one last time and head into bed. Then I play a game or two on my iPhone and sleep.

Turn off the TV.

Make sure cats have water.

Do a head count. Make sure old animals are all comfy.

Eat some antiacids as I lay down.

Usually bed by 10:30 after giving cats a play session and bedtime meal then they sleep through the night. I always have to toss Perkins spring toy and Pipsqueak's fluff ball once in bed. They are quite demanding about that ritual.

I'm usually in bed by 9:00 or so (some nights as early as 8:00, especially during the winter), but not ready to sleep. Mollipop and I read with the tv on as background until 11:00....I try to watch the news then, but generally don't make it through the newscast.

From about 8:00 on, every time I look at a cat, s/he thinks it's time for the bedtime snack. They either get a snack of dry kibble or just a few kitty treats, depending on how hungry they act...if I think they're really, really, REALLY starving to death, they get dry kibble on plates in the kitchen. If I think they just need a little something, I get the jar of kitty treats out and give them each several treats while they're all sitting at the foot of the bed. They'd prefer both, to be honest. Either way, they get food....I'd never even think about going to bed without the kids getting a snack. (Oh, and Mollipop and Tabby each get a wee bit of SIP around 7:00 or so. Sometimes BooBoo, too, if he comes around...and he usually does.)

I usually go to bed around 10 PM.

I first rinse out and re-fill the cats' water bowls, empty out the dirty kitchen liiter box (Marge's), and replace it with a new one for the night (and repeat the process in the AM).

I take a bath (I shower to wake up in the AM). I need a bath to help me sleep. Loki usually complains on the upstairs landing if I don't get in the bathroom right away; he likes to watch me.

DH & I read in bed for about 30 minutes. By this point, Leo drapes himself over my lower belly, and "massages" me. He then turns, and does my lower back. I find this quite soothing. Meanwhile, his sister, Little Miss, is above my head, and starts slithering up and down my body, like a snake. Then Loki drapes himself over my ankles. Sometimes, Leo's brother, Nixie, joins him for only about 5 minutes, making me pet him. He then leaves.

And they NEVER touch DH! He's usually asleep by now, while I'm pinned to the mattress by several cats!

The last thing I generally do is check the litter box to see if it is clean, and make sure the doors are locked.  Then I always kiss my husband and tell him I love him.

We're usually in bed early --- 9 pm (sometimes 8) - like to watch TV in bed.  Before we head for the bedroom, I put the filter with coffee grinds in the coffee pot for the next morning, make sure kitties have food and fresh water, make sure the ceiling fan in the family room is turned off, turn the house alarm on, make sure the front door is locked.

theresia leave us at 11:30 pm...