If you were to suggest — over dinner party conversation or in summary of the last book you read — that “everyone is different,” you’d likely be accused or stating the obvious or relying on a cliché. And rightly so. It doesn’t take much in the way of worldly field research to come to the conclusion that there are “different strokes for different folks,” that we all “march to the beat of a different drummer,” etc.
And yet, when it comes to our routines — the stuff we do without much thought that usually prepares us for the day or is part of how we ready ourselves for our nightly rest — we seem to be absolutely stunned that people do things in a different order than ourselves. You button your dress shirt bottom to top? You wash your face before you brush your teeth? You sleep with socks on?
These may seem like small things, but as evidenced by the #BeforeIFallAsleep hashtag on Twitter this week, they represent shocking differences to many.
The viral thread had many on the social media platform discussing the small, but key ways they go about their individual bedtime routines.
Some put on a sleep mask, some squeeze in “just one more” episode, some set up a series of alarms (ex. 6 a.m., 6:05 a.m., 6:10 a.m.), etc.
https://twitter.com/katwomanfifi/status/1191919101956018178
A big difference seemed to lie in those who brush their teeth and wash their face right before bed; some said they prefer to do this only in the morning.
Plenty shared the medications they take before wrapping up the day, whether it be melatonin or anti-depressants or sleeping pills. Some ensure their doors are locked, prompting others to realize they should probably add that to their routine, while some snack right before bed because it knocks them right out.
One consensus was evident: We all spend a few too many minutes or, ahem, hours, scrolling through our Twitter feeds or Wikipedia before we finally shut our eyes. But perhaps even that is better than what some do, with several people admitting to recollecting every single embarrassing moment throughout their lives in the final moments before sleep.
Either way, it’s clear: We all have our own little routines with odd quirks here and there because we are a very diverse people. And that’s something that should be celebrated. If we were all exactly the same when it comes to every detail, well, that would just be boring.
Good night.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
