What do you do before you go to sleep?

Tamildownunder · Aug 6, 2007

Dear Cheeniya,

On the topic of what do you do before you go to sleep, I remembered observing others what they do before going to sleep. My north Indian friends at Anushakthinagar, Mumbai used to go for long walks before going to sleep. So, we used to find lots of couple old and young going for walks around 11.00 P.M.

My mother used to wash het feet and pray to Ramar Pattabhishekam picture (we had one from the famous Ravi varma) and she used to say tome to do the same thing. She had an unshakable faith in that picture and used to say it will prevent from bad dreams coming and putting to sound sleep.

On the lighter side, I remembered the scene from 'Pesum Padam' picture in which Kamala Haasan will not get sleep in his posh hotel bed and then will remember that he is missing the sounds from the films running in the nearby theater where he lived before. He will get the sounds recorded and playing that will go to sleep.

Regards,

TDU

gayathriar · Aug 6, 2007

Dear Cheeniya

Your ability to churn out new, exciting and interesting topics from everyday life amazes me( I guess I have done my share of your interesting read before sleep - Browsing IL is certainly a very soothing pastime particularly when people praise me!).

Fortunately ( and much to the envy of my husband ), I can sleep between the gap of switching on the ipod and the first line of music floating out of it - you see a day well spent brings happy slumber . I used to love reading a book( any book that includes magazines too ) before I sleep. But, these days I rock my kid singing a series of songs ending with Nama Ramayanam. By the time I get to the end of it, either he sleeps or I sleep.

-Gayathri.

Cheeniya · Aug 7, 2007

Dear abhatv
Where were you hibernating all these days? Nice to see you back, I mean nice to see you back reading my posts! I dont know about my individual style of writing but chitvish certainly has her individual style, not just one but three styles. One when she posts her culture posts, one when giving out some exotic (quixotic?) recipes and finally when she replies to my threads!
Can we term it 'stylathrayam'?
Sri

Cheeniya · Aug 7, 2007

Dear Kamla
Stop writing ambiguous sentences! The one about both Ch's having a session with MM before slumber and adding the word 'impossible' sounded almost scandalous!
Being prone to acidity, I avoid masalas before bed time usually but I do occasionally permit myself that luxury from time to time! Its good old PGW most of the time and Paul Mauriate' Love is Blue.
Poor Leno for getting that unceremonious kick at 57! Hopefully the ones that delvered the kick were pretty!
Sri

Cheeniya · Aug 7, 2007

Dear Kripps
It happened more than a couple of decades back! Indra ennai kai kazhuvi vittatha pathithan solren! Her constant complaint is I dont behave my age! Her concept of a 64 year old is someone diametrically opposite to me. I had one such friend who, being unable to stand his wife's tantrums, started putting on an appearance befitting his age of close to 70. A small tuft outgrowing the rest of the fungi on his head, panchakacham, one packet of Sithanathan Pazhani Vibhuthi everyday et all. But he made a deal with his wife that he was free to be whatever he wanted after sunset.
He was a familiar sight in Madras Gymkhana after 6 pm, clad in a nice pant, shirt to match and designer shoes! He made the barmen run up and down with their trays in the act of quenching his thirst and no amount of birdflu scare kept him away from his roast chicken! She followed what Indra did 20 years back in my case!
Sri

Cheeniya · Aug 7, 2007

Dear Shanthi
Add to your music list, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. I love the sound of Santoor. I love the music of the mountains which does have a hypnotic effect.
Books I do understand but the Hindu? I reserve The Hindu for the toilet in the morning. Most of the news items there make me so angry that helps me to answer my calls of nature more easily!
Your children in conversation with their dad present a really sweet picture! You cant really shout when you get angry? Then why do you get angry at all?
btw, that's pretty decent of you to encourage me on that masala thingy!
Sri

Cheeniya · Aug 7, 2007

Dear Indhu
That was indeed very generous of you to have said such nice things about my post! Add this to your auto-suggestion, 'Day by day, I like cheeniya's posts more and more!'
About going to sleep with the MP3 player on, please do remember that all music need not be soothing for the soul. Some can provoke us unnecessarily too. I mean songs like Nethu rathiri yammmmmma!
Sri

Cheeniya · Aug 7, 2007

Dear TDU
I too have observed this peculiar practice of the northies. The recipe of your dear mother for a healthy sleep is very sound and pious too.
I too liked that particular scene in Pesum Padam. Its true that if you are used to certain sounds, you cant sleep without them. This is what my wife says about my snoring too!
I cant forget two episodes of Mr Bean, one his efforts to avoid falling asleep in a church and the other is how he tries to get some sleep!
Sri

Cheeniya · Aug 7, 2007

Dear Gayathri
How blessed you are! I agree with you that a day well spent can be so soothing by itself that you would require no external aid to induce you to sleep! Most of the guys from Government offices complain of insomnia because they complete their quota in the office itself! They too consider such a day as well spent(slept).
That contest between you and your little one is very interesting and I am sure you beat him to it everytime!:biggrin2:
Sri

Anandchitra · Aug 8, 2007

Hi Cheeniya Sir
Again an interesting post and good replies.
My bedside table is cluttered (really) with books. once in a while i organise them but mostly they are in disarray. when i get ready to sleep i trun my bedside light on and choose one book in random. the books are by Sri Aurobindo, or Mother,Sri Ramana or Wayne Dyeror Sri Ramakrishna. And after 15-20 min. of reading i turn off the light and goto sleep.
Though i am not a great religious or spiritual person i have this habit since my son was born. I actually started it during pregnancy and have continued it.While i was pregnant i got some books from someone who was cleaning out their home. these books were about Ramakrishna, mother and Sri Ramana. i got so engrossed that to this day i have this habit. though i have read them so many times, i always find an answer or some worthy point to contemplate in sleep.
regards
anandchitra