Perhaps it’s because I am a natural night-owl, but I often have a hard time falling asleep at night, no matter how exhausted I am. I can fall asleep like a narcoleptic during the day, but at night, all bets are off.

So years ago, long before I became a mama, I discovered the best way in the world to calm my busy mind, soothe my tired body, and put myself into a virtual coma. I take night showers. Not just a shower at night, I know lots of mama’s have discovered that’s the way to get the elusive bathing rites in; I’m talking about nighty-night, go to sleep, showers in the dark.

It started in our house in California, where we had this little window in our shower, and I would turn off all the lights, and stand in super hot water as I looked out at the azure sky and palm tree silhouetted in the neighbors yard. It has been a little harder up here, since there’s no window actually in either shower, and you cannot open the windows half the year for fear of freezing, but I have found a way.

After everyone is in bed, no one will need me to wipe a bottom, or to use the potty, the phone won’t ring, the house is quiet, and there is mega water in the hot water heater, I take my shower. It is not an every day thing, usually my showers are as hurried and short as the rest of us, but when I really need to calm down and relax, this is what I do. I just stand there, without worrying about using all the water, and let everything wash down the drain in the dark. The only concession I have had to make since moving to the Northwest is I now light a small candle on the vanity so I can see a little. Something about the hot water, the quiet, the darkness, and the solitude is so necessary for me.

The best part is when you get out, just put your jammies on and crawl into bed- you are almost in a coma already, so falling asleep is just lovely and easy. Sometimes I even fall asleep with my head still wrapped in a towel. We just wont talk about the morning hair I get from that.