lay thee down and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

I haven't had any trouble sleeping lately (knock on wood) and attribute it to having a good balance of work, play, chores, and fun. I have also minimized my traveling substantially, which means I am allowing myself time to get used to the sounds in and around our home on weekends. As expected, there is one sound I just can't used to no matter what and that is the highest pitched dog bark in America and beyond. We are surrounded by dogs, which for the most part is great. (We are getting closer and closer to joining the dog party ourselves, but need to work out a few more details before actually obtaining a furry friend - fence and doggy daytime-care.) However, one of our new canine neighbors has the loudest bark that sometimes begins pre-7:00 a.m. - not okay, not even a little bit. If your dog needs to go out that early, for the love of all that's sacred - let the thing out, but if it yips and yaps, quiet it down and get it back inside your house! 

I mention this because although I don't have trouble falling asleep at night, I sometimes have difficulty falling back asleep once I am woken up by this dog. Today I read something that discussed the benefits of the "4-7-8" breathing technique and how it can be used to fall back into the land of slumber. It is pretty straightforward - you inhale for four seconds, hold your breath in for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds. I have yet to try it, but I am excited to see if it works. While I hope I don't get woken up, I can rest easily knowing I have a simple and easy to use trick in my arsenal for getting back to sleep. Click here to read one of the many articles about it.