So, last week I was dead tired after pulling an extra shift at my job, and my girlfriend was curled up in bed, eyes wide open, asking for a bedtime story. Normally I love doing this, but man, I just couldn’t keep my eyes open, and I knew I needed to figure out a fast way to handle it without making her feel ignored.
Starting Off With a Mess
I kicked things off by trying to wing it. I grabbed the first fairy tale book off our shelf, started reading about Snow White, and—bam—I dozed off mid-sentence like a minute in. She poked me awake, saying it was boring and too slow. Not great, right?
What I Tried Next
After that fail, I decided to get smarter. I thought about quick fixes:
- Shortening existing stories: I took “Cinderella” and cut it way down, but it felt rushed and she frowned, asking why the prince was missing in action.
- Making up stuff on the fly: I tried inventing a story about a sleepy dragon. Big mistake—my brain was mush, so it came out all garbled, with the dragon forgetting his own name. She giggled but stayed wide awake.
- Using phone apps or recordings: I pulled out my phone for a pre-made story, but it sounded robotic and impersonal. She rolled her eyes and told me to just talk to her instead.
At this point, I was ready to give up, muttering to myself that there must be an easier way. I hate wasting time on stuff that don’t work.
The Lightbulb Moment and Testing It Out
Then I remembered this tip from a buddy about keeping it stupid simple when you’re wiped out. I rolled out of bed, grabbed a pen and notepad, and scribbled down a super-short story template. Something like: “Once upon a time, a little bunny got tired after hopping all day, found a cozy spot, and drifted off to dreamland.” Simple, sweet, and only took me 30 seconds to jot down.
I practiced it a few times that evening, pacing it slow and steady. No fancy words, just easy stuff. The next night when I was equally wrecked, I pulled out the notepad, propped myself up, and told her the bunny story in a soft, lazy voice. Less than two minutes flat.
How It Played Out
To my shock, she smiled, snuggled deeper under the covers, and was out like a light in under five minutes. Boom! Done and dusted. Felt pretty darn awesome, ’cause I didn’t have to strain or stay up late fighting sleep.
Since then, I’ve been using this trick whenever my energy’s shot. I tweak the character or setting sometimes—maybe a sleepy squirrel or whatever—but always keeping it quick and predictable. No more long reads or brain-frying creativity required. Works like a charm every time.
