Nightcap

 

Nightcap

 

Man’s yellow silk taffeta cap, 18th century

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

A nightcap is a head covering worn in bed to keep the head warm and prevent hair from tangling. It was probably essential when houses were cold and winters colder. It may still be in regular use in some parts of the world.

Nightcap has other meanings, too. Traditionally, it’s a drink before bedtime, designed to soothe, calm and relax. It may be a warm milky drink, with or without the addition of a tot of brandy or whisky. Originally, it was an alcoholic drink, because alcohol warms and relaxes mind and body before sleep. The term ‘nightcap’ when referring to alcohol has been in use from the early eighteenth century

Friends of ours always used to have a brandy and ginger nightcap before bed. When their elder son was about to marry, they went to stay with his future in-laws, which can often be a tricky meeting.

At the end of a pleasant if rather abstemious evening, our friends, a very gregarious, companionable couple, were asked if they would like a nightcap and they readily accepted. They were immediately disappointed to be offered cocoa or something similarly innocuous. I think they were thankful to return home to their usual routine.

Many older people like to have a cup of tea before bedtime, and I believe it is offered in retirement homes and hospitals. Tea is a diuretic and not the wisest drink to take before retiring to bed, I would have thought. Lots of people have to get up during the night to visit the bathroom. Surely tea just makes matters worse?

A more modern application of nightcap is in a reusable drink cover looking something like a hair scrunchie. It is used to help prevent the spiking of drinks in clubs or at parties.

Image source

An early night

 

An early night

We go to bed too late. Every day we promise ourselves that we will have an early night go to bed at a reasonable hour, that is, before 10.00 pm. Every night, I crawl into bed, if I can find a space between the animals, ‘far too late’ I say, complainingly.

We even have an alarm on our watches, each of us, that tells us we should be preparing for bed. Every night we ignore it. There’s always another episode of whichever riveting programme we’re watching, though I do wonder if we should really be watching yet more in-depth war documentaries just before retiring for the night.

Sometimes, we decide we should watch something less horrific to sweeten the mind after an evening of such viewing. So, we watch ‘Frasier’, or some other comedy and again, one episode leads to another.

When I went upstairs a few nights ago, earlier than usual, Herschel was already there – he likes to go to bed early. Gilbert came up with me while Roxy and Jellicoe stayed downstairs with Barry. He likes to make sure the fire will stay alight through the night so that it’s warm downstairs in the morning. This involves a bit of riddling, (not the joking sort) and another shovelful of coal.

Actually, we use anthracite and thereby hangs a tale. The UK has enough anthracite for its needs but to prove our green credentials we are no longer mining it. Instead, we are importing it from Australia. That makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

Anyway, Barry started his evening ritual of feeding the fire but as he opened the door the inner ceramic pane which looks like glass but isn’t, slipped down. One of the screws had worked loose. He was familiar with the composition of the stove, having recently replaced various bits – baffle, rope door seal - so he donned his heavy gloves and set to work to screw the window back in place. The fire was hot, but glowing rather than blazing. Nonetheless, it was uncomfortable work.

I was blissfully unaware of his trials and tribulations until he appeared much later and told me all about it. I would have left it until the morning, probably, but Barry does not procrastinate. It’s a good thing one of us doesn’t.

Gilbert the Good - time to go to bed

 

Gilbert the Good - time to go to bed

My humans stay up too late so I have to remind them when it’s time to go to bed. I bring Barry his slipper, just one – I can’t carry two at once. Janice doesn’t wear slippers so I climb on her lap instead. She does make funny noises when I do that, but I suppose I am a lot bigger than I used to be.

Here I am on the day I arrived.

Herschel, Roxy and me 

I was ever so pleased to see a big dog in my new home. It was so nice to cuddle up with Roxy. Now I’m bigger than her and she’s gone back to looking like a little dog again – well, as little as a Labrador can look. My humans say she’s not as small as Jenna-with-the-big-paws.

Once I’ve persuaded the humans to lock up and turn off the lights, we all go to bed and then we can relax until the morning. I think if I didn’t remind them about bedtime they would stay up all night and that wouldn’t be good for any of us. It’s all very well napping during the day, like the cats do and us dogs (and sometimes the humans) but it’s important to have a proper sleep.

 The humans say it’s to recharge our batteries, but I haven’t got any of those, so I don’t know what they mean, really.

TTFN

Gilbert

Bedtime

Bedtime

 

A little piece of doggerel. Why is there no catterel?

 

When the busy day is done,

When there’s no more time for fun,

Up the stairs we lightly tread,

Now’s the time to go to bed.

 

Lay your paws upon my leg,

Do not scratch me, please, I beg,

I am big and you are small,

But that matters not at all.

 

Stretching out our weary limbs,

Sighing as the daylight dims,

Closing eyes to all around,

Off to Dreamland we are bound.

 

Reveries of joys we’ve shared,

Dreaming of the things we dared;

Tomorrow is a different place,

Another day to run and race.

 

My World Tuesday Bedtime

To see more My World  posts please click here.Thanks to the My World team who host this meme.

Bedtime in our house follows a particular routine. First comes the rallying call - 'All-ee, all-ee out' - which awakens the dogs from their slumbers so that they can tumble into the garden for a final 'comfort break'. Then we all make our way upstairs. 

Our dogs always sleep in our bedroom. Thus, if any of them is ill in the night, we can deal with them immediately. This is particularly important for our Dalmatians. Of the four Dallies we've had, three have had gastric torsion and in two of them the stomachs twisted. This is a life-threatening condition that occurs in deep-chested dogs. Immediate action must be taken to prevent a painful, swift death. Additionally, Frodo has idiopathic epilepsy and while he doesn't have frequent seizures, there is an ever-present danger that he might go into status epilepticus, when fits either don't cease or occur so rapidly one after the other that the brain is damaged and death follows soon after unless veterinary treatment is given to halt the fits.

Once the dogs have been counted back into the house we switch off the lights and make our way to bed. Going upstairs is not a problem for the younger dogs – three bounds for Frodo, four or five for the Labradors. Buddy usually manages to climb the stairs but a combination of very poor sight and elderly stiff limbs means that occasionally he requires assistance.

Having reached the bedroom Buddy goes to his comfortable bed on the floor, Frodo to his basket and the Labradors position themselves variously on the floor, in baskets, or, favoured site, our bed. Often there's no pretence at going to their own beds - they simply stretch out on our duvet and fall sound asleep.

Winston may or may not grace us with his presence. Periodically he likes to be the cat that walks (or sleeps) on his own. Last night we were honoured that he decided to join us.

Wherever the Labradors start the night, invariably they are on our bed by morning. Currently, this means four solid dogs spread across the available space, which becomes ever more available as they push with their paws and shove with their bodies. They snore, they dream, they twitch and whimper but the slightest unusual sound alerts them to a chorus of barking.

Now and again I leave Barry to herd the dogs and dash upstairs to get ready for bed and claim my bedspace. Sometimes he goes up before me and then it's a case of threading myself into bed between blissfully snoozing canines.

This was the scene on Sunday night.

Buddy settled quickly on his duvet.

Foxy went obediently to a basket and squintily to sleep. 

Tia is not allowed on beds or furniture in her own home but enjoys her holidays with us when she is able to take full advantage of all the soft furnishings in our house. 

Jenna also went to bed and was soon joined by Frodo, who clambered in on top of her.

 Gus believes his rightful place is our bed. From his earliest days with us his ambition was to climb onto the bed. He will sleep in a dog bed too, but prefers close contact with his humans.

Winston possessed me, lying across my arm and licking and nudging me from time to time as I attempted to read.

No wonder I stagger forth each morning, stiff and bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived from the awkward positions I've been forced to assume and the cacophony of seven animals - well, eight, including Barry. It's a great life, if you don't weaken!