Parade was having a busy day at work and only had time to quickly duck to the supermarket to get something for lunch that she could eat at her desk. 

She gathered up the couple of items she needed and went to wait in line at the express checkout. 

As she stood in line, she observed two older gentlemen, clearly friends, having a chat while they waited for service. 

When it came time for the first man to be served, the second turned to face Parade and politely encouraged her to take his place.

Stunned, Parade had to ask if he was sure and the man responded with, “I’ve got all the time in the world”. 

Parade was feeling guilty when she noticed the man only had one item, but he smiled happily and reassured her that he didn’t have anywhere to be. 

His small gesture saved Parade a little bit of time and allowed her to get back to work faster. 

PARADE often has trouble getting to sleep, sometimes finding herself still trying to nod off more than two hours after getting into bed.

This week, she decided to find suggestions from experts about what might make the difference. 

Among the tips she found was to stick a foot out from underneath the blankets, which tricks the brain into thinking the temperature has dropped if it is too hot. 

Getting a new pillow is also thought to help, as pillows can become uncomfortable over time after constant use. 

Other tips Parade saw were to keep a consistent bed time, avoid caffeine and alcohol four hours before bed and switch off devices 30 minutes before bed.

In addition to switching off devices, Parade read that having a dimly lit bath before bed can be useful.

This prepares the body for sleep as the lighting makes it look like sundown. 

While she is yet to try any of these and can’t confirm if they’ll work, Parade hopes one or more of them may be useful for others who struggle to sleep.