Cleaning your ears while you have an infection can be very painful and is not a good idea. Consider an infection if you are having symptoms such as earaches, smelly discharge, or ringing in your ears. If you suspect that you have an infection, visit with your doctor before trying any method to clean your ear yourself. For the majority of people, this is really all you need to do. Don't pour or stick anything into your ear, and don't try to scrape anything out. The human ear is designed to be self-cleaning, and earwax flows outward to facilitate this process. So, in almost all cases, there is no reason to go digging around in there. Earwax lubricates, hydrates, and offers some protection to the delicate components of the ear canal. It also possesses antibacterial properties, and naturally carries nasty stuff out of your ear canal. The ear canal's skin and hair help direct wax out of the ear. Additionally, chewing and other jaw motions help push wax outward. Cotton swabs (e.g., Q-Tips) are great for cleaning a million different little things except for your ears. Using a cotton swab (or a rolled up napkin corner, etc.) to clean your ears will probably just push earwax down further toward your eardrum. Even worse, because of the thin skin and sensitive components inside your ear, you can easily cause punctures or other damage. Most cases of impacted earwax are caused by ill-advised cleaning methods that push wax down against the eardrum. If you want to get rid of ear wax, wait until it emerges from your ear canal. Then, wipe it and the rest of your ear with a soft, moist cloth or cotton ball. You can even use those cotton swabs that you've stopped sticking into your ear to get to all the nooks and crannies on the outer part of your ear. Basically, only worry about cleaning the parts of your ear you can see in the mirror. Cerumen (earwax) impaction almost always happens due to human habits, like regularly sticking foreign objects including cotton swabs, hearing aids, earbuds, earplugs, or a stethoscope into your ears. If you develop an earwax impaction, you'll probably use terms like "clogged," "full" or "plugged up" to describe the feeling in your ear. Wax buildup on the eardrum can also cause muffled hearing or even progressive hearing loss. Other common symptoms of impaction include earaches; ringing in the ears (tinnitus); ear canal itchiness; discharge that may smell foul; and coughing spells. In most cases, your doctor will use some combination of irrigation and manual extraction to remove impacted earwax. Any pain should be minimal, and you will probably feel the difference (and possibly notice improved hearing) almost immediately. Many of the symptoms of cerumen impaction can also indicate ear infections or other serious conditions that your doctor can diagnose and treat.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Make sure that you don't have an infection. Leave your ear canal alone. Put down the cotton swabs. Clean the outside of your ear. Recognize signs of impaction. See your doctor for impaction removal.

Article: Tell yourself that tonight is not Christmas Eve. Do the same things you always do in your bedtime routine: brush your teeth, read a book, chat with your friends, etc.. Say to yourself: "What am I gonna do tomorrow?" -- like it's any normal day: "Oh, hey, tomorrow maybe I will hang out with my 'bud', ______". A technique that, strange as it sounds, works well is to play a quiet game you can play alone (or with another hyper and excited friend or sibling), such as Mad Libs, while in bed. This will help take away your energy and help you fall fast asleep. Santa came a lot quicker than you thought! Although this may seem counterintuitive, exercise can help to calm you down. A couple hours before you go to bed, see how many push-ups, crunches, or jumping jacks you can do in your room. Exercise only for thirty minutes, though; you don't want to stay up too late. Exercising is a great way to help you feel physically tired so that your body will want to sleep. Better still, it will take your mind off Christmas for a little while. Having a warm bath will relax your muscles and make it easier to fall asleep. Squirt bath toys at imaginary targets, submerge yourself in bubbles, and relax your muscles. Try scented bubbles and soap. This might spoil any surprises and will keep you very excited and awake! Remember, Santa Claus knows when you are sleeping and when you are awake. He won't come if you are peeking. In addition to providing you with nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and L-tryptophan, warm milk can be a soothing, comforting drink that lulls you to sleep. You can also try hot herbal tea; it is very soothing and calming to drink. Just make sure it doesn't contain caffeine! When you're setting up a cookie plate for Santa is a great time to have some warm milk. Or, drink hot chocolate after you are in your pajamas. This will also help you to relax and stay warm! Don't drink coffee. The caffeine in it can keep you awake. If warm milk disgusts you on its own, add some honey. It will make for a relaxing treat. . If you are just jumping up and down and feeling hyperactive, you need to calm down; you're only feeding a buildup of excitement that it'll be hard to come down from. Read a book. Listen to music. Whatever makes you calm down and relax. Read a book. It can be about Christmas, although it doesn't really matter. Try reading a school textbook, a really boring one from your least favorite class. Read a boring book to induce sleepiness; read an exciting one to get lost in and to help take away the urgency of thinking about Christmas things. Some good non-Christmas books are Harry Potter, Twilight, School of Fear, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. They are fairly long and can keep you occupied for a while. Burn a sweet scented candle for a little while in a safe place in your room. The scent will help you to relax, particularly if you choose a scent like lavender or jasmine. Just make sure to extinguish it before you fall asleep!
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Think of it as a normal night. Play a game with someone. Exercise. Take a warm bath. Don't peek at the Christmas tree. Drink warm milk. Relax