text: does this sound right? is the grammer correct? i used to stare at the pictures, until eventually i became sleepy; a trick that was very useful when i used to be too excited to sleep if christmas was coming, or my birthday! i don't think it is exactly incorrect, but it doesn't read very well. i think you have the sentence the wrong way around. i would suggest re-writing it as follows:  "if i was too excited to sleep because christmas or my birthday was coming, then i would stare at the pictures until i eventually became sleepy. it was a very useful trick!"