Sleeping Skill

I can take a nap almost anywhere. When I travel, I’m often asleep before the flight takes off. I can even fall asleep in the dentist’s chair waiting for the Novacaine to kick in. At night, I’m asleep in about five minutes.

I wasn’t always that way. Falling asleep is a skill. I’ll tell you my method.

I always start by creating a simple story in my head where something good, and highly unlikely, happens to me. The trick is to focus on something that is more fascinating than your real life. Maybe you are winning a prestigious award, inventing something that changes the world, or being the first person on the scene of an accident involving the Cirque de Soleil and a tanker of chemicals that turn out to be a powerful aphrodisiac. The images should be more attractive than whatever bothersome thoughts would float into your head if you weren’t so busy fantasizing.

After a minute or two of that, I release all controlled thoughts and simply watch what floats by. When my eyes are closed, the part of my brain that interprets vision is apparently still active, because I can see all sorts of random objects drifting by, as if a mall exploded in space. I try to identify and name them as I see them.

Toaster…car…pencil…couch…snow blower, mitten, etc.

The next thing I know, I wake up.

That’s my method. What do you think about when you are trying to sleep?

Comments

[Don - Needs Slot Machine Tips]

What is sleep?
Sleep is the natural state of bodily rest observed throughout the animal kingdom, in all mammals and birds, and in many reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

In humans, other mammals, and a substantial majority of other animals which have been studied — such as fish, birds, ants, and fruit-flies — regular sleep is necessary for survival. While sleep is essential for survival, its purposes are only partly clear and are the subject of intense research

[CopaceticOpus]

Henry T.W. says "I have never been able to figure out why anyone would want to have lucid dreams."

You've never been able to figure out why anyone would want to enter a virtual fantasy world where they can explore their wildest fantasies and craziest ideas without any consequences? Really?

[The Hollywood Nun]

I do the same thing. Usually I am some kind of warrior princess. I guess some girls never grow up.
I also have the wierd noices and bits of speech mentioned by Jacob sometimes, and it kinda freaks me out. And sometimes my cat wakes me right at the "random objects" part by jumping on the bed.

[Jacob]

This is the exact same method I invented independently, except I usually experience random sounds and bits of speech before the visuals kick in. Weird.

[Sleep Techniques for Insomniacs]

Thanks for sharing this, Scott! Similar to what I do, but putting it out there like this will help a lot of people.

[Professor A-C]

I think about why I'm not going to sleep, and what is that noise, and what just hit the window, and what do I hear on the roof, and why the heck aren't I asleep yet!

[Professor A-C]

I think about why I'm not going to sleep, and what is that noise, and what just hit the window, and what do I hear on the roof, and why the heck aren't I asleep yet!

[Jennifer Tribue]

As a chronic insomniac, I have to tell you that you've captured a technique I use! I was shocked and happy. The trick is that you occupy your mind with something so you're not worrying.

[mainfloorguy]

I think about the letters of a name. I think about painting each letter in my mind. I imagine painting one letter at a time until I see the entire name. Then the name disappears and I start again.

It is less exciting than your Cirque de Soleil accident. Thinking about "P-O-S-H-S-P-I-C-E" while in bed is much less interesting than thinking about "Posh Spice while in bed."

Even so, by doing this, falling asleep becomes a learned behavior.

[mainfloorguy]

Here's something I do. I think about the letters of a name. I think about painting each letter in my mind. I imagine painting one letter at a time until I see the entire name. Then the drawing disappears and I start again.

It is less exciting than your Cirque de Soleil accident. And there are more interesting things to think about than "P-O-S-H-S-P-I-C-E" while in bed.

But by doing this, falling asleep becomes a "learned behavior."

[Henry T.W]

I have similar ability as you Scott, I can sleep almost everywhere.

I even slept on the Borobudur monument while waiting for my friend to come. (Ok, that's nothing, except for the different setting)

But the point is... you're not that abnormal.
;p
or maybe the point is, I'm not the only pig on earth.

[Liz]

I see there is a post about lucid dreaming. I have never been able to figure out why anyone would want to have lucid dreams. Its proponents never says why they see it as a good idea, nor why they assume that everyone agrees about that.

[Photar]

I would much rather have ads in the rss feed. Heck put all the same ads in the rss feed as you have on the main site. More ads even.

The advantage of having the content come to me is worth receiving more ads.

I go to sleep by maintaining a constant level of sleep deprivation. That way when I hit the bed I'm out instantly. It also makes it easier to get sleep when I'm sick or have a migraine. I can go and sleep for 16+ hours on demand if needed.

[Joel Klebanoff]

"... The trick is to focus on something that is more fascinating than your real life. ..." In my case, that leaves way too much scope. I'd lie awake trying to settle on just one thing.

[Dio]

just for the record, I don't use RSS feeds to see this site!

[nirvana]

eat less at nite and go have a hot bath half an hour before you wnna go to bed!And dont waste much time sleeping cos as B.Frnaklin once said"You will have enough time to sleep when you are in the grave!"

[KR]

I think about naked chicks, get horny, have a bat and then fall asleep a short time after.

[Gustavo]

Well, the abriged rss had an positive side, I'm commenting for the first time. :P At first, I thought it was a joke, as the post last sentence was "At night, I’m asleep in about...". The first thing that crossed my mind was: "wtf? the guy has fallen asleep in mid-sentence? Now, THAT is fast." Only a few moments latter I associated with the previous post, and came to the blog.
I used to be a master in this art, I've had all the "interesting" lifes you could imagine (like f1 pilot, astronaut, etc.). Before becoming an "adult", I had all the powers I could imagine (stoping time, flying, being invisible, super fast, etc). I could sleep anytime, anywhere, no matter how noisy or bright.
About the rss, I dont get these "GIVE-ME-BACK-MY-RSS" people. IMO, yeah, it will be a pain in the ass, but I dont see anyone saying "take that ad away of my sight" when walking outdoors, or ripping magazines or having an outrage while in the sofa (wtf is that ad doing there? what is that company thinking? I have paid for this tv set!). It's your job and the grocery store accepts only money.

[Alex Dewar]

gawd why are there so many people whining about abridged rss feeds? i like that you can feel that a change in a service you aren't even paying for is somehow a violation of your human rights. i'd like to see the fuss you'd kick up at guantanamo...."hey guard! i asked for this medium rare!"

[Elvi]

I would like to point out to those who have complained about opening a new window that if they use a newsreader like NewsFox (a Firefox plug-in), they can just set the feed's options to show the web page instead of plain text, and presto, no new windows required.

Also, my condolences on losing that first commenter as a reader/book buyer. You must be really broken up about that.

[tea]

i always wanted to write a fantasy fiction novel, but i'm simply to busy to do so. i have all the characters and even a good deal of the storyline ready in my head, but i just can't find the time to start typeing. so when I'm trying to go to sleep I usually write my book in my mind. it's convininent because you never have to go back to correct something as the story developes into something else.

[wes]

so it took me two days to realize there was more to this post than "I can take a nap almost anywhere. When I travel, I’m often asleep before the flight takes off. I can even fall asleep in the dentist’s chair waiting for the Novacaine to kick in. At night, I’m asleep in about..." where like another commented I just thought it was a joke about being able to fall asleep so easily that you did it mid-sentence haha

please turn the RSS back on full posts and just include a little add in the RSS thing, I'm a subscriber to blogs that do that and it doesn't bother me. I hate to signal "not working at alllll" to my co-workers and boss by having that cute bright cartoony dilbert page open, but my RSS feed readers looks like i'm doing research. which is also true. sort of.

[Brandon Beemish]

Wow, so many people hate reading your blog, and have the time to write a note about it. Good for them.

Kill the RSS feeds if that's all it takes to keep you going.

[Ben Hyrman]

Easy, although I'm out of practice with the first.

In college, when I needed a nap, I'd get into a neutral position and then, starting with my toes, I'd imagine shutting down each body part. As I did that, each part would get slightly tingly. I'd do my toes, then legs, then fingers, arms, torso, nose, mouth, forehead.

I'd also just zone out and shut my thoughts down. I could then lay there in a semi-sleep state for half an hour or so and then snap out of it feeling like I'd just woken up from a four hour nap.

I don't nap any more so I'm very much out of practice and it takes longer to zone out.

When I go to sleep at night, I usually just pass out. However, if I'm restless, then I'll work on tightening and relaxing different groups of muscles. I'll clench and then release my calves, then thighs, then fists, shoulders. After that, I might put a CD playing from some therapist (I forget her name), she uses hypnotic phrases to help shut down.

Anyway, that's what I do.

[Marko]

i was wondering why the feed was so short. that sucks. I hate loading up sites in my RSS reader. Slows down my entire pc :((

I think about mind control powers and how i would rule the world and have lots of fast cars, beautiful women, big mansions and then i fall asleep :)

What can i say i'm probably a megalomaniac