Now I lay me down to... ZZZZZZ
Insomniacs rejoice!
Here at ROUTE 1, we're not just concerned about sports you've never heard of, films you'll never see and music you'll never hear (that's only 99.9 percent of what we do). We also offer practical tips on practical topics.
For this week's FRIDAY QUESTION, for example, we asked readers to share their go-to-sleep secrets by answering the following:
"What do you do to get to sleep at night? Any tricks?"
LISA Y. -- Currently I just fall asleep during the news, but this past weekend I took a stress management class where we tried various relaxation tapes and they were great! I plan to check out stuff on YouTube that I might be able to use at home!
LAURA C. -- I alphabetize. The way it works is you pick a topic (say, bands of the 70s) and then you have to think of an example for each letter before moving on to the next (ABBA, BTO, Chicago...). Trick is to pick a list that's just difficult enough to distract your brain from the events of the day (or anxieties about tomorrow) without being so hard that it becomes the thing that keeps you awake. If the list is too easy (for instance, breeds of dog), I make myself think of three examples per letter. Another alphabetizing exercise I do is sort of a jump rope chant: A: my name is Adam and my wife's name is Angie and we live in Arkansas and we auction art. B: my name is Bernie and my wife's name is Bonnie and we live in Birmingham and we bake bread.... You get the picture.
BRIAN M. -- What usually works for me is staying up way too late and allowing myself only four hours sleep a night. I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
MARY N.-P. -- I'm not a good person to ask, since I've always been a "bad sleeper,' but since you did... To get to sleep, I find it helps to read for a while as it seems to cancel out the voices in your head from the day. To stay asleep, I've resorted to a half dose of a prescription sleeping aid (non-narcotic of course) when I think I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night and stare at the ceiling for hours... (it works BTW).
BEKAH P. -- I drink copious amounts of alcohol.
ANNIKA H. -- Listen to music.
STEVE M. -- Usually I have no problem, but one nice idea is to try the alphabet game. For starters use AA, BB, CC. Think of a real person, fictional person, cartoon character, etc., that has those initials. Good luck with XX. Some Chinese guy I'm sure. After you have exhausted all the ones you know (ex: HH you could use Huckleberry Hound, or Hubert Humphrey, and there are plenty of others), go on to AB, then BC, then CD. See how far you can towards YZ (never made it that far). After you have exhausted those possibilities, skip a letter and do AC, then BD, then CE etc. Really think about an answer. You will probably be asleep by GG or HH. I also have a nice CD on next to my bed. Currently one by Antony and the Johnsons (did you catch Antony on the tribute DVD to Leoneard Cohen?). But again, usually I nod off by the second song.
INGER H. -- Well, with the insomnia I have I'm not sure I should be giving out any advice, but... if I do wake up in the middle of the night, which I do with irritating regularity, some combination of milk, old movie on TCM, and Benadryl can usually get me back to sleep. Usually.
JOHN S. -- Read the TH...just kidding.
ROSEANNE H. -- A little touch of brandy and a boring movie will do it for me.
MIKE M. -- Snuggle with my kids when putting them to bed. Odds are I'll fall asleep before they do.
SASKIA M. -- I don't need to do anything. No matter where or when: as soon as I lay down comfortably and close my eyes I fall asleep within a minute.
BRIAN C. -- Read from one of my own books. (Actually, I read biographies by other authors.)
KERSTIN H. -- None, but I need some!
RICK T. -- Close my eyes!!!!!! Dauhhhhhh!
ERIK H. -- If I am having trouble, I close my eyes and try to remember the minute details of lengthy car trips -- for example, driving from Lakeview, Ore., to Portland. I usually fall to sleep long while my mind drifts silently over some two-lane road in the middle of nowhere.
Here at ROUTE 1, we're not just concerned about sports you've never heard of, films you'll never see and music you'll never hear (that's only 99.9 percent of what we do). We also offer practical tips on practical topics.
For this week's FRIDAY QUESTION, for example, we asked readers to share their go-to-sleep secrets by answering the following:
"What do you do to get to sleep at night? Any tricks?"
LISA Y. -- Currently I just fall asleep during the news, but this past weekend I took a stress management class where we tried various relaxation tapes and they were great! I plan to check out stuff on YouTube that I might be able to use at home!
LAURA C. -- I alphabetize. The way it works is you pick a topic (say, bands of the 70s) and then you have to think of an example for each letter before moving on to the next (ABBA, BTO, Chicago...). Trick is to pick a list that's just difficult enough to distract your brain from the events of the day (or anxieties about tomorrow) without being so hard that it becomes the thing that keeps you awake. If the list is too easy (for instance, breeds of dog), I make myself think of three examples per letter. Another alphabetizing exercise I do is sort of a jump rope chant: A: my name is Adam and my wife's name is Angie and we live in Arkansas and we auction art. B: my name is Bernie and my wife's name is Bonnie and we live in Birmingham and we bake bread.... You get the picture.
BRIAN M. -- What usually works for me is staying up way too late and allowing myself only four hours sleep a night. I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
MARY N.-P. -- I'm not a good person to ask, since I've always been a "bad sleeper,' but since you did... To get to sleep, I find it helps to read for a while as it seems to cancel out the voices in your head from the day. To stay asleep, I've resorted to a half dose of a prescription sleeping aid (non-narcotic of course) when I think I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night and stare at the ceiling for hours... (it works BTW).
BEKAH P. -- I drink copious amounts of alcohol.
ANNIKA H. -- Listen to music.
STEVE M. -- Usually I have no problem, but one nice idea is to try the alphabet game. For starters use AA, BB, CC. Think of a real person, fictional person, cartoon character, etc., that has those initials. Good luck with XX. Some Chinese guy I'm sure. After you have exhausted all the ones you know (ex: HH you could use Huckleberry Hound, or Hubert Humphrey, and there are plenty of others), go on to AB, then BC, then CD. See how far you can towards YZ (never made it that far). After you have exhausted those possibilities, skip a letter and do AC, then BD, then CE etc. Really think about an answer. You will probably be asleep by GG or HH. I also have a nice CD on next to my bed. Currently one by Antony and the Johnsons (did you catch Antony on the tribute DVD to Leoneard Cohen?). But again, usually I nod off by the second song.
INGER H. -- Well, with the insomnia I have I'm not sure I should be giving out any advice, but... if I do wake up in the middle of the night, which I do with irritating regularity, some combination of milk, old movie on TCM, and Benadryl can usually get me back to sleep. Usually.
JOHN S. -- Read the TH...just kidding.
ROSEANNE H. -- A little touch of brandy and a boring movie will do it for me.
MIKE M. -- Snuggle with my kids when putting them to bed. Odds are I'll fall asleep before they do.
SASKIA M. -- I don't need to do anything. No matter where or when: as soon as I lay down comfortably and close my eyes I fall asleep within a minute.
BRIAN C. -- Read from one of my own books. (Actually, I read biographies by other authors.)
KERSTIN H. -- None, but I need some!
RICK T. -- Close my eyes!!!!!! Dauhhhhhh!
ERIK H. -- If I am having trouble, I close my eyes and try to remember the minute details of lengthy car trips -- for example, driving from Lakeview, Ore., to Portland. I usually fall to sleep long while my mind drifts silently over some two-lane road in the middle of nowhere.
posted by erik hogstrom at 6:30 AM
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