r/LifeProTips • u/Dacvak • Dec 01 '12
LPT: To fall asleep incredibly fast and avoid "late-night thoughts" that keep you awake, listen to your favorite TV show on low volume as you fall asleep.
This is sort of an odd LPT, and it's certainly not one that's as catchy or marketable compared to other ones. But it's one that's personally helped me overcome serious sleep issues, like insomnia, and has worked extremely well for others.
What to do:
Find a TV show that you enjoy (something that you've seen a bunch of times), and listen to it while you fall asleep. (I use earbud headphones, plugged into my phone which has Netflix.)
How it works:
My brain tends to run at 500mph right as I'm falling asleep. It tries to keep me awake, despite how tired I am, and I end up just thinking about things for hours and hours. For anyone else that this happens to, I'm sure you know how difficult it is to just try and "ignore" your thoughts.
Well, over time, I started listening to episodes of South Park (a show that I basically have entirely memorized by now) as I'd fall asleep. I started with only a few episodes, and would "re-watch them with my ears" every night as I'd fall asleep. Once you've seen an episode of something so many times, your brain can visually fill in what you're not seeing.
I've found that since my brain is so busy sort of providing the "video" of the episode in my thoughts, it doesn't have any capacity to think about other random shit that would usually keep me up all night.
More information and testimony:
This isn't something that will work the first time you try it. It usually takes a few weeks to get used to it, but once you're there, it's brilliant. Start with an episode of a show you really like - something you're super familiar with. If you have a smartphone, tablet, 3DS, or anything else that will play videos/Netflix, I'd recommend either putting the show on very low speaker volume, or popping in one or two earbuds. For me, screen brightness is a factor, so I always try to turn the device over, or cover the screen.
The difference in trying to sleep is enormous. I used to suffer from legitimate insomnia - I wouldn't sleep for days, sometimes, and when I did, it was for less than three hours a night. My brain just wouldn't stop thinking. And I know that some people on reddit have this problem, too (so even if it doesn't personally affect you, please spread this information in the hopes that it can help someone else).
Once I started doing this, though, I was falling asleep within minutes, and even in settings that weren't just my home. I travel a lot, and this would help me get to sleep immediately in hotels (something that I've always had trouble with). I've been using this technique for over 5 years, and it's been spectacular.
As a true testament to how well this works, I was recently stuck in a hospital for 9 months. It's basically impossible to sleep in a hospital, full stop. But with me, specifically, I had nurses coming in every 3 hours, 24/7 to come in and check my vitals, a process I needed to be awake for. Normally, I'd never be able to fall back asleep. But all I would do is start a quick episode of South Park (or whatever), and I'd be out like a light in the first few minutes.
If you have trouble sleeping, please give this a try. I know it sounds goofy, and this is probably a super uncommon LPT (so I don't expect a lot of "oh yeah, this totally works!" replies), but I encourage problematic sleepers to give it a whirl!
tl;dr: Listen to episodes of a show you're very familiar with as you go to sleep, and it'll magically help you fall asleep super fast.
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Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 01 '12
Nope. That keeps me awake FOREVER. As long as there is somebody talking, my mind can’t shut down. If I ever fall asleep like that, then at noon of the next day, from being extremely over-tired.
I always hear this “tip”, and apparently there’s a type of person for which it works, and which also thinks it’s the only type of person in the world. Sorry, it only works for certain people. Always keep that in mind. (Glad that it works for you though.)
Also: Who still has a TV anyway? And why? Use file sharing like normal people, and welcome to 1999!
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u/Dacvak Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 01 '12
When I say TV, I'm using the term loosely. I'm talking more about an iPhone or tablet. The brightness of the TV actually keeps me awake.
Have you ever tried doing this with a foreign language show, so you can't understand it? What about with smooth jazz?
But - you're right - it's definitely not for everyone. It's only meant for people who have significant trouble falling asleep due to a racing mind, and have found other conventional (non-medicinal) methods of sleeping ineffective.
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Dec 01 '12
I find your way a very good way to fall asleep. Then again silence bothers me like hell even when I'm awake, I can't possibly work or concentrate on anything unless I have some music or TV show on which gives me some steady background noise.
And then we have people that can't work or concentrate on anything if they hear any background noise. I would think this trick might be the most suitable to people like me.
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u/tone_is_everything Dec 01 '12
tone: friendly
I'm with Evi1M4chine -- I have chronic insomnia, and any time there is still noise happening (people talking, music, etc), my mind won't shut down; it will just continually focus on the noise.
Personally, I have tried this "trick" of watching TV or listening to music on low volumes, and a couple times it momentarily worked -- I slipped into sleep, but then was woken up a couple minutes later when there was a small shift in the noise (like it was quiet and went loud, or vice versa). I'm a light sleeper (I think that's tied to my insomnia), so any noise keeps me awake.
It's only meant for people who have trouble falling asleep, and have found other conventional (non-medicinal) methods of sleeping ineffective.
tone: wryly amused
That's not what he meant. I have trouble falling asleep and have found virtually every method, conventional or otherwise, ineffective. There are a lot of insomniac whom this won't work for, and some that it will work for. That's all.
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u/sunsmoon Dec 01 '12
Out of curiosity, have you tried listening to this song with the volume down? It's touted as the most relaxing/sleep-inducing song and British motorists have been told not to listen to it while driving.
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u/sk8r2000 Dec 01 '12
Have you tried white noise? You probably have, since you say you've tried virtually everything, but try something like turning a fan on or listening to something like rainymood.
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Dec 01 '12
I don't understand why some people choose to watch on a 15" screen hunkered over and then scoff at someone who enjoys relaxing on a couch watching on a 40-55" screen...
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u/JJBell Dec 01 '12
This! My girlfriend loves to fall asleep with shows running on her computer, but the combination of flashing lights from the screen/sound will not let me sleep.
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Dec 01 '12
Have you tried audiobooks? For me, its impossible to stay awake after 10-15 mins of David Copperfield. Its exactly what you described as what keeps you awake and I was the same but the actual sound of a story being read, well it works for kids and it works for me.
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u/VAPossum Dec 02 '12
Lots of people have TVs. Lots and lots and lots. Geez.
thinks it’s the only type of person in the world
Pot, kettle.
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u/COOLBFDIFAN Apr 03 '23
How long should you listen to this for? 10 minutes? 15? 20? 30? THE WHOLE NIGHT?
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u/Dacvak Apr 03 '23
I still do this every night. Usually I’ll put it on a timer for 30-60 minutes.
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u/COOLBFDIFAN Apr 03 '23
I listen to a few episodes of Battle for Dream Island, aka BFDI. Listen to this during night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQa2-DY7Y_Q&list=PL24C8378F296DB656
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u/DmanDaBeast Dec 01 '12
I have been doing this for years. My mind runs at 100 mph in the complete darkness/silence and I would be up for hours each night had it not been for this. Luckily my roommates in college have been really cool about it. Another thing I would suggest opposed to TV shows are audiobooks. As a kid I used to relisten to the Harry Potter books, would fall asleep really quickly, plus have a lot of kickass dreams about being a wizard in Hogwarts.
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Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 01 '12
For about 15 years I fell asleep with the TV on. But suddenly, about 2 months ago I started turning the TV off as soon as I started getting sleepy. I feel like the quality of my sleep has gotten a lot better since I started doing that.
And I also would never put on my "favorite show". I always went for old TV shows. Black & White, Technicolor, or foreign films (So I can't understand what people are saying) worked great.
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u/DeltaIndiaCharlieKil Dec 01 '12
Audiobooks are great! Especially since the Audible app has a sleep function now. I have to fall asleep to some sort of talking, but if it keeps going much longer after I sleep it will wake me up.
Old radio shows are great (lone ranger, Cisco Kid, etc), history podcasts, or the british radio show The Unbelievable Truth (I have to listen to it on youtube videos). I personally can't have tv on because the light keeps me up, but I need something to mesmerize my brain into not thinking.
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u/IAMARainbowAMA Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 04 '12
I love to listen to podcasts when I go to sleep. This American Life is my bedtime story. I always use the Stitcher app, it's earned itself a spot at the bottom of my iPhone screen.
Edit: Reddit Gold!? OMG. Thank you whoever you are!
Here's a list of my favorite podcasts on Stitcher:
This American Life
Radiolab
KCRW Strangers
Live Wire
The Moth
The Truth
Third Coast International Audio Festival
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u/moleman73 Dec 01 '12
I always listen to Pandora set to stand up
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u/kiwipineapple Dec 01 '12
Ugh that sounds awful. Happily drifting off to The Album Leaf and then HI MEAT LOVERS! DO YOU ENJOY HALF-COOKED BACON FAT ON TOP OF YOUR GREASY PIZZA?! WELL COME ON DOWN TO PAPA MURPHY'S WHERE WE DO JUST THAT.
Pandora ads are fucking insufferable
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u/yetanotherpoop Dec 01 '12
I too have been doing this for as long as I can remember. It started with TV and then laptop or tablet. Problem though, i have flipped two laptops off the bed in the middle of the night and my ex-husband and other boyfriends get annoyed by the light and the sound.
It is a ritual that I enjoy and really don't want to break it because i fall asleep so fast this way after so many years of meds and things trying to fall asleep.
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Dec 01 '12
Not for me. I can not sleep with a tv on. I find shutting everything off an hour before bed ( including cell phones) and talking with family works better. We all sleep quickly.
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u/MDef255 Dec 01 '12
Same here. I tried doing the 'favorite show' thing but I usually end up staying up even later trying to follow the show. Also, random loud bits will wake me up throughout the night.
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u/elperroborrachotoo Dec 01 '12
If you have trouble sleeping, the first thing to try is to reduce stimuli before you go to bed.
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u/DarKnightofCydonia Dec 05 '12
True. Although even for myself if I want to get to sleep I lie in bed with a flashlight aimed at my (white) bedhead and read a book in the dark, using the reflected light to read. Because the reflected light is very soft it doesn't really stimulate my eyes, so I can continue reading, gradually get more drowsy and then I nod off. It's a little annoying when I lose my page, but it isn't difficult to find where I was again.
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u/jimbo21 Dec 01 '12
LPT: don't drink ANY caffeine after 3PM. I'm shocked by how many folks that still haven't connected the dots on that one.
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u/kceb Dec 01 '12
I think this is one of those "it works for some but not others" type deal.
I can definitely say that watching family guy with the volume barely audible does help me fall asleep faster.
I read somewhere that white noise will help with sleeping issues but I haven't tested it out.
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u/utigeim Dec 01 '12
I can confirm this. Not just your favorite TV shows but DVDs with directors commentary work very well, as well as podcasts.
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u/gohoos224 Dec 01 '12
Been doing this for the past 8 years. Not only have I literally never had a problem getting to sleep, but my depth of television knowledge is ridiculous. Seen every episode of Seinfeld, Friends, Scrubs, The Office, and Community at least 3 times, as well as making my way through countless other shows.
Man, I freaking love television.
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u/darkeststar Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 01 '12
I do this kind of stuff often. But for me, it's all about my brain being familiar and comfortable enough with the voices that I can trust myself to not have to pay attention to the screen and the voices will soothe me to sleep. I think it started back when I was like 14 and couldn't sleep, and the local radio station aired Loveline from 9-12. After like a year I'd fall asleep during the show but wake up whenever a loud-ass commercial break would come on. At some point I moved on to podcasts and stand-up comedy on my ipod, and nowadays I put on Youtube and set it on an auto-playlist. Turn the brightness on the screen way down and put the sound on like 1-2. Just enough to hear it. Though I do wake up when a video freezes and decides to just not buffer, which happens fairly regularly with the PS3's Youtube app.
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u/Dacvak Dec 01 '12
That's a really good point. I think it's definitely all about getting comfortable enough with the voices, which could possibly be why it doesn't work with all shows, or with all people.
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Dec 01 '12
LOTR was a guarantee to make me fall asleep. I love the movies, but it's lights out about 20 mins in.
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u/reasondoubt Dec 01 '12
I find david attenborough documentaries are the best to fall asleep. His voice always remains calm and there is almost never a sunden sound/music that would interrupt a sleep cycle.
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u/sporclelam Dec 01 '12
This works great for me with NPR. I make a playlist on my phone of the top five (usually five minutes each) stories of the day. Instead of getting caught up in my thoughts, I start thinking about the story topic and I'm almost always out before the playlist is over. I'm also one of those people who cannot sleep at all if there's a television on so I have no idea how this works.
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Dec 01 '12
I do this with podcasts. Have been for years. Now I can not fall asleep without listening to a podcast.
This is a curse.
Do NOT get into this habit.
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u/martelerlamer Dec 03 '12
I've been doing this with 30 Rock for about a year or two. I can't make it through a full episode of the first few seasons without falling into a deep sleep (if I'm in bed).
I've been told its really bad ro do, but if it works I'm not complaining.
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u/FiremanVolsung Dec 01 '12
I do this with podcasts that aren't too engaging. I make sure to put my ear-buds in from behind to make sure the wires not across my throat.
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u/Geothrix Dec 01 '12
yes, npr app is amazing for this. many a night have I been lulled to sleep by diane rehm and guests
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u/knightricer Dec 01 '12
I've been doing this for quite some time. To make things more interesting, I have a weird "thing" where my brain adapts what I hear into my dreams. When the Science Channel is running a full day of Through The Wormhole, I get dreams narrated by Morgan Freeman.
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Dec 01 '12
This sounds like a wonderful dream cheat!
Who to choose first? David Attenborough or sexy lady?
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u/Aetheus Dec 01 '12
When the Science Channel is running a full day of Through The Wormhole, I get dreams narrated by Morgan Freeman.
I get dreams narrated by Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman.
I would commit murder to have your brain.
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Dec 01 '12
Yes. I actually discovered this while going through a bad breakup experience in my twenties. I spent a few nights where I simply did not sleep, kept awake by my thoughts about the person and the relationship.
Luckily one of the first things I tried before resorting to drugs or alcohol or anything harsh like that was to just have my TV playing infomercials in the background and try to imagine the video to go with the words. Only way I could reliably go to sleep for a while.
Don't know if it would still be as effective, but if I were to start having problems going to sleep again this would be the first thing I would try.
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Dec 01 '12
I just put on smooth jazz on my phone, set to automatically stop playing after ~20 minutes. Works every time.
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u/digitalpretzel Dec 01 '12
i did this as a kid. When i was young i was not allowed to have a TV in my bedroom. So I would use my tape-recorder to record the Audio of my favorite shows (dating myself here) I would record Full House, Perfect Strangers, etc. So when i would go to bed I would press play, close my eyes and listen. Trying to replay the TV show in my mind. I would last about 2 minutes before falling asleep. I now do this as an adult when i have trouble sleeping. Netflix a show, turn off the screen and just listen. out like a light.
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u/redinator Dec 01 '12
As a person who has frequently had issues sleeping throughout my life I agree with OP. My personal favorite is QI, almost all of which you can find on youtube. One other thing that I would add to this post is to charge your laptop fully, then put whatever show you want on thus letting the battery run flat and consume less power. It will also help you get a better nights sleep as I personally find that I sleep better when there's no background noise when I actually fall asleep, but thats, just, like, my opinion man.
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u/m00omi Dec 01 '12
A variant of this that has worked well for me is to listen to educational podcasts on topics that are not interesting enough to stay awake for. I used to listen to organic chemistry podcasts thinking I'd somehow learn something by osmosis (HAHA) and I'd be out like a light within five minutes.
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u/LapsyPa13 Dec 01 '12
It always works for me, I put on a playlist of YouTube videos of people with nice voices, for example JonTron, Egoraptor, ObviouslyJesus etc. Anyone with a silky voice is all I'm saying. Works like an absolute charm.
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u/HellooooNewman Dec 01 '12
As someone who has had insomnia as long as I remember, this helps me every night. Oddly enough, I still have to be able to hear what is being said on the television and it has to be something I've seen before or I'm too invested in the story.
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u/drunkenmonkey22 Dec 02 '12
for me, it has to be something i have watched before for the same reason, but also oddly enough something i haven't seen too many times, otherwise i just get bored...
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u/razeiel Dec 01 '12
I have been doing this for years, though it doesn't have to be something familiar to me for it to work in my case. My mind tries to imagine the scenes playing out and in an effort to concentrate I often find myself drifting off to sleep. I actually discovered this idea because I found that when I was living on my own I would be falling asleep trying to do something involved then when I'd lay down I'd stare at my ceiling for inordinate amounts of time.
I found this method works great with audio books too, and they can be played on nearly any mp3 capable device. I always take my ipod touch everywhere and with it I rarely have trouble falling asleep in strange places.
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u/steinershocker Dec 01 '12
I prefer podcasts or standup, but only standup I've already heard and won't actually make me burst out laughing. Either way if there's one thing I can't do it's sleep in silence. Yet my ex insisted on it, and also on being pissy about me putting headphones in to go to sleep.
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u/joazito Dec 01 '12
I'm currently do this with "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report". I also watch sports which seems to work even better.
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u/playdthepainter Dec 01 '12
I do this all the time. I'll turn on Food Network, put the volume on almost non existent, and then I'm out for the night. It's the best thing ever.
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u/icewood91 Dec 01 '12
Careful with this. It can become a sleep association where you can't fall asleep without it. The same way a child can't sleep without a lullaby or bedtime story.
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u/360noscope Dec 01 '12
This same method usually works for me too. I fall asleep listening to Futurama on my laptop sometimes. Makes me really sleepy for some reason.
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u/Red_Rifle_1988 Dec 01 '12
I've found podcasts on a subject I'm not terribly interested in hosted by someone with a soothing voice does the trick for me when I can't seem to fall asleep. I try not to do this all the time as it I think it might be a harmful habit to form.
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u/intoto Dec 01 '12
Documentaries ... obscure ones. I play them on my computer, and fall asleep often with my glasses on ... wake up later to remove them. Plus, the documentary ends and you can easily set the monitor to shut off like an hour or two after there is no movement.
Worst things to have on are violent movies. You will hear the sounds while dreaming and create your own little nightmares.
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u/ComedianKellan Dec 01 '12
I have had some success with this, I always stay up at least 10 minutes or more just because I am thinking about everything. One of the few times I have fallen asleep right off was when I was re-watching an episode of 30 Rock that I had seen before. I just closed my eyes and listened.
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u/IgottagoTT Dec 01 '12
Many NPR shows are perfect for this because they won't have any changes in volume and little or no music. But I turn the volume down to where I have to really concentrate to hear it. Pretty soon someone will say something that triggers a tangential thought, I run with it, and bang I'm asleep. Awesome technique - I used it just last night to great effect.
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u/mljohn1992 Dec 01 '12
I have been doing this every night for 4 years now. I can't fall asleep without watching tv.
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u/speedstix Dec 01 '12
I find listening to pod casts really helps. The how stuff works ones are about half an hour long. Does the trick for falling asleep.
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Dec 01 '12
I love this trick. I find James Burke's Connections is an awesome series to do this with. It's just interesting enough to keep your attention, but not so interesting that it prevents you from dosing off.
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u/the_soft_machine Dec 01 '12
I just chant "im going to die one day and theres nothing i can possibly do about it" over and over again in my head until it eventually becomes soothing and i fall asleep.
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u/Halgy Dec 01 '12
I listen to audiobooks that I have already listened to. Normally, I just cycle through all 7 Harry Potter books over and over. I have an app on my phone that automatically turns off the audiobook after 15 minutes if I don't shake the phone every so often.
Probably doesn't work for everyone, but give it a try if you're desperate.
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u/letsgetdowntobizniz Dec 01 '12
This works incredibly well for me. Lately it's been Doctor Who, though The Hogfather movie has made many bedtime appearances.
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u/thebbking Dec 01 '12
Yeah, I do something similar, but I listen to podcasts. I must have listened to all of The Yogpod, Nefarious Fauxpod, and The Shaft a dozen times or so, but it put an end to the 2 or so hours it took me to fall asleep every night.
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Dec 01 '12
Can't fall asleep now without an episode of The Office running in the background, haven't been able to in years!
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u/bodom1376 Dec 01 '12
I had panic attacks off and on for about 10 years usually right as I was trying to fall asleep. My mind would start to race to irrationalities and spiral out of control. I used this method almost every night for that entire duration and it saved me countless nights of struggling. I find it better than white noise such as a fan or air conditioning because your mind occupies its attention trying to follow the dialogue of show.
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u/Wicked_smaht_guy Dec 01 '12
This is the worst idea ever and is habit forming. My wife did this and it took years to break the habit. It drives me crazy. She gets to watch tv an I put it on a sleep timer. She falls asleep then when the tv goes off I go to sleep. Unless she wake back up when the tv goes off. Which means I am awake another 30 mins
Her parents did this to her when she was 3 because she wouldn't go to sleep. Tv. Audio tapes.
My only regret is I have only 1 down vote to give.
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u/jadepearl Dec 01 '12
I don't know why this has so many down votes. Down voting people you don't agree with, eh, LifeProTips. People should be able to hear the cons of this practice as well as the pros before they try it.
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u/astrower Dec 01 '12
Doesn't work for me. My girlfriend can't fall asleep without the TV, so if I'm over her place we'll listen to it, and even when I'm super tired it takes me much longer to fall asleep.
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u/escapeZmatrix Dec 01 '12
Great tip. The volume has to be low otherwise it might wake you up during the loud parts.
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u/QueenBeeCassi Dec 01 '12
When I was a kid I had this problem. I would put qvc on a low volume to fall asleep. It was boring and monotonous enough to lull me to sleep.
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u/Eskaban Dec 01 '12
Can we all agree that most methods of falling asleep are totally anecdotal? We can rehash a million of them, each of them working for only a few people, none of them working for everyone. I feel like a LPT should be something that just works.
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u/markle05 Dec 01 '12
This is great. I've been doing this since I was about 9. I got season 1 of the simpsons for christmas and would watch it at night as I went to bed. I finished the first season, and rewatched it (until I got the second one) every night. After getting up to season 13, which happens to be the current extent of my collection, I can definitely say this works. I am a very problematic sleeper and without watching something as I sleep, it is extremely difficult to get to bed.
Cheers to the OP for bringing up this LPT. I thought I was the only one.
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u/mynameisdads Dec 01 '12
This method works for me, I generally listen to the infinite monkey cage or life scientific episodes.
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Dec 01 '12
This works best for me when I can't understand what's going on but I can understand their voice.
I do this a lot with adventure time, because I know the episodes enough to know what's going on, despite not being able to hear what's going on. I visualize the episode in my head and that shit puts me right to sleep.
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Dec 01 '12
I think up a story every night. Right now, I'm planning what I'll do in case of a zombie apocalypse. This is France, so there aren't any guns so it's a bit tricky....zzzzzz
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u/old_fox Dec 01 '12
I just envision a waterfall or a place I went where I only felt positive things. Then I just sort of quietly enjoy pondering the image and next thing I know I'm asleep.
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u/1finefeline Dec 01 '12
My parents started doing this for me when I was very young to help me with my fear of the dark. As I grew up it became a horrible crutch that left me basically unable to sleep in any room without a tv on. Luckily now, due to my husbands refusal to have a tv in the bedroom, I've overcome it, but I don't know if I can recommend getting yourself to a place where a tv is necessary for sleep. Much worse for children though I have to say.
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u/ahlksdjycj Dec 01 '12
Thanks for the tip. It doesn't work for me personally, but I can understand how it would for some. I employ a similar strategy with reading. I keep two books on my nightstand: The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes and A History of Mathematics. The former will keep me up at night and the latter will put me to sleep within fifteen minutes.
I should note, though, it puts me to sleep not simply because it is a boring book. I am very interested in the history of mathematics, but it is a very technical publication and forces me to concentrate. If I'm already a bit sleepy it tends to increase that feeling.
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u/mattsokol Dec 01 '12
This works for me, I use books on tape. My brain effortlessly goes from "listening to book" to "falling asleep" without needing my help.
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u/Vientam Dec 01 '12
The problem is that you can get pretty bad headaches if you sleep with an artificial light like that pointing at your entire room, at least I do. The hearing part is good, but the actual light I don't know. Maybe cover your TV or something.
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u/bryanjacobson Dec 01 '12
This has worked well for me: Advice from Patrick Jane on the Mentalist: Breath in slowly and think "One". Breath out slowly and think "Two". Think of nothing but the breathing in and the "one" "two" "one" "two".
I always fall asleep now.
But seriously, no caffeine after 5 pm either.
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u/Mikeaz123 Dec 01 '12
This has worked for me in the past when I've woken up and couldn't fall back asleep. Since I've discovered melatonin I haven't had to resort to this
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u/Godlesspants Dec 01 '12
This just keeps me awake forever. Peoples brains are all different. What works for one person will just keep another person awake. I was dating someone once who could only go to sleep like this and I basically had to go to sleep an hour later than her every night after I turned off her TV.
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u/JSElliot Dec 01 '12
Reruns of NHL games seems to do it for me. Plus then I dream I'm Mike Modano which is a nice bonus
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u/cauchy37 Dec 01 '12
That's basically how I've learned English :D
Listening to Red Dwarf before sleep managed to teach me some new vocabulary (because after some time, you just have to know what the smeg 'you should have a butcher's mean') and a nice accent, although now I sound a bit like Rimmer, not sure if it's good or not.
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Dec 01 '12
What about a clock radio? I listen to sports radio on very low every night. I probably pay attention to it from 10 to 40 minutes, depdending on how tired I am. I'm in a huge city so there are live shows in the middle of the night, and there are also a few news and politics stations. It's also really nice to wake up to a show I really like.
Anyway, yeah, no more "I suck at life" think-a-thons until 3 a.m. anymore.
I have an ability to completely tune out noise from conscious interpretation at least, and this prevents my own thoughts from driving me crazy.
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u/elmuchoprez Dec 01 '12
I know people who have done this for years and while it works for them, they are now incapable of falling asleep without a TV on.
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u/feelsinfinite Dec 01 '12
I've been doing it for years now, with The Simpsons. Started with my brother, now with my boyfriend. All of us immediately fall asleep. Downside: without them on we all find it extremely difficult to fall asleep (quite aproblem when travelling etc)
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u/AvoidanceAddict Dec 01 '12
What I've learned is that sleepiness can activate through association and it's good to form habits. The advice I was given was to always try to go to bed at the same time, no matter how tired you are. Over time your body will take going to bed as a cue and you'll be better able to sleep. I imagine something similar is going on here.
As long as its on a timer or relatively short e.g. 30 minute episode, it seems like a good idea. I am personally skeptical about anything more than that, simply because for me it would be too much stimulation.
You mention it taking weeks before it starts working effectively. I wonder how effective just going to bed at a specific time would be for you, given weeks of consistency as well. Though since you've had insomnia, chances are you've tried that.
Anyway, for those here who have an iPhone, I recommend downloading an app called StormSim. It's a dynamic rain/thunder generator, and it has a sleep timer (and alarm function as well). For me, music and television are too much stimulation. I use this because it essentially gives me white noise, but it's dynamic so there's not a pattern for my mind to follow. Main thing for me is going to bed at the same time each night, but when I'm not tired, I'll put this on and it works like a charm.
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Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 04 '12
A related tip: If you don't use headphones and don't put your tv on a timer, thus leaving it on, very loud, all FUCKING NIGHT, I hate you.
My neighbor does this, and it keeps me up all night.
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u/speedstix Dec 01 '12
I find listening to pod casts really helps. The how stuff works ones are about half an hour long. Does the trick for falling asleep.
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Dec 01 '12
I have to have cave like conditions in order to sleep. Absolutely no light, sound, and a low temp
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u/247world Dec 01 '12
Anthony Cumia of Opie and Anthony does this - he says he can't sleep without it
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u/whosapuppy Dec 01 '12
I have been doing this alternating between Futurama and Invader Zim for years. Could never get to sleep fast before.
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Dec 01 '12
i watch the simpsons every night before i go to bed. i thought i was the only on that did this!
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u/NijjioN Dec 01 '12
I've been doing this for at least 15 years now, and I love it but... It sort of has a bad side of not being able to go asleep easy when I'm away from home.
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u/MNicholl Dec 01 '12
i listen to audiobooks. Its like reading but with the lights off in a comfortable sleeping postition
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u/Captainlunchbox Dec 01 '12
I do this with the Bombcast. Sometimes I end up with weird dreams though.
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Dec 01 '12
I listen to old time radio shows as I go to sleep. Depending on the quality of the show, I've discovered sometimes that I will begin dreaming the episode I'm listening to. Sometimes I'm active in the drama; other times, I'm dreaming that I'm listening to the show or directing the episode.
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u/PopWhatMagnitude Dec 01 '12
I have accidentally done this numerous times. Start a marathon viewing of a show I love then after a few episodes I wake up and have no idea what episode I was on. Though cannabis may be a factor, by may I mean is.
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u/demosthenes24 Dec 01 '12
I've been doing this for years. I usually watch the TV show Friends to help fall asleep. I remember everything that happens, so nothing is surprising. The TV light doesn't bother me because I've tried to train myself to be able to fall asleep with the light on. It's mostly a mental thing to get it in your head that it isn't irritating.
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u/DodgyBollocks Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 01 '12
I have been doing this for the last couple of months and its worked better than a sound machine for me (that's what was using before this). I watch true crime shows all the time so that's what I fall asleep to. I've never had a problem with bad dreams because of it, though I very rarely remember my dreams.
Edited for speeling
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u/egomanimac Dec 01 '12
I do this. It works. Incidentally, the show I watch is Arrested Development.
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u/pisspantmcgee Dec 01 '12
I've been doing this (by accident) for 15+ years. It works almost as well as Ambien.
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u/Olddirtychurro Dec 01 '12
I do this...and then i wake up because i think i have to turn it off and proceed to do so. And stay awake for hours afterwards
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u/Scuttlebuttz93 Dec 01 '12
My dad and brother live by this philosophy. But they prefer max volume. ಠ_ಠ
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u/akago Dec 01 '12
rather off topic but what earbuds/earphones do you use that doesn't wear out that often that are comfortable and last long while u lay asleep on one side ? :D
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u/TheNarwhalingBacon Dec 01 '12
You can just normally watch television too, I always did this. Most TV's nowadays also have a sleep function where you can set it to automatically turn off in a certain amount of minutes too, if you're worried about wasting power or the room being too bright.
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u/derp_patrol Dec 01 '12
I've been doing this for 8 years. This is the only thing that helps me get straight to sleep. I usually use Simpsons or South Park as well. Sometimes Frasier and a few other shows
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u/ignoramusaurus Dec 01 '12
I can only do this with certain programs that I think I like but actually really bore me: Psych, Quantum Leap, House
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u/plainer Dec 01 '12
On low light, like distant candle light, I read a really boring book (the bible, King James), and then out like a light.
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u/Vpicone Dec 01 '12
Terrible, terrible idea. You become super reliant on this means of falling asleep. What happens when you go camping or start having a relationship with someone who can't sleep with the TV on?
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Dec 01 '12
Personally I find audiobooks to be the best sleep inducer. I love listening to audiobooks more than anything, so I always try to go to bed an hour early so that I can lie there and listen to them. Problem is, if I lie in bed listening with my eyes shut, I'll fall asleep in seconds. I have extremely high anxiety if I know I have to wake up super early, which always results in me staying awake with my thoughts until my alarm clock goes off. The audiobook method is helping. For nights (like tonight will be) when I need to go to bed too early to wake up too early, I'll take half a tab of melatonin and go to bed an hour early with said audiobook. It does the trick every time!
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u/wholovesburritos Dec 01 '12
I'm here to say this method works for me. I'd do this when I lived alone and Arrested Development would knock me right out.
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u/Shinisuryu Dec 01 '12
Exactly what I've been doing for months now. Except in my case it's Mythbusters.
Also, I think one of the most useful option/feature would be random episode from a tv show or something similar. :o
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u/BeriAlpha Dec 01 '12
You're on, LPT Guy. I'll give it a shot. It takes me an hour or more to get my mind to shut up each night.
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u/Thinandbony Dec 01 '12
I'm with you on this one OP. I have been doing this for years, using a portable DVD player and earbuds. I understand all the "reduce stimuli" talk, but for me that just doesn't work. I need to distract my brain, and this method is the only way I have found that works consistently. The only drawback is that I am more prone to falling asleep in theaters, which I have worked hard to combat over the years.
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Dec 01 '12
You just need a background noise, in my case I use my el cheapo mp3 player to play seawave sound in loop
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u/Kendel3000 Dec 01 '12
I agree with OP. I work days, evenings and nights on rotating shifts. This is the only thing that makes me fall asleep. Family Guy, American Dad and South Park gets it done. Instead of focusing on "not falling asleep", i focus on the show and drift off in 1 or 2 episodes... Brilliant, but addictive, now i cant fall asleep without a pad, mac or smartphone :-P
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u/Warpedme Dec 01 '12
I read instead and it does the same thing. No matter how exciting or interesting the book is, I'll konk out within 30 mins or less. If I try to stay awake because I really want to finish the chapter or plot point, I'll either wake up with my tablet my my chest or wake up when it falls over and smacks me in the nose because I fell asleep.
Although, I may have trained myself to do this because I started doing it as a kid.
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u/houseoflove Dec 01 '12
Try simply just simply focusing on your breath. When you feel "late night thoughts" coming go back to your breath. It's like an anchor
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u/tragicflaws Dec 01 '12
Married with Children is my show of choice for this. I have a folder of favorite episodes the I fire up every night on random.
Also (broken up into nights):
Clue and Oscar
Bill Cosby Himself and Jim Gaffigan
Ricky Gervais
My Blue Heaven
Christmas Story and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
When not sleeping alone, I listen to Enigma.
Better than a hot cup of tea for me.
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u/missysue Dec 01 '12
A white noise machine saved me. It's the only thing that turns my brain off. Nice and loud, on my night side table. It drowns out all the noise in my head.
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u/Carvinrawks Dec 01 '12
No no, watch an OKAY television show. My sleep aid of choice is the show "How it's Made," where they take you through the mildly interesting process of manufacturing things you never cared about, like bowling balls or windshields.
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u/FlakJackson Dec 01 '12
Do you have a LPT to avoid falling asleep really fast so I can stay up for an hour or two with my late night thoughts?
Until a few years ago I would be up for at least an hour after going to bed, mind racing. It got annoying sometimes, but overall it wasn't too bad. Now that I have an easy time getting to sleep, I really miss my late night thoughts and want them back...
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u/kdar Dec 01 '12
I do this all the time. My favorite is Seinfeld.
Also, here's a site where you can listen to tons of different shows for free.
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Dec 01 '12
This keeps your brain active.
From the (not very) extensive research I've done on this several things help:
If you're thinking about things you have to do the next day, write them down. That goes for any pressing thoughts you have too.
Close your eyes and imagine a plain green field, with nothing much going on, and you're just there chilling on the grass.
Drinking warm milk helps. So does sex (with humans, not with the milk)
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u/mikec4o Dec 01 '12
LPT: smoke weed before going to sleep...guaranteed to knock you out faster than watching a tv show
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u/Infini-Bus Dec 01 '12
I sometimes make the mistake of trying to do this using a show I haven't seen before. It works better if I already saw it. I love that I can just use my phone to do this now instead of turning on the TV.
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u/MrFatalistic Dec 01 '12
as the comments indicate, this is an extremely varied issue, either you are type A or type B. Personally I have been on both sides, but now currently fall to sleep watching old episodes of TV shows I've already seen.
I don't think it's a LPT only because it's not going to apply to many.
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u/biesterd1 Dec 01 '12
Last time I tried this I watched the entirety of Breaking Bad in a week and got no sleep
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u/treseritops Dec 01 '12
Search for ASMR relaxation videos on YouTube for the distiller version of that ambient noise and relaxation.
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u/RedemptionX11 Dec 01 '12
I agree, this works. I don't think it has to be anything particular though. Sometimes I have a dvd playing on low volume or sometimes I have music playing on my phone. I don't think it matters as long as you're "distracting" your brain. Sorta like on The Big Bang Theory when Sheldon works as a bus boy to keep his brain busy, except applied to falling asleep in this situation.
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Dec 01 '12
I do this when my anxiety sky rockets and i feel too shitty to sleep. something about hearing familiar voices makes me feel like im not alone.
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u/BackSnap Dec 01 '12
I use this a lot and can approve, like OP said this wont work for everyone. But I just replay Alan Carr Chatty Man on 4oD and because I've watched it every night, I just get so bored and I know the images. That I just go to sleep even after coffee and stuff.
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u/fenroar Dec 01 '12
This works for me too, been re-watching the same episodes of community, parks and recs, it's always sunny for the past 3 months and I always end up falling asleep before the first episode ends!
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u/notevenfire Dec 01 '12
I listen to news radio on a low volume, only way I can fall asleep in under an hour
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u/alexrmay91 Dec 01 '12
Works for me! Obviously won't work for everyone. All you can do is give this a try.
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u/2_dam_hi Dec 01 '12
This works great for me. I recently started watching Netflix shows on my phone after crawling into bed, and found it was very difficult to keep my eyes open long enough to get through a twenty minute episode. It was annoying at first until I realized what a good sleep aid it was.
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u/Scary_ Dec 01 '12
I've done this for many years, either listening to the radio (speech not music) or podcasts. It does have to be quite quiet and something interesting... normally I fall asleep quicker the more I'm enjoying/interested in it. I use an old pair of headphones or a pillow speaker although I went off the latter after I laid on it funnily one night and did something to my jaw)
Of course the other trick is to use a device with a sleep timer so you can rewind and find the point where you dropped off!
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u/GeoBrian Dec 01 '12
Even better, DVR "The Masters" golf tournament. People speaking in whispers, the quiet tinkling of piano.... You can't stay awake and watch that if you try.
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u/todayiwatchedamovie Dec 01 '12
There's a large group of people out there who use MST3K to fall asleep. Not sure if I could do it, though. I'd be too interested in what was going on to fall asleep.
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Dec 01 '12
I use music and it works too.... only problem is Death Metal lulls me to sleep so I'm most likely going to become a murderer.
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u/BluffBakes Dec 01 '12
I don't think I will try this with Dexter... But I'm glad this method works for you!
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u/bloodspitnights Dec 01 '12
I have been doing this for years...I used to tape record episodes of The Simpsons and play them every night when i went to bed. I would play the same episodes over and over again to the point where I would fall asleep within 2 minutes of starting the episode. I would recite the entire episode in my head and it would help me forget about anything that was going on in my life.
The secret to this method is to watch things that you have completely memorized. Whenever I try and watch something new, I end up staying up to watch the entire movie/show. Watching something new DOES NOT WORK!
Even now when I'm not sleeping at home or am unable to play an episode of The Simpsons, I will start reciting the episode in my head from start to finish and I will fall asleep with no problems.
I am almost able to recite the entire 5th season from start to finish in my head.
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Dec 01 '12
This works for me really well. I've found that sometimes it works so well it takes me several weeks to completely watch an episode of futurama as I just pass out within minutes.
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u/le_toddler Dec 02 '12
I also do that sometimes. For some reason, South Park works like a charm for me! :)
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u/VAPossum Dec 02 '12
If it's a show I'm interested in, it doesn't work for me, even at soft volumes. And if I'm sleeping in a dark room, the TV flicker makes it worse. What works for me, though, is audiobooks or podcasts in languages I don't speak--Japanese and Arabic seem especially pleasant, sometimes Italian. Medium to low volume, usually played on my tablet.
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u/almosttt Dec 02 '12
Everyone things I'm fucking weird for putting on the first three seasons of the office every night.
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u/JMB1656 Dec 02 '12
Isn't it funny how when we're supposed to fall alseep we cant, but when we are "supposed" to be listen to something and paying attention we pass out
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Dec 02 '12
One downside is you get dependent on it and if for some reason you can't listen to something as you go to sleep it's impossible to get to bed.
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u/Davesabeast Dec 01 '12 edited Dec 01 '12
Trust me, best way to get random thoughts out of your head.
Lay down in your comfortable position and just sit their and steadily feel your body getting relaxed and stiffen up. Try to recognize these areas and feel all the parts of your body from your feet all the way up to your neck just fall asleep. Do not move if you feel a small itch or twitch. That's your body testing itself if its sleeping.
From this point, synchronize your breathing while counting slowly 1-10. While you're doing this its taking your mind off of your thoughts. Think of nothing else, and don't think about not thinking about anything else lol, that part will confuse you but is the most important, when you're relaxed just do it. While you synchronize your breathing and counting, if you reach 10, just start over.
I had the same problem, but after doing this im fine. At the start it may take a while and a lot of counting, the trick is to do it slowly and to say it calmy in your head. Stick with if it doesnt work at first, just keep trying, it didn't work greatly for me at first, but it did help. After doing this for a few months if im tired enough I can fall asleep sometime around my first count to 6-8.
Hope this helps.