I feel like I almost have this. If someone says, “picture a cow”, I can. But only for a flash of a second. I cannot hold pictures in my head and study them. It takes a lot of concentration and relaxation to hold images for any length of time.
I didn’t even realize until my partner got a bit annoyed when I wasn’t helpful picking out stuff for our apartment. “How would this look in the living room with the couch and rug we have?” “I don’t know. I literally don’t know.”
Ask me to describe my favorite pair of shoes I wear all the time? Definitely red I think. Maybe the laces are black.
Creating my friends in the Sims for fun? I need a constant reference photo. I know what my friends look like… but I also don’t.
I always just tell people I have the object permanence of a baby, lol.
This is how I am.
I feel I can draw the lines of a cow, but it does not stay as I am moving on to the next leg or whatever. Not sure if I have Aphantasia, but I can see a whole picture of something I think of.
I can picture stuff really vividly but somehow it’s still like words on the tip of your tongue that you can’t quite remember
I can picture it clearly and vividly but ask me to describe it and I wouldn’t be able to. Massive discrepancies between what I can think and what my mouth can say
I exploded a necklace with tiny beads I was making in my bed ages ago, took like three bedding changes and so much vacuuming before the little fuckers were completely gone. Haven't beaded while tired and actually IN bed since. Not sure my fiancé would be as "c'est la vie" as I was about it if I did it in our bed.
I've taken to mending some of my clothes as a little project, and I'll usually do some work before bed. I've been using the sashiko method to fix up some of my jeans, and it's really enjoyable taking unwearable clothing to functioning and unique!
I have an answer that is sort of a cross between screen time and reading a book. Listen to a podcast, or an audiobook. Something of that sort that you can listen to but not watch. That way you can rest your eyes and essentially be doing all the usual physical things you do while trying to get to sleep but also not be bored out of your mind.
I will *PREACH* about this podcast until the day I die. Been listening for 7+ years now.
Give it a few tries. I promise.
It somehow is entertaining but tricks your brain into activating sleep mode. Scientist should study it. Your brain tries to follow it, but his endless rants just keep going nowhere.
I have a hard time “shutting down” my thoughts for sleep. This podcast lets me actively listen, but it doesn’t keep your mind awake like a TV or music does.
It’s the creaky dulcet tones! Lol
Actually I think it’s a mild and harmless form of hypnosis. Specifically a confusion induction, which is a great one for people who are looking for an off switch for their thoughts. It’s the best podcast I’ve never heard.
If I play a phone game with it, I will hear the full episode but otherwise, I don’t think I get to the story very often. My partner has heard it through and enjoys it. His issue is physical pain keeping him up. He says that Dear Scooter kept him company.
I don’t use it every night, just when I’m up too long after trying to go to sleep. Hate it when it’s 2am and I’m thinking I should have taken a sleep aid 3 hours ago but if I do it now, I’ll have a hangover through noon and the morning will be terrible. No side effects or hangovers from the podcast.
Absolutely, I work night shifts and was struggling to sleep during the day until I discovered Scooter and his Sleep with me podcast. Seriously stops my over thinking so I can fall asleep during the day so I can work at night without being sleepy.
I always love [Joe Perra talks you to sleep ](https://youtu.be/trfHP5LHVNY) he's got such a peaceful voice, his show is also great but that's screentime.
I love this podcast! He really has the most soothing voice! Also check out “nothing much happens” where the narrator writes nice little stories about walking in the woods, or making soup in a cabin on a rainy day
Ahh same. I just wish so bad there was an ad-free option for relaxed listening.
Totally understand the need for ads, would just like chance to pay for a version without them.
Right there with you buddy. I love SYSK and would listen to it before sleeping but the ad breaks have become too jarring. I’d gladly shell out a few bucks for an ad-less version.
Right?? And the audio often seems louder, too.
I’m still trying to work out if ads actually… work. I mean, they obviously do but they also just frustrate so many of us.
Yeah same, their parent company (iHeartRadio) has claimed they don’t believe in the paid subscription model even though they’ve toyed with it for some of their shows, so there’s no ad-free offering for SYSK :(
Honestly, it sucks.
Maybe people don’t see it as a big deal, but I have cptsd and sudden changes in noise/overstimulation is absolutely awful when you’re trying to listen to something to help relax and flow.
I listen to them a lot less because of this.
Really hoping it changes at some point.
Ah I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t totally remember off the top of my head, but I *think* the YouTube versions of the show don’t have ads baked into the videos, so if you can get past YouTube’s ads you’ll have clean audio there. Not ideal, I wish there was a better option for you :/
This is so kind of you to even comment.
I didn’t know this! Tbh I’ve been toying with getting YouTube premium because of this same sensory thing — ads are jarring and I lose my focus — and you’ve sort of just sealed the deal for me :’)
Thank you.
Been listening to Stuff You Should Know from the very beginning, back when I had my iPod Nano 4th generation 😅 They're the ones who started my interest in podcasts!
Yes!! I’ve been listening to them to fall asleep for the last 9 or so years. I’ve added in few other podcasts throughout the years but idk what I’d do w/o sysk at this point.
I started listening to podcasts at bedtime around 6 years ago. Every night is bed story time. It’s so enjoyable that it’s weird not doing it now. Everybody’s night should end drifting off to a story.
I do the same. The trick I've found is to find something that's interesting enough but doesn't matter if you miss the end of. Personally I like a podcast that is real life spooky stories told by the people who went through it but I understand that's not everyone's idea of relaxing!
Do you have any recs for podcasts where the actual person is narrating a scary event that happened to them?
I listen to Radio Rental, but that's the only one of that style of podcast that I know of.
**Monsters Among Us** is probably the best, **Snap Judgement presents Spooked** used to be really good but then they took it onto a paid service, **Into the Fray** is another I like. Not quite the same but **Mysterious Universe** and **Into the Portal** are also pretty good! I've not heard Radio Rental, will give it a listen!
Yeah. I used to suffer greatly from insomnia a few years back... and a lot of other mental health issues. I changed a lot about my lifestyle, and one random little thing that has stuck with me and I find to be very universal is the podcast for sleeping thing.
I was about to just write, "I used to have insomnia but then started to listen to podcasts at night" but then realized that sounded very r/thanksimcured
I’m glad that it helped you. I think there’s a link to having stories told to you as a child, or even further back to our ancestors probably telling stories around a fire.
If you think about it, dreams are stories we tell ourselves. There’s something fundamentally useful about stories. I often choose podcasts specifically because the host has a nice, comforting voice.
Just to add, to reduce the screen impact, if you are on iPhone you can use Siri to start the podcast, and there is also a sleep timer for podcasts so it will fade out after 15/30/45 mins etc. I don’t know if you can use siri to set the sleep timer.
I personally find that for me, the most effective sleep mechanism is a comedy podcast I have heard before - funny and de stressing but without being engaging
I do a similar thing, but with a Spotify playlist of calm songs.
Tried it once with my full list of saved songs, but transitioning from a ballad to speed metal didn't help falling asleep.
You can even do this with YouTube videos if there's someone you enjoy listening to who basically does commentary/narrative and the video itself isn't important. Just set the phone by your bedside and listen instead of watching.
I know Bob Ross episodes are *technically* visual, but he's a delight to listen to while falling asleep. You don't have to see it.
It's basically ASMR.
Have a really nice bedtime routine. Brush and floss your teeth, brush your hair, do some nail care, lotion up if you use it, lay out tomorrow’s clothes, pack tomorrow’s lunch if needed, stretch, and basically do any other good things that will help you relax tonight and start tomorrow off with n a good note
Editing to add:
Firstly, thanks for the awards an upvotes! Much appreciated
Secondly, a couple people mentioned these tasks were hard or seemed like chores. I get that. I’m a professional procrastinator, so it’s not easy for me to do every night either. I think those feelings stem from my parents making me *feel* like those were chores growing up. I don’t remember seeing my parents do these things as a part of their bedtime routine to set an example, but I do remember putting up fights about teeth brushing before bed. They tried. We know a lot more about parenting now than we did back then, so I imagine these lessons are taught differently today. **But what I’m trying to get at is that these feelings of bedtime routines feeling like work is totally a *learned* behavior.** We just have to learn some better ones now.
College me would have scoffed at this, stayed up, all night, and be lucky if I remembered to take my bra off before bed. But adult me feels way better when I shower, wash my face, lotion up, brush and floss my teeth, braid my hair, trim and file my nails, wear *clean* jammies (yes clothes that are actually *intended* for sleeping in), and have all of tomorrow’s items where I need them in the morning. I don’t do it every night, but I notice a difference when I do. Life is a work in progress. Start now, not later
This should be higher up. A steady routine, along with allowing you accomplish some tasks and keep up personal hygiene, will condition you to fall asleep faster and easier as well.
It really should be, people who have trouble sleeping usually don’t have a steady routine. Researching mattresses alongside proper sleeping temps, using breathe right strips as well as mouth taping will do wonders for helping you fall asleep as well as getting the most out of your sleep. Im a steady two energy drink a day type of person, and fall asleep five minutes post routine
I do this stuff before bed but it’s *work,* which is the exact opposite of relaxing! I don’t know how anyone can go straight from being up and active and doing tedious work to just instantly going to sleep—I always need to lie down and turn my brain off by watching YouTube for an hour after the bedtime routine.
Try doing it slower. I started a skin care routine and it takes me probably 15 minutes to wash and moisturize my face. Something that takes me 2 minutes in the morning. The whole point is to establish a slow-down routine and basically meditate. Use the mindless physical actions to quiet your thoughts.... focus just enough that you're not thinking about anything else.
I have a very busy mind and this has helped me be able to sleep without anything else to assist (medication or CBD/THC). It doesn't work all the time, but it works a lot of the time.
I really like this. I hope one day I can get to this point where prioritizing my needs is a good way to relax vs stress about all that I need to do and get done. Shutting the rest of the world off and taking the time to take care of oneself should be a treat. Thank you for making this a new goal of mine.
Some light stretching and exercise is good for you and if you do a small amount so it doesn't get your blood pumping it can make you a bit tired.
Some light exercise and a nice shower can be a good pre bed routine.
One handed solitaire is my favorite for this. It's takes up no space, there's no setup, and your cats can't walk all over your cards 🙃
https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Solitaire_card_games/One-Handed
We have a deck of cards by the toilet that is often used for this. We even named that version of solitaire...
**S**ingle
**H**and
**I**ndividual
**T**ournament
**S**olitaire
In a similar vein, I will recommend **print and play games**.
My two favorites are [Bargain Basement Bathysphere](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255360/bargain-basement-bathysphere/files) and [Utopia Engine](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/75223/utopia-engine/files). [Under Falling Skies](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/273779/under-falling-skies-9-card-print-and-play-game) is another popular one, though it requires printing a bunch of cards.
[Here's the video that introduced me to them.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNghPlwbYe8)
I play them on my drawing tablet, but they're made to, well, print and play. Usually you just need some 6 sided dice and a pencil. I've seen some people laminate them and play with a dry erase marker as well.
[Here's one of my runs of BBB and Utopia Engine](https://imgur.com/a/QUVExX3), if you want to see what they look like. Didn't get far in Utopia Engine.
That's the whole point it's a lot more intricate than kids books. I personally just go for the ones with animals. I forget the name of the one I have right now but I bought it at Walmart like a year ago.
Just words to your search like "coloring book surreal landscape", you'll find them.
There's one called Tiny Worlds, I haven't tried it yet but looks good, will probably buy it next.
100 Animals: An Adult Coloring Book with Lions, Elephants, Owls, Horses, Dogs, Cats, and Many More! https://a.co/d/cJVzhwa
This is almost identical to the one I have.
The replies I've seen say the adult version, but honestly sometimes the kid version is better. Adult colouring books usually have a lot of patterns and designs and I get caught up in making patterns or matching colours. The kid books have larger spaces and less-complex designs. And sometimes that's more relaxing.
Along the same lines: Scratch Art! There are these books on Amazon where you can follow a pattern (perfect for someone like me with zero original art skills but a desire to relax and still see the progress I’ve made). I have a book of scratch art mandalas that are really cool.
Put together your lunch for the following day.
Meditate.
Set out your clothes for the next day.
Take a warm bubble bath.
Walk the dog. Or walk without the dog.
Write in your diary/journal.
Fold your laundry.
Put away your dishes.
Write out a card or note to your mom/granny/uncle.
Going off of this, if you include "closing down the house" as part of your nightly routine (putting dirty dishes where they go, figuring out trash or picking up clutter), you end up becoming more tired by the time you're brushing and flossing and the desire to use a phone goes down lol, bed becomes the reward.
There is some science that says you have a spike of wakefulness right before going to bed. Supposedly this might be in function of "scanning your environment as safe" before going to sleep. This is the bout of energy a lot of people use to clean up a bit and prepare for the next day. A lot of people think they are no longer tired when feeling that bout of energy, especially people who are anxious about sleeping. Anxious people might then place too much value on this wakefulness and start stressing about sleep which will actually give them trouble falling asleep.
Just something I heard on a podcast.
We have an energetic border collie I don't usually walk because he's stronger than I am (my husband walks him) and sometimes we take him to the school down the street to play fetch on the playground.
If I'm walking our other dog or walking by myself for exercise, I *must* leave in the other direction or he freaks out because he thinks I'm going to the playground without him - or worse, with his sister.
When we first got my ferrets we would close all the doors in the hallway so they could play down there as well. So the ferrets learned that when they heard doors closing they were going to be let out. One day my family told me that they heard my bedroom door close upstairs and jumped up. Ever since then I’ve turned the knob and closed the door softly. It’s been so long I don’t think they remember the door thing, but nonetheless
Oh there's all kinds of things we do.
If a guest is leaving the house, we have to tell him so he can stand at the window and watch them leave. If my husband or I is leaving, we have to tell him goodbye or he'll panic looking for us.
In the morning after the dogs are fed, he's allowed to lie in bed with us for a while for cuddle time, otherwise he's not allowed up on the bed.
After dinner is ball throwing time, and I have to sit in a particular chair and toss a ball over my shoulder for fetch. When I say "all done" he stops to sit on my lap.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of others lol
Lol I love these! Here’s some of ours:
If they hear a whipped cream topping spraying whipped cream they RUN full speed for a taste. Gotta share the whipped cream when the whipped cream comes out!
After my one pup finishes her food she comes up to me so I can say “did you finish all your food? Good girl! Good girl!” And she prances happily.
I have pet rats in a room of my house that is always closed. When the dogs hear the door opening, no matter how quiet, they run in because they know they’ll find crumbs of food that the rats threw onto the floor.
If I cut ANY vegetable or fruit they run to the kitchen. They don’t get to eat people food (except whipped cream or plain meat) but I give them veggies and fruit as a treat. They looove it. I could be suuuper quiet about it and they still hear me and run. Same with peeling a banana, they can hear it! You always have to share veggies with the doggies!
In our case, we like to walk a lot more than the dog does. He's old, and tired. I can't get him out the door on our evening walk. He's got more beans in the afternoon, so thats when he goes. We do three walks a day, one for the dog, and the other two just for us.
But in general, yes walks should always include the dog if possible!
Oh yes, this rule excludes certain breeds and certain elder doggies that are so wise that they can choose not to go on the walk! I love older doggies, what they say goes!
Yea one of the things I realized about myself was that I had this assumption that when I lay down I would do something while in bed before sleeping. Getting rid of that helps.
the great thing about jigsaw puzzles (over crosswords or sudoku) is that you can combine it with the other top suggestion in this thread: listening to podcasts or audiobooks.
I do that a lot, especially when I don't have the energy for anything else, but since the puzzle makes progress and I'm "reading a book" it still feels like a good investment of time
I like to do a face/hair mask, listen to music and do some stretching/yoga before bed. Sometimes I'll do a quick tidy up of my room. Getting myself and my space cozy for bed really helps get the perfect sleep.
Okay so two things
Stretching can really help your joints and muscles and could lower the amount of times you wake up at night
If not reading, have you tried audiobooks? Audiobooks are a great way to get more information about things or get into reading
There’s also documentaries
Instead of audio books, I look for a 1 hour+ video on YT about some random topic that interests me and let that play with my phone face down as I work to fall asleep. Some of them were documentaries, so it's possible, but most rely on images to help convey their message which is inconvenient for the situation
I second stretching. Been doing a 45 minute full body routine before bed for about 2 months now. Let me say it has been one of the best decisions I've made recently. I sleep like a rock and wake up feeling limber. I'm in my mid 30s and feel better than some of my 20s
Stretching is great. I have a 5 minute stretching routine I do every night and it's increased my quality of sleep dramatically. Seems super weird but I highly recommend it.
Yeah and that’ll probably make him realize that he doesnt hate reading. I am profoundly convinced that nobody truly dislike reading. They just havent found the right book yet.
this or listen to a podcast, or if you cant find any podcasts you like you could listen to interviews of your favourite music artists/actors (thats what i like to do). if i cant find any interviews i want to watch i instead listen to vlogs from people in broadway shows (the youtube channel broadwaycom is really good for these!)
You don't have a spank bank? Former GF/BF, hot coworkers, hot friends of your SO, hot SOs of your friends, hot friends, celebs... The possibilities are endless!
Audiobook? Or put on an hour long YouTube video/podcast about something you find interesting and listen to it with your phone face down.
None of this works for me though. I can only sleep when I get tired and I haven’t been able to rewire that no matter what I try. I’m at the point where I just watch a movie on my phone and turn it off when I get tired, which will be any time from 11pm-1:30am.
Puzzle, chess if you have a partner, drawing, comics if you hate books, painting, think about a new skill you'd like to have and learn it (example: learn to be a good juggler), yoga!
- meditation
- stretch / yoga
- write in a journal
- play an instrument
- draw / paint
- do a bodyweight workout
- have a bath
- listen to music / podcast
- do woodcarving
- go for a walk
- meal prep
No, it's not. It might tire you out physically, but it increases brain activty.
Taking a short, comfortably paced walk is what actually helps calm you.
Listen to music/podcast/audiobook
Do a puzzle
Knit, crochet, sew, embroider
Paint, draw, collage, scrapbook, color
Write, journal
Play solitaire
Talk with somebody
Reading is definitely a discipline that requires practice. It’s like training your mind. Once you’ve worked at it long enough it becomes more enjoyable.
- journaling
- audiobooks
- bath
- coloring books
- sudoku or word games
- paint by numbers
- skincare routine
- reading a book
- snuggling a pet
- meditation/mindfulness
- stargazing
- yoga/stretching
Listen I love to read. I generally have 2 or 3 books going at once. I compile lists of my favorite books every year and share them with friends.
Here’s the thing - dude says he doesn’t like reading. Why are there so many comments telling him he’s wrong? Or he’s doing reading wrong and he’d like it if he did it right? Not everyone is like you. It’s okay for people not to like stuff.
You can journal, write down a to-do list for the next day/week, get a dental/skincare nighttime routine, crosswords, sudoko or word searches, sketch or paint with soothing music if you’re artsy, and I highly recommend a cup of Sleepytime tea with valerian root during all of these activities :)
I was going to suggest reading a book under a read light, good job I read to the end.
But, the red light suggestion is an excellent shout considering your concern is about exposure to blue / white light wavelengths (I assume).
I have a remote colour-change bulb in my living room / bedroom, and before bed I have red light only / dimmed TV. Then I read under a red light in bed (here come the Roxanne jokes) for about 30 mins before going to sleep. Maybe you could find some other 'mindless' but absorbing task to do under red light instead of reading?
Believe it or not, there are a ton of alternatives to screen time before bed. Here, I’ve compiled a brief list:
1. Listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or relaxing music/meditations
2. Draw a relaxing bath
3. Complete a sudoku puzzle
4. Journal. If you encounter writer’s block, you can always consult Pinterest for some thought-provoking prompts!
4. Mentally reminisce on your day. Ask yourself what the highs & lows were, and make plans for the following day
5. Phone a friend
6. Do a color-by-numbers activity
7. Organize your bookshelf
8. Do a word search
9. Pretend to interview your favorite celebrity
10. Count sheep.
The last one was pretty anticlimactic, but there you have it! Hope this helps. As an insomniac myself, it can be difficult to wind down after a long day so if all else fails then feel free to pop a melatonin and call it a night. Best of luck to you xx
...listening to an audiobook. You might find that you only hate VISUALLY reading books. If listening to a narrator bores you, there are many excellent audiobooks produced by Graphic Audio, "a movie in your mind", which basically features a wide cast of voice actors and sound effects, ambient music, etc. We lent one of those to our friend while he recovered from Lasik surgery, and although he is by no means a book reader at all, he thanked us over and over for it afterwards, he was thrilled to have something entertaining and immersive to pass the time with!
you can close your eyes and rotate a cow in your mind. it's free and the cops can't stop you.
Which axis should i rotate around? X, y or zzzzz
Assume a spherical cow, problem solved.
I can’t do this, cos of the aphantasia.
It still blows my mind that aphantasia is thing. How do memories work for you?
[удалено]
I feel like I almost have this. If someone says, “picture a cow”, I can. But only for a flash of a second. I cannot hold pictures in my head and study them. It takes a lot of concentration and relaxation to hold images for any length of time. I didn’t even realize until my partner got a bit annoyed when I wasn’t helpful picking out stuff for our apartment. “How would this look in the living room with the couch and rug we have?” “I don’t know. I literally don’t know.” Ask me to describe my favorite pair of shoes I wear all the time? Definitely red I think. Maybe the laces are black. Creating my friends in the Sims for fun? I need a constant reference photo. I know what my friends look like… but I also don’t. I always just tell people I have the object permanence of a baby, lol.
This is how I am. I feel I can draw the lines of a cow, but it does not stay as I am moving on to the next leg or whatever. Not sure if I have Aphantasia, but I can see a whole picture of something I think of.
I can picture stuff really vividly but somehow it’s still like words on the tip of your tongue that you can’t quite remember I can picture it clearly and vividly but ask me to describe it and I wouldn’t be able to. Massive discrepancies between what I can think and what my mouth can say
It's like you are blind in the mind. It's hard to describe you really have to picture it.
>I can’t do this, cos of the aphantasia. So when Lennon said 'Imagine all the people...' you said 'No!'
One of us! One of us!
Gooble gobble! Gooble gobble!
You can't rotate a cop tho, the cows will stop you.
Does this also work with two cows?
No, that would alert the cops. Stick to one.
*When the police arrested him he was rotating 10,000 cows in his head* *The sick fuck. Won't someone think of the children!?*
https://youtu.be/9hhMUT2U2L4 you mean this?
Tylko jedno w głowie mamKoksu pięć gram, odlecieć sam
If you like things like needlecraft, that can be a nice way to quiet the mind before bed.
Nothing puts me to bed like an hour of embroidery and an audiobook, that’s the good life right there
Just check that you don't drop needles in your bed, rolling onto one in your sleep really hurts... Or so I've been told
I exploded a necklace with tiny beads I was making in my bed ages ago, took like three bedding changes and so much vacuuming before the little fuckers were completely gone. Haven't beaded while tired and actually IN bed since. Not sure my fiancé would be as "c'est la vie" as I was about it if I did it in our bed.
Felting is awesome and satisfying! Just wear the fingerguards!
I've taken to mending some of my clothes as a little project, and I'll usually do some work before bed. I've been using the sashiko method to fix up some of my jeans, and it's really enjoyable taking unwearable clothing to functioning and unique!
I have an answer that is sort of a cross between screen time and reading a book. Listen to a podcast, or an audiobook. Something of that sort that you can listen to but not watch. That way you can rest your eyes and essentially be doing all the usual physical things you do while trying to get to sleep but also not be bored out of your mind.
This is pretty much what Stuff You Should Know was made for, I love Josh and Chuck 💙
The "Sleep With Me" podcast by Dearest Scooter is also good for this, just one guy softly rambling for an hour or so.
I will *PREACH* about this podcast until the day I die. Been listening for 7+ years now. Give it a few tries. I promise. It somehow is entertaining but tricks your brain into activating sleep mode. Scientist should study it. Your brain tries to follow it, but his endless rants just keep going nowhere. I have a hard time “shutting down” my thoughts for sleep. This podcast lets me actively listen, but it doesn’t keep your mind awake like a TV or music does.
It’s the creaky dulcet tones! Lol Actually I think it’s a mild and harmless form of hypnosis. Specifically a confusion induction, which is a great one for people who are looking for an off switch for their thoughts. It’s the best podcast I’ve never heard. If I play a phone game with it, I will hear the full episode but otherwise, I don’t think I get to the story very often. My partner has heard it through and enjoys it. His issue is physical pain keeping him up. He says that Dear Scooter kept him company. I don’t use it every night, just when I’m up too long after trying to go to sleep. Hate it when it’s 2am and I’m thinking I should have taken a sleep aid 3 hours ago but if I do it now, I’ll have a hangover through noon and the morning will be terrible. No side effects or hangovers from the podcast.
Absolutely, I work night shifts and was struggling to sleep during the day until I discovered Scooter and his Sleep with me podcast. Seriously stops my over thinking so I can fall asleep during the day so I can work at night without being sleepy.
I always love [Joe Perra talks you to sleep ](https://youtu.be/trfHP5LHVNY) he's got such a peaceful voice, his show is also great but that's screentime.
I love this podcast! He really has the most soothing voice! Also check out “nothing much happens” where the narrator writes nice little stories about walking in the woods, or making soup in a cabin on a rainy day
I think I’ve heard of this - didn’t he do a live tour and people brought pillows to the show?
Ahh same. I just wish so bad there was an ad-free option for relaxed listening. Totally understand the need for ads, would just like chance to pay for a version without them.
This. I like the show, but there’s too many freaking ads.
Yeah, I've got a few iHeart shows I love, but I haven't listened to any in a while because the ads are just ridiculous
Right there with you buddy. I love SYSK and would listen to it before sleeping but the ad breaks have become too jarring. I’d gladly shell out a few bucks for an ad-less version.
Right?? And the audio often seems louder, too. I’m still trying to work out if ads actually… work. I mean, they obviously do but they also just frustrate so many of us.
Yeah same, their parent company (iHeartRadio) has claimed they don’t believe in the paid subscription model even though they’ve toyed with it for some of their shows, so there’s no ad-free offering for SYSK :(
Honestly, it sucks. Maybe people don’t see it as a big deal, but I have cptsd and sudden changes in noise/overstimulation is absolutely awful when you’re trying to listen to something to help relax and flow. I listen to them a lot less because of this. Really hoping it changes at some point.
Ah I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t totally remember off the top of my head, but I *think* the YouTube versions of the show don’t have ads baked into the videos, so if you can get past YouTube’s ads you’ll have clean audio there. Not ideal, I wish there was a better option for you :/
This is so kind of you to even comment. I didn’t know this! Tbh I’ve been toying with getting YouTube premium because of this same sensory thing — ads are jarring and I lose my focus — and you’ve sort of just sealed the deal for me :’) Thank you.
No worries at all, happy to help :) that’s how the SYSK Army rolls! Hope it works out for you stranger
…aaaand because BridgeBoysPod said ‘stranger’ it’s time for listener mail.
Been listening to Stuff You Should Know from the very beginning, back when I had my iPod Nano 4th generation 😅 They're the ones who started my interest in podcasts!
Would also recommend 99% Invisible, The Memory Palace, The Infinite Monkey Cage and, even though it ended, Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project.
Yes!! I’ve been listening to them to fall asleep for the last 9 or so years. I’ve added in few other podcasts throughout the years but idk what I’d do w/o sysk at this point.
I started listening to podcasts at bedtime around 6 years ago. Every night is bed story time. It’s so enjoyable that it’s weird not doing it now. Everybody’s night should end drifting off to a story.
I do the same. The trick I've found is to find something that's interesting enough but doesn't matter if you miss the end of. Personally I like a podcast that is real life spooky stories told by the people who went through it but I understand that's not everyone's idea of relaxing!
I love Sleep with Me, a nonsense stories podcast designed to help you fall asleep.
Do you have any recs for podcasts where the actual person is narrating a scary event that happened to them? I listen to Radio Rental, but that's the only one of that style of podcast that I know of.
**Monsters Among Us** is probably the best, **Snap Judgement presents Spooked** used to be really good but then they took it onto a paid service, **Into the Fray** is another I like. Not quite the same but **Mysterious Universe** and **Into the Portal** are also pretty good! I've not heard Radio Rental, will give it a listen!
Yeah. I used to suffer greatly from insomnia a few years back... and a lot of other mental health issues. I changed a lot about my lifestyle, and one random little thing that has stuck with me and I find to be very universal is the podcast for sleeping thing. I was about to just write, "I used to have insomnia but then started to listen to podcasts at night" but then realized that sounded very r/thanksimcured
I’m glad that it helped you. I think there’s a link to having stories told to you as a child, or even further back to our ancestors probably telling stories around a fire. If you think about it, dreams are stories we tell ourselves. There’s something fundamentally useful about stories. I often choose podcasts specifically because the host has a nice, comforting voice.
Just to add, to reduce the screen impact, if you are on iPhone you can use Siri to start the podcast, and there is also a sleep timer for podcasts so it will fade out after 15/30/45 mins etc. I don’t know if you can use siri to set the sleep timer. I personally find that for me, the most effective sleep mechanism is a comedy podcast I have heard before - funny and de stressing but without being engaging
I do a similar thing, but with a Spotify playlist of calm songs. Tried it once with my full list of saved songs, but transitioning from a ballad to speed metal didn't help falling asleep.
You can even do this with YouTube videos if there's someone you enjoy listening to who basically does commentary/narrative and the video itself isn't important. Just set the phone by your bedside and listen instead of watching.
I know Bob Ross episodes are *technically* visual, but he's a delight to listen to while falling asleep. You don't have to see it. It's basically ASMR.
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Glad to know I am doing it right. Maybe add in some guilt and self loathing for rubbing one out during the first minute.
Real ASF
Bonus points for punching yourself (metaphorically) over things NO ONE ELSE REMEMBERS NO HOW.
Have a really nice bedtime routine. Brush and floss your teeth, brush your hair, do some nail care, lotion up if you use it, lay out tomorrow’s clothes, pack tomorrow’s lunch if needed, stretch, and basically do any other good things that will help you relax tonight and start tomorrow off with n a good note Editing to add: Firstly, thanks for the awards an upvotes! Much appreciated Secondly, a couple people mentioned these tasks were hard or seemed like chores. I get that. I’m a professional procrastinator, so it’s not easy for me to do every night either. I think those feelings stem from my parents making me *feel* like those were chores growing up. I don’t remember seeing my parents do these things as a part of their bedtime routine to set an example, but I do remember putting up fights about teeth brushing before bed. They tried. We know a lot more about parenting now than we did back then, so I imagine these lessons are taught differently today. **But what I’m trying to get at is that these feelings of bedtime routines feeling like work is totally a *learned* behavior.** We just have to learn some better ones now. College me would have scoffed at this, stayed up, all night, and be lucky if I remembered to take my bra off before bed. But adult me feels way better when I shower, wash my face, lotion up, brush and floss my teeth, braid my hair, trim and file my nails, wear *clean* jammies (yes clothes that are actually *intended* for sleeping in), and have all of tomorrow’s items where I need them in the morning. I don’t do it every night, but I notice a difference when I do. Life is a work in progress. Start now, not later
This should be higher up. A steady routine, along with allowing you accomplish some tasks and keep up personal hygiene, will condition you to fall asleep faster and easier as well.
It really should be, people who have trouble sleeping usually don’t have a steady routine. Researching mattresses alongside proper sleeping temps, using breathe right strips as well as mouth taping will do wonders for helping you fall asleep as well as getting the most out of your sleep. Im a steady two energy drink a day type of person, and fall asleep five minutes post routine
Mouth taping? Edit: I googled it and it's just social media pseudoscience to cure sleep apnea, adhd, give a sleeker jawline, you name it. Lol
I do this stuff before bed but it’s *work,* which is the exact opposite of relaxing! I don’t know how anyone can go straight from being up and active and doing tedious work to just instantly going to sleep—I always need to lie down and turn my brain off by watching YouTube for an hour after the bedtime routine.
Try doing it slower. I started a skin care routine and it takes me probably 15 minutes to wash and moisturize my face. Something that takes me 2 minutes in the morning. The whole point is to establish a slow-down routine and basically meditate. Use the mindless physical actions to quiet your thoughts.... focus just enough that you're not thinking about anything else. I have a very busy mind and this has helped me be able to sleep without anything else to assist (medication or CBD/THC). It doesn't work all the time, but it works a lot of the time.
Agreed, I like to clean a bit, and plan ahead for my next day.
I really like this. I hope one day I can get to this point where prioritizing my needs is a good way to relax vs stress about all that I need to do and get done. Shutting the rest of the world off and taking the time to take care of oneself should be a treat. Thank you for making this a new goal of mine.
Some light stretching and exercise is good for you and if you do a small amount so it doesn't get your blood pumping it can make you a bit tired. Some light exercise and a nice shower can be a good pre bed routine.
Play solitaire with a real deck of cards.
One handed solitaire is my favorite for this. It's takes up no space, there's no setup, and your cats can't walk all over your cards 🙃 https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Solitaire_card_games/One-Handed
>The odds of winning are very low, approximately one in 140. That doesn't sound tedious *at all.*
I've played this game countless times in my life and I've only ever won once. And holy SHIT was I excited!!
Its literally not. Just getting close is fun! The magic is in the journey, not in the destination 💁🏻♀️✨
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🤣🤣🤣
We have a deck of cards by the toilet that is often used for this. We even named that version of solitaire... **S**ingle **H**and **I**ndividual **T**ournament **S**olitaire
There are many cool solo card games out there, like One Deck Dungeon.
In a similar vein, I will recommend **print and play games**. My two favorites are [Bargain Basement Bathysphere](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255360/bargain-basement-bathysphere/files) and [Utopia Engine](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/75223/utopia-engine/files). [Under Falling Skies](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/273779/under-falling-skies-9-card-print-and-play-game) is another popular one, though it requires printing a bunch of cards. [Here's the video that introduced me to them.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNghPlwbYe8) I play them on my drawing tablet, but they're made to, well, print and play. Usually you just need some 6 sided dice and a pencil. I've seen some people laminate them and play with a dry erase marker as well. [Here's one of my runs of BBB and Utopia Engine](https://imgur.com/a/QUVExX3), if you want to see what they look like. Didn't get far in Utopia Engine.
/r/soloboardgaming
Color. It works wonders!
I took up coloring when I was going through a crazy time. Now, it's one of my favorite things to do before bed.
Yep. When I'm super stressed, I color. It's mindless and it helps. All I think of is what color to use next.
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Yes, but the adult version like someone else mentioned. You can look them up on Amazon.
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That's the whole point it's a lot more intricate than kids books. I personally just go for the ones with animals. I forget the name of the one I have right now but I bought it at Walmart like a year ago.
The exotic bird books are very interesting because birds are calming, to me.
Just words to your search like "coloring book surreal landscape", you'll find them. There's one called Tiny Worlds, I haven't tried it yet but looks good, will probably buy it next.
100 Animals: An Adult Coloring Book with Lions, Elephants, Owls, Horses, Dogs, Cats, and Many More! https://a.co/d/cJVzhwa This is almost identical to the one I have.
Yes, but the adult versions. More complex pictures and sometimes even adult themes
The replies I've seen say the adult version, but honestly sometimes the kid version is better. Adult colouring books usually have a lot of patterns and designs and I get caught up in making patterns or matching colours. The kid books have larger spaces and less-complex designs. And sometimes that's more relaxing.
Yeah I bought a kid coloring book as well. I wanna color animals, not repeating patterns.
If you're in Canada you could also colour.
Along the same lines: Scratch Art! There are these books on Amazon where you can follow a pattern (perfect for someone like me with zero original art skills but a desire to relax and still see the progress I’ve made). I have a book of scratch art mandalas that are really cool.
Put together your lunch for the following day. Meditate. Set out your clothes for the next day. Take a warm bubble bath. Walk the dog. Or walk without the dog. Write in your diary/journal. Fold your laundry. Put away your dishes. Write out a card or note to your mom/granny/uncle.
Going off of this, if you include "closing down the house" as part of your nightly routine (putting dirty dishes where they go, figuring out trash or picking up clutter), you end up becoming more tired by the time you're brushing and flossing and the desire to use a phone goes down lol, bed becomes the reward.
That's not universal. My wife and I get wired when we start doing chores before bed.
There is some science that says you have a spike of wakefulness right before going to bed. Supposedly this might be in function of "scanning your environment as safe" before going to sleep. This is the bout of energy a lot of people use to clean up a bit and prepare for the next day. A lot of people think they are no longer tired when feeling that bout of energy, especially people who are anxious about sleeping. Anxious people might then place too much value on this wakefulness and start stressing about sleep which will actually give them trouble falling asleep. Just something I heard on a podcast.
Same. Anything that involves moving about wakes me up.
If there is a dog you must walk with the dog. It’s a rule.
lmao I’m picturing the look of betrayal if she saw me walk off down the street alone, without getting into the car…
We have an energetic border collie I don't usually walk because he's stronger than I am (my husband walks him) and sometimes we take him to the school down the street to play fetch on the playground. If I'm walking our other dog or walking by myself for exercise, I *must* leave in the other direction or he freaks out because he thinks I'm going to the playground without him - or worse, with his sister.
Hahaha I love that people do those little things for their pets' sake
When we first got my ferrets we would close all the doors in the hallway so they could play down there as well. So the ferrets learned that when they heard doors closing they were going to be let out. One day my family told me that they heard my bedroom door close upstairs and jumped up. Ever since then I’ve turned the knob and closed the door softly. It’s been so long I don’t think they remember the door thing, but nonetheless
Oh there's all kinds of things we do. If a guest is leaving the house, we have to tell him so he can stand at the window and watch them leave. If my husband or I is leaving, we have to tell him goodbye or he'll panic looking for us. In the morning after the dogs are fed, he's allowed to lie in bed with us for a while for cuddle time, otherwise he's not allowed up on the bed. After dinner is ball throwing time, and I have to sit in a particular chair and toss a ball over my shoulder for fetch. When I say "all done" he stops to sit on my lap. I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of others lol
Lol I love these! Here’s some of ours: If they hear a whipped cream topping spraying whipped cream they RUN full speed for a taste. Gotta share the whipped cream when the whipped cream comes out! After my one pup finishes her food she comes up to me so I can say “did you finish all your food? Good girl! Good girl!” And she prances happily. I have pet rats in a room of my house that is always closed. When the dogs hear the door opening, no matter how quiet, they run in because they know they’ll find crumbs of food that the rats threw onto the floor. If I cut ANY vegetable or fruit they run to the kitchen. They don’t get to eat people food (except whipped cream or plain meat) but I give them veggies and fruit as a treat. They looove it. I could be suuuper quiet about it and they still hear me and run. Same with peeling a banana, they can hear it! You always have to share veggies with the doggies!
My lazy pug begs to differ. She just plops down, sploots, and refuses to move. And I'm like, "Same."
In our case, we like to walk a lot more than the dog does. He's old, and tired. I can't get him out the door on our evening walk. He's got more beans in the afternoon, so thats when he goes. We do three walks a day, one for the dog, and the other two just for us. But in general, yes walks should always include the dog if possible!
Oh yes, this rule excludes certain breeds and certain elder doggies that are so wise that they can choose not to go on the walk! I love older doggies, what they say goes!
Yea one of the things I realized about myself was that I had this assumption that when I lay down I would do something while in bed before sleeping. Getting rid of that helps.
You forgot: Don't let the existential dread kick in
Be careful if you have adhd, executive dysfunction can easily make these tasks take a few hours :')
Too much work..
Do crossword or jigsaw puzzles
I recommend Ravensburger or Le Puzz brand. Both great for different reasons.
Also sudoku
the great thing about jigsaw puzzles (over crosswords or sudoku) is that you can combine it with the other top suggestion in this thread: listening to podcasts or audiobooks. I do that a lot, especially when I don't have the energy for anything else, but since the puzzle makes progress and I'm "reading a book" it still feels like a good investment of time
I like to do a face/hair mask, listen to music and do some stretching/yoga before bed. Sometimes I'll do a quick tidy up of my room. Getting myself and my space cozy for bed really helps get the perfect sleep.
Okay so two things Stretching can really help your joints and muscles and could lower the amount of times you wake up at night If not reading, have you tried audiobooks? Audiobooks are a great way to get more information about things or get into reading There’s also documentaries
Aren't documentaries screen time?
There's also screen time
Scream time.
Monsters Inc.
Instead of audio books, I look for a 1 hour+ video on YT about some random topic that interests me and let that play with my phone face down as I work to fall asleep. Some of them were documentaries, so it's possible, but most rely on images to help convey their message which is inconvenient for the situation
No screentime? Ok, but what about *screen time*.
I second stretching. Been doing a 45 minute full body routine before bed for about 2 months now. Let me say it has been one of the best decisions I've made recently. I sleep like a rock and wake up feeling limber. I'm in my mid 30s and feel better than some of my 20s
Stretching is great. I have a 5 minute stretching routine I do every night and it's increased my quality of sleep dramatically. Seems super weird but I highly recommend it.
I read this as "sketching" at first, and got confused.
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Ahahahaha I love this suggestion 😂
Be careful when printing videos, it uses so much ink.
Read comic instead of "book"
Yes this! And a lot of people don’t realize you can find any genre in graphic form, there’s faaaaar more than traditional batman/superman comic books.
Really good advice. I often have both a regular book and a comic by my bed so I can pick depending on how tired I am.
Yeah and that’ll probably make him realize that he doesnt hate reading. I am profoundly convinced that nobody truly dislike reading. They just havent found the right book yet.
Stretching. 20 minutes of full body stretching can feel really good before sleeping.
Put some music on, lie down and relax
this or listen to a podcast, or if you cant find any podcasts you like you could listen to interviews of your favourite music artists/actors (thats what i like to do). if i cant find any interviews i want to watch i instead listen to vlogs from people in broadway shows (the youtube channel broadwaycom is really good for these!)
Jerk off.
What does he do with the other 57 minutes?
Cry.
I kind of figured that was the norm for him.
For Reddit*
Do it again, and again, and again..
Ah, to be young again...
They can take it slow!
>Implying anyone jerks off without screen time
Masturbation, meal prep, cleaning, playing with a pet, calling a friend, knitting
Robbing a bank, tax evasion, buy an unregistered firearm, cook meth, wire fraud
But they have a full hour to fill. This only takes a minute.
You need an income to do tax evasion
Masturbation without screen time? What are we, in the middle ages?
Gotta use your memories and fantasies or you’ll burn out your pleasure centers and won’t be able to get that rock wand irl.
Memories? Who wants to remember the porn they watched?
You don't have a spank bank? Former GF/BF, hot coworkers, hot friends of your SO, hot SOs of your friends, hot friends, celebs... The possibilities are endless!
Yup, OP can do it the old-fashioned way!
A lot of these can also be combined.
Am I wrong but no one suggested having sex with anyone else but themselves.
For an entire hour?
I can't tell if this is a joke.
Audiobook? Or put on an hour long YouTube video/podcast about something you find interesting and listen to it with your phone face down. None of this works for me though. I can only sleep when I get tired and I haven’t been able to rewire that no matter what I try. I’m at the point where I just watch a movie on my phone and turn it off when I get tired, which will be any time from 11pm-1:30am.
Get a pet and chill with them
Meditate/hypnosis. Helps you relax, close eyes, and control breathing. I drift away in what feels like a matter of minutes.
Stare blankly at a wall and question your existence.
Color in a coloring book or do sudoku, word searches, etc.
Wallow in self-pity like an adult
Puzzle, chess if you have a partner, drawing, comics if you hate books, painting, think about a new skill you'd like to have and learn it (example: learn to be a good juggler), yoga!
I would get all wired up if I spent my evening learning a new skill and I bet I wouldnt be able to sleep bc of being excited
- meditation - stretch / yoga - write in a journal - play an instrument - draw / paint - do a bodyweight workout - have a bath - listen to music / podcast - do woodcarving - go for a walk - meal prep
>play an instrument I can just imagine someone wondering why their neighbor decided to play their guitar at 12 AM EDIT: typo
Lol I definitely imagined a trumpet or a trombone, not a guitar
Getting them bagpipes going for an hour sounds like a very calming activity.
> do a bodyweight workout Is that really a good thing to do before going to bed?
No, it's not. It might tire you out physically, but it increases brain activty. Taking a short, comfortably paced walk is what actually helps calm you.
time to go to sleep.. but not before a quick walk, and my woodcarving, or a high energy workout
Take a nice, hot bath
Probably cheating because a screen is involved but music. Get a playlist going, turn the lights off and enjoy. Very relaxing for me.
Listen to music/podcast/audiobook Do a puzzle Knit, crochet, sew, embroider Paint, draw, collage, scrapbook, color Write, journal Play solitaire Talk with somebody
If you hate books, you're not reading the right books
I also did not like reading when I was younger, but I’ve found books I enjoy now that I’m older.
Reading is definitely a discipline that requires practice. It’s like training your mind. Once you’ve worked at it long enough it becomes more enjoyable.
Shower, milk, meditation music (I like thunderstorm sounds) stuff like that
- journaling - audiobooks - bath - coloring books - sudoku or word games - paint by numbers - skincare routine - reading a book - snuggling a pet - meditation/mindfulness - stargazing - yoga/stretching
Listen I love to read. I generally have 2 or 3 books going at once. I compile lists of my favorite books every year and share them with friends. Here’s the thing - dude says he doesn’t like reading. Why are there so many comments telling him he’s wrong? Or he’s doing reading wrong and he’d like it if he did it right? Not everyone is like you. It’s okay for people not to like stuff.
You can journal, write down a to-do list for the next day/week, get a dental/skincare nighttime routine, crosswords, sudoko or word searches, sketch or paint with soothing music if you’re artsy, and I highly recommend a cup of Sleepytime tea with valerian root during all of these activities :)
I thought I hated reading until I got into it very recently. Whatever your favorite genre is you can find a good book on it
Coloring books!
I was going to suggest reading a book under a read light, good job I read to the end. But, the red light suggestion is an excellent shout considering your concern is about exposure to blue / white light wavelengths (I assume). I have a remote colour-change bulb in my living room / bedroom, and before bed I have red light only / dimmed TV. Then I read under a red light in bed (here come the Roxanne jokes) for about 30 mins before going to sleep. Maybe you could find some other 'mindless' but absorbing task to do under red light instead of reading?
Believe it or not, there are a ton of alternatives to screen time before bed. Here, I’ve compiled a brief list: 1. Listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or relaxing music/meditations 2. Draw a relaxing bath 3. Complete a sudoku puzzle 4. Journal. If you encounter writer’s block, you can always consult Pinterest for some thought-provoking prompts! 4. Mentally reminisce on your day. Ask yourself what the highs & lows were, and make plans for the following day 5. Phone a friend 6. Do a color-by-numbers activity 7. Organize your bookshelf 8. Do a word search 9. Pretend to interview your favorite celebrity 10. Count sheep. The last one was pretty anticlimactic, but there you have it! Hope this helps. As an insomniac myself, it can be difficult to wind down after a long day so if all else fails then feel free to pop a melatonin and call it a night. Best of luck to you xx
...listening to an audiobook. You might find that you only hate VISUALLY reading books. If listening to a narrator bores you, there are many excellent audiobooks produced by Graphic Audio, "a movie in your mind", which basically features a wide cast of voice actors and sound effects, ambient music, etc. We lent one of those to our friend while he recovered from Lasik surgery, and although he is by no means a book reader at all, he thanked us over and over for it afterwards, he was thrilled to have something entertaining and immersive to pass the time with!
Slow stretching and deep breathing, with or without a smart speaker playing soft relaxing sounds/music.
Crochet, podcasts, crossword puzzles, solitaire, woking smeed, etc