[heartturnedtoporcelain]

Ok, so I've noticed a bunch of people here have said that they create little stories and scenarios in their heads when they're trying to fall asleep. Is this something that you do deliberately? Or is something that just happens?

I fall asleep by letting my thoughts spin out of control - I let them go wherever they want (which, as you can imagine, is not necessarily helpful if I'm thinking about something painful or unpleasant - those are the nights when I tend not to fall asleep at all). In that jungle of thoughts, my mind often plays out weird scenarios or re-imagines events in the last day or so. There is nothing deliberate about it however.

So -
First: how do you fall asleep?
Second: if you create these quasi-daydream scenarios, is it on purpose as a tactic to fall asleep or is something that just happens?
Third: how long does it usually take you to fall asleep?

 

[obz900]

I turn on some beautiful music and if I'm very tired or drunk, I fall asleep right away. If not, I do the same thing as you. I can think sometimes for hours, and then suddenly look at the clock and wonder how the hell it is four in the morning and I'm still up. It sucks sometimes.

 

[benfoldsfive dude]

Sometimes I create scenarios, such as ways of getting out of a stick up, or different art projects that I want to do in the future. The rest of the time, I think about architecture from the eighties and nineties, while wondering why the Geo Car division was taken out of General Motors (along with Saturn, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile).

Ever since the past two weeks, I've been thinking so much about pointless stuff like that. My mind wanders off in such vast lands of what is called my conscious and sub-conscious.

First: I try to fall asleep by turning my fan on high (it's hot in Alabama).
Second: The scenarios are just ways that keep me mentally awake.
Third: I lose track of time, so I will say about 45 minutes to an hour at the most.

 

[JerseyDevil]

I turn on music most nights when I sleep alone while working on the road. When I'm at home I usually don't, but some nights I have to grab my iPhone and put my earbuds in if I'm really having trouble.

It can be anything too, not necessarily just relaxing music. I'm the kind of person who has to listen to the song or type of music they are feeling right at that moment, so even if it is metal I will put it on, otherwise I just lay there annoyed that I'm not listening to what I want to hear.

As for how long it takes me to fall asleep, that's all over the place. I'm not really good at it until I'm dead tired.

 

[heartturnedtoporcelain]

I turn on some beautiful music and if I'm very tired or drunk, I fall asleep right away. If not, I do the same thing as you. I can think sometimes for hours, and then suddenly look at the clock and wonder how the hell it is four in the morning and I'm still up. It sucks sometimes.

I turn on music most nights when I sleep alone while working on the road. When I'm at home I usually don't, but some nights I have to grab my iPhone and put my earbuds in if I'm really having trouble.

It can be anything too, not necessarily just relaxing music. I'm the kind of person who has to listen to the song or type of music they are feeling right at that moment, so even if it is metal I will put it on, otherwise I just lay there annoyed that I'm not listening to what I want to hear.

I'm so envious of you guys who are able to fall asleep to music. I just can't - I need silence. I imagine it would be super relaxing to do it.

 

[obz900]

Ooops! I didn't see your questions. I already said what I did to fall asleep. I don't really make those scenarios in my head. I tend to think more about things that are actually going on in my life, especially lately. And it usually takes me about fifteen minutes to fall asleep, some nights less, some nights much, much more.

I'm so envious of you guys who are able to fall asleep to music. I just can't - I need silence. I imagine it would be super relaxing to do it.

I haven't been able to fall asleep to silence in probably ten years or more. I have pretty severe ringing in my ears due to an accident when I was in fourth grade, so silence drives me up a wall. I make cd's with about five songs on them-just enough to put me to sleep-and then play that cd for about a week before changing it out for different music. It's just kinda a nightly ritual now. Whenever I have friends sleep over they just about go crazy.

 

[heartturnedtoporcelain]

I haven't been able to fall asleep to silence in probably ten years or more. I have pretty severe ringing in my ears due to an accident when I was in fourth grade, so silence drives me up a wall. I make cd's with about five songs on them-just enough to put me to sleep-and then play that cd for about a week before changing it out for different music. It's just kinda a nightly ritual now. Whenever I have friends sleep over they just about go crazy.

I love the idea of nightly rituals - even if that particular ritual would drive me up the wall too:tongue:. It sucks that you don't have choice about it though.

 

[Slider]

I'll put a movie on and fall asleep.

 

[Darkestblue]

I talk to myself inside my head until my eyelids feel like they weigh 100 lbs. Sometimes with a picture of my muse, to help me think clearer.

I think about pretty much anything. Usually things involving myself. I'm often reassuring myself of some feeling I have, putting deep thought into why I feel that way, and etc.

Sometimes I'll play out imagined scenarios in my head. Last night, as I was falling asleep, I was imagining myself with this girl I like. There was lots of cuddling involved. Maybe a little sex, too.:laughing: I try not to think of sex while falling asleep, because once I get a hard on, it usually doesn't go away until it's taken care of.:crazy:

TMI? Sorry.:tongue:

 

[obz900]

I love the idea of nightly rituals - even if that particular ritual would drive me up the wall too:tongue:. It sucks that you don't have choice about it though.

Haha yeah, I didn't have a choice about it at first, but I think now, even if the ringing were to go away, I would probably still play music to fall asleep. It's just a very comforting thing to me now, hearing music as I drift off..

 

[obz900]

I talk to myself inside my head until my eyelids feel like they weigh 100 lbs. Sometimes with a picture of my muse, to help me think clearer.

I think about pretty much anything. Usually things involving myself. I'm often reassuring myself of some feeling I have, putting deep thought into why I feel that way, and etc.

Sometimes I'll play out imagined scenarios in my head. Last night, as I was falling asleep, I was imagining myself with this girl I like. There was lots of cuddling involved. Maybe a little sex, too.:laughing: I try not to think of sex while falling asleep, because once I get a hard on, it usually doesn't go away until it's taken care of.:crazy:

TMI? Sorry.:tongue:

Pahahaha. This is one of my new favorite posts.

 

[heartturnedtoporcelain]

Sometimes I'll play out imagined scenarios in my head. Last night, as I was falling asleep, I was imagining myself with this girl I like. There was lots of cuddling involved. Maybe a little sex, too.:laughing: I try not to think of sex while falling asleep, because once I get a hard on, it usually doesn't go away until it's taken care of.:crazy:

TMI? Sorry.:tongue:

:laughing:

I imagine that you'd fall asleep faster after you'd taken care of it :wink:

 

[obz900]

:laughing:

I imagine that you'd fall asleep faster after you'd taken care of it :wink:

Haha, I would also imagine this. They say it relieves stress and migraines. It must work as a sleep-aid as well..:happy:

 

[Teigue]

Ok, so I've noticed a bunch of people here have said that they create little stories and scenarios in their heads when they're trying to fall asleep. Is this something that you do deliberately? Or is something that just happens?
QUOTE]

Wow, I have always thought other people did this but I have never heard about it till now, I find I create the scenarios deliberately some times, and other times they just happen. I find letting my thoughts spin out of control keeps me from sleep.

 

[heartturnedtoporcelain]

Haha, I would also imagine this. They say it relieves stress and migraines. It must work as a sleep-aid as well..:happy:

A shot of endorphins can only be good for your health right? I mean, that's the only reason why people would do this utterly shameful activity. :tongue:

 

[twinklestars]

My mind seems to wonder about personal things in my life, each night it's basically the same thoughts, so I turn on the TV and it stays on all night. Eventually when I wake around 4am, I turn it off when I am in my very sleepy state. Last night I ask God to make them stop and it didnt seem to long til it was gone:mellow:

 

[Nomenclature]

My mind wanders all the time, and it's not limited to right before I fall asleep.

Sometimes I act out scenarios in my mind while I'm in the shower. It gets pretty ridiculous because I do realize that sometimes it does get to the point where I literally talk to a wall.

 

[Darkestblue]

Sometimes I act out scenarios in my mind while I'm in the shower. It gets pretty ridiculous because I do realize that sometimes it does get to the point where I literally talk to a wall.

Let's not forget sitting on the toilet. Also a great place to do some thinking, or acting out scenarios.:laughing:

 

[obz900]

My mind wanders all the time, and it's not limited to right before I fall asleep.

Sometimes I act out scenarios in my mind while I'm in the shower. It gets pretty ridiculous because I do realize that sometimes it does get to the point where I literally talk to a wall.

Let's not forget sitting on the toilet. Also a great place to do some thinking, or acting out scenarios.:laughing:

I think we can narrow this down and just say that being in the bathroom in general is a great place to think and be alone :laughing:

I actually will make frequent trips to the bathroom if I'm in an uncomfortable situation and need to get away for awhile.

 

[refugee]

music: I have dedicated playlists just to sleep. they will usually range from classical, baroque, trance, chill, ambient... also processing the day's events in my head helps me to relax and lower my brain activity. as i feel more and more centered about my identity and how the day's events helped or didn't help me towards my goal of inner harmony, I feel better about myself. sometimes I'll just veg out playing a repetitive video game, usually something mindless...