The ‘off-switch’ to my thoughts is slightly faulty; and, I tend to find that my head doesn’t slowdown, as it should, in the run up to bedtime. So, in order to break the cycle and stop thinking or worrying or planning or having ideas, the following things seem to interrupt my thought patterns:

1. Putting it on paper. I am not a list person by nature; but, when there’s a million and one things to remember for the next day (and particularly on a Sunday when you’re brains finally unwound from the preceding week), getting it all down on paper takes it out of your head – and stops you worrying that you’ll forget it all.

2. TV programmes (sorry sleep professionals) that make you laugh or smile – but don’t make you think too much; and definitely don’t make you angry. Ideally, a repeat (and DVD boxsets are great for this), so that when the sleepiness finally descends, you don’t have to drag yourself away from the screen.

3. Su Du Ku. It’s been proven (I think) that numerical workings out can divert your thinking; so, as bizarre as it may sound, the back of the newspaper half an hour before bed gives me something – other than my thoughts – to concentrate on.

4. Problem solving. I can’t sleep if I don’t have a strategy for dealing with whatever I’m worrying. It’s not necessarily about solving the problem: it’s just about knowing how you’re going to solve it – or realising that you can’t possibly solve it until you’ve woken up with a fresh head, or the rest of the world is awake to help it happen.

5. A good book. I can’t go to sleep without a good book, but there are certain criteria to be met; and, there’s always a slight risk that turning the page becomes more important than turning the light off. Something not too dramatic or electrifying is therefore preferable, and if you find a ‘soothing’ author with a strong voice (Jane Austen or Alexander McCall Smith do it for me); a few chapters tend to overspeak my own thoughts.

Next step is getting some good associations going on – and sorting out ‘The Nightly Routine….’

Tags: sleep

This entry was posted on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 11:49 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.