[Freewell]

OK, I am really curious. My husband has this incredible ability to just go to sleep whenever he needs to, regardless of noise, light, or anything that may be running through his mind. It is much like a light-switch. In fact, we even joke around about him not even having to be horizontal to be out cold. I tell people that somewhere in between standing and hitting the bed, (around about the 45 degree angle) he is already snoozing blissfully.

I on the other have yet to find this confounded button, and can lay there for hours, tossing and turning, blocking out light, muffling noise, and shoving (or at least attempting to shove) everything out of my mind in an attempt to finally drift off into a much needed slumber. It reminds me of the movie "What a Woman Wants" when you can hear a thousand thoughts going through all theses women's minds at once. It really is like that! It isn't even necessarily anything of a negative nature, just random thoughts all jumbling into the cranial turnstile. I usually don't have an issue getting to sleep, but there are those times when I think a 5 lb. sledge hammer is my only option if I am to catch any sleep at all!

So, how many of you can just go to sleep at will, and who finds themselves counting sheep on occasion, in a futile effort to find that ever elusive magic sleep button? Is it just an issue of mind over matter, personal mental discipline and training yourself to simply go to sleep? For those of you who have this button, did you always have it, or did you train yourself to be able to go to sleep like that, and if so, how?

[chucker]

If it's any comfort at all, I'm exactly like you. Both of my ex-girlfriends could sleep rather easily (in fact, the first even liked having music on loud while falling asleep), whereas I need absolute peace, calm, quiet, dark. I turn around and around until I finally find exactly the right position, and even then, I frequently just stare at the wall for hours, thinking random thoughts. It's been getting better, but I'm still not at the point where I look forward to sleeping.

[Freewell]

Oh, I look forward to it immensely... It's just the occasional battle of trying to find it!!

[Shades of Blue]

I wouldn't say that I'm asleep the second I hit the bed, but usually I fall asleep within a couple of minutes, assuming that I'm not abnormally stressed out or something (and even then, I usually don't have too much trouble blocking it out when it's time to sleep).

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Freewell Oh, I look forward to it immensely... It's just the occasional battle of trying to find it!!

Well it's not that I dislike sleep, but between spending so much time in agony trying to fall asleep and then risking nightmares, it's not always compelling to actually have it.

[Mugge]

I also have quite a hard time getting to sleep when I'm lying in my bed. Even the smallest noise will keep me a awake. However, sitting in a car, train or plane will make me very sleepy almost instantly, no matter how noisy it gets.

Weird stuff.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by Freewell Oh, I look forward to it immensely... It's just the occasional battle of trying to find it!!

My wife envisions a broom whisking all those noisy thoughts away when she needs to clear her mind in order to sleep. Supposedly that works for her.

I happen to have that switch where I can stay up if I need to, or I can sleep through WWIII (my 2 year old waking up and crying / screaming for an hour).

[Phoenix]

I have had trouble in the past, and have just started to use the Pzizz program to see how that goes. It seems to be pretty good so far, if only to get my head a bit clearer.

I have so much going through my head right now, so anything to get me to sleep quicker is worth a try.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Mugge I also have quite a hard time getting to sleep when I'm lying in my bed. Even the smallest noise will keep me a awake. However, sitting in a car, train or plane will make me very sleepy almost instantly, no matter how noisy it gets. Weird stuff.

I'm similar, although generally i can get to sleep if I'm not thinking to hard about one thing in particular. I think it must be the vibration, cause i do the same thing in the massage chair i have. It goes for 15 minute cycles and after about 5 I'm dead to the world. Very comfy chair too.

[Chinney]

Sex can be a good sleep button. Sometimes it leaves me happy, but more awake, thinking about, well, sex.

[atomicbartbeans]

Not entirely related, but I've found since college that drinking something caffeinated and then taking a nap shortly thereafter gives me a ton of energy.

[drewprops]

At night, I can hit snooze factor 9 within moments of laying down IF I haven't had too much caffeine after around 4pm. If you put me in a BarcoLounger/LazyBoy it goes to snooze factor 10,000 within seconds of tipping back. If it's on a nice bouncy, jouncy bus ride it's pretty fast. Background noise is great, but I've learned that I can no longer go to sleep very quickly if my television's volume is very loud because my brain will latch onto the dialogue and it'll keep me awake.

.

[709]

I can't sleep at all. Period. If I really feel my body/mind needs to just be put out for a while, I hit myself with an alcohol sledgehammer. Terrible and unhealthy, I know, but it's the only way I've found that knocks me out.

I'm jealous of people that can just 'sleep'... I imagine it's heavenly.

[Capella]

Hmm. It really depends. If I'm alone in bed and it's quiet and I can't listen to music, it'll take ages to go to sleep and I toss and turn. If I can listen to my iPod, I have a very nice trick: I've been falling asleep to the Still Waters album for so many years (more than 5) that if I put it on in order, I can go to sleep within 5 songs, or half the album. (About 20 minutes.) It's very convenient. And if I'm sleeping with someone else, I tend to fall asleep very rapidly.

[turbulentfurball]

Command + Option + Eject.

If only it were as easy as that!

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by Capella Hmm. It really depends. If I'm alone in bed and it's quiet and I can't listen to music, it'll take ages to go to sleep and I toss and turn. If I can listen to my iPod, I have a very nice trick: I've been falling asleep to the Still Waters album for so many years (more than 5) that if I put it on in order, I can go to sleep within 5 songs, or half the album. (About 20 minutes.) It's very convenient. And if I'm sleeping with someone else, I tend to fall asleep very rapidly.

+1, wrapping up with someone else makes it even easier to fall asleep.

[curiousuburb]

Body can be tired, but if brain still racing, sleep no come.

Various tricks tried, from meditation to exercise , but if you're overstressed, sometimes distraction is best.

I hear they've made a magic hypnotic box that glows. Soporific if tuned correctly. CSPAN, etc.

[CitizenTony]

I can have trouble getting to sleep. Used to be I would have to be in complete silence and pitch dark and would toss and turn for hours if something was just a bit off, but I've gotten over that a bit. I can be drop dead tired, but unable to doze off. My mind races thinking of how to fix whatever problem that's come up.

I've found that playing a podcast on a subject that I'm passionate about helps quite a bit. The opinion is typically shared by myself so I can just listen and concentrate on what's being said and what it means. Usually nothing truly new is covered, as is the way of life in this instant news world, so I don't have to worry much about dozing off and missing something.

When there is nothing to listen too, I have a DS with some light repetitive games on it. Nothing exciting or intense, something like Animal Crossing or MySims. Not quite boring, but nothing that requires real brain power.

I've tried leaving the TV on, but I have to tune the volume down to almost inaudible so it doesn't bother me. The flickering lights usually keep me awake though.

Another helpful thing for me is listening to music. Something I like, I'll try to pick it apart. Only listen to the flute in the background that you've never even noticed before. Try to listen to every detail of that flute and ignore the other instruments. Listen to it again, but this time only listen to the violin.

Basically, something lightly repetitive that's agreeable. Something to focus my mind on one subject and get it off of everyday life.

[Bryson]

I can sleep anywhere, at any time, for any time period. It's a skill that I think you develop in a period of extreme "sleep stress" - I learnt it at the Edinburgh festival, where my only real opportunities to sleep during a period of 45 days were an hour here and there. Ever since then, I can sleep whenever I want to.

My girlfriend hates me for it...

[Souflay123]

My boyfriend can fall asleep instantly, and anywhere the list of places he has fallen asleep is impressive, and the same goes for my grandmother she during parties (christmas, thanksgiving...) will sit down on the couch he head goes back and she is out. I am almost as bad, but when I lay down and go to sleep it takes me like 30-40 min to actually get to sleep unless I am uber tired, but I am can sleep easily when flying, or when we took coach busses to speech tournaments, along with when I am in the car I will be sitting up straight and fall asleep, ever when actually driving. When I came back from san fran I left the mothership at like 5:30 and mid way down the 5 stopped and got 4 double shots to keep me awake yay! For coffee!

[dmegatool]

I hate sleep. I kind of feel I'm wasting my time. I would rather do somethings else. So when I go to bed, I'm generally really tired so it only take me seconds or minutes.

I try to sleep at least a 5 minimum so sometimes I read a book in the bed. I can miss with that. A couples of pages and I'm out. I takes me like 3 months to read a book lol. I'm currently in "Blood and gold" of the vampire chronicles.

Enough said. To answer the question. Yes I have the switch and yes I've always had it.

[Freewell]

I am very interested in everyone's input here, as I used to sleep like a brick wall... NOTHING could wake me up. Now, as a mother (and wife to someone who possesses said switch and could sleep through anything) I am instantly awake at the slightest noise that sounds like it could possibly be attached to a child in need. I do not jump up at every noise. Sometimes things just need to work themselves out... but I am awake nonetheless! Of course, this doesn't help the whole sleep issue on nights that I have fought the sleep switch battle to no avail!

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by Freewell I am very interested in everyone's input here, as I used to sleep like a brick wall... NOTHING could wake me up. Now, as a mother (and wife to someone who possesses said switch and could sleep through anything) I am instantly awake at the slightest noise that sounds like it could possibly be attached to a child in need. I do not jump up at every noise. Sometimes things just need to work themselves out... but I am awake nonetheless! Of course, this doesn't help the whole sleep issue on nights that I have fought the sleep switch battle to no avail!

Yup, my wife hates the fact I can sleep through our son waking up in the middle of the night. Sometimes she'll try to wake me up because misery loves company or something and gets really pissed when I just keep on dreaming.

[Freewell]

I truly don't bemoan the fact... I more or less see the middle of the night wakings as part of my job description. It is rare that I even mind getting up, and when I do, it is almost always a direct result of amplified sleep deprivation. I think it really helps my perspective in this regard that I waited soooo long to have the privilege of becoming a wife and mother, so I don't don't gripe much about anything. I just love my role in life! On the other hand, I figured that if I can learn from others who may or may not face the same challenge, then all the better! I would love to find that famous sleep switch and hack it with the 'mother' application!

[Majost]

Yeah, I suppose I'm one of the lucky ones, too. If I have a normal day (8 mile bike ride to/from work, and with my mind challenged at work) I fall asleep instantly. I'll sometimes throw on a mellow song as I fall asleep... and I'm often out before the song ends (< 3 mins).

That said, if I don't exercise *both* my body and mind, I have trouble. More and more I've been finding caffeine can cause trouble too, but only if it's within a few hours of bedtime.

Interestingly enough, the switch *doesn't* work when I am absolutely exhausted. I don't understand that one, but once I hit a certain point of exhaustion, it actually takes me longer to fall asleep.

[Robo]

I can't ever fall asleep. Like, ever. Even if my body is really really tired, my mind is still awake. I always lie awake for at least a couple hours before I drift off.

I hate sleep. I know, I know, it's healthy, yada yada, but it seems like such a waste of time. So sue me.

[murbot]

I just ask for a quick blowjob from my wife, and I'm sleeping in no time.

So I guess that makes 10 years and counting since I've been able to go to sleep in no time.

Other than that, there's booze, like 709. Pound a few quick, start reading something, and I'm out pretty quick.

[dmegatool]

Originally Posted by murbot I just ask for a quick blowjob from my wife, and I'm sleeping in no time. So I guess that makes 10 years and counting since I've been able to go to sleep in no time. Other than that, there's booze, like 709. Pound a few quick, start reading something, and I'm out pretty quick.

What a typical Murbot post !

Wish I could just ask for a blowjob and have it everytime... Lucky man

[murbot]

I don't think I wrote that too clearly.

It worked for me 10 years ago. Doesn't quite work that way anymore.

Oh, and I got married 10 1/2 years ago.

[cosus]

I hate sleep. What a waste of time.