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The article somewhat misses the point about the Sleep with Me podcast: it's not boring content; it is boring by design. Drew Ackerman has a keen understanding

The article somewhat misses the point about the Sleep with Me podcast: it's not boring content; it is boring by design. Drew Ackerman has a keen understanding of cadence, stream of consciousness, and knowing his audience that allows him to craft an efficient insomnia assassin. You want to follow him down the rabbit hole and see where he goes with it, and by the time your brain realizes it hasn't been thinking about that big presentation you have tomorrow, you're already asleep. If you happen to jolt awake, you struggle to figure out how long it has been...and you are out like a light again. Boring content simply gets tuned out quickly, and you are back to your racing thoughts. Boring content doesn't entice you to try and stay with it, and that is why this hasn't worked before. Sleep with Me is an absolute gem and I feel like it's just beginning to scratch the surface of how technology can help us rest instead of distracting us from sleep like it has done so much up to this point.

tedkx 10y ago
"The article somewhat misses the point about the Sleep with Me podcast: it's not boring content; it is boring by design." I have not yet tried the Sleep with Me podcast, but based on what I've read, it is its "by design" part that got me more interested in trying the author's methods. I could instantly relate when I read that "I need to convince myself that I’m doing something meaningful in order to finally disengage". Many people go to bed with a feeling of not deserving their rest, of having a debt to themselves because they missed opportunities or procrastinated heavily during the day, a debt that can be repaid by using their last minutes of the day to do something meaningful to compensate for the wasted time. Presidential speeches, old radio shows, financial crisis analysis, all these create the illusion that you take full advantage of your time, keeping your brain active and broadening your knowledge. Them being boring is an added bonus. On the other hand, actively trying to get myself bored would most probably get me anxious, wondering exactly how wisely I am spending my time, which is not really what you want when trying to fall asleep.
- wodenokoto 10y ago
  I think the point is it has to be interesting enough to keep you preoccupied, but not interesting enough to keep you awake. I sleep to old Simpsons episodes. I know them inside out, and at least the older ones have a fairly calm rhythm. I don't need to pay attention because I know what is happening but it still distracts me from all the kinds of thoughts you mention. I love the episodes, so I don't feel like I'm wasting my time.

tedkx 10y ago

"The article somewhat misses the point about the Sleep with Me podcast: it's not boring content; it is boring by design." I have not yet tried the Sleep with Me podcast, but based on what I've read, it is its "by design" part that got me more interested in trying the author's methods. I could instantly relate when I read that "I need to convince myself that I’m doing something meaningful in order to finally disengage". Many people go to bed with a feeling of not deserving their rest, of having a debt to themselves because they missed opportunities or procrastinated heavily during the day, a debt that can be repaid by using their last minutes of the day to do something meaningful to compensate for the wasted time. Presidential speeches, old radio shows, financial crisis analysis, all these create the illusion that you take full advantage of your time, keeping your brain active and broadening your knowledge. Them being boring is an added bonus. On the other hand, actively trying to get myself bored would most probably get me anxious, wondering exactly how wisely I am spending my time, which is not really what you want when trying to fall asleep.

wodenokoto 10y ago
I think the point is it has to be interesting enough to keep you preoccupied, but not interesting enough to keep you awake. I sleep to old Simpsons episodes. I know them inside out, and at least the older ones have a fairly calm rhythm. I don't need to pay attention because I know what is happening but it still distracts me from all the kinds of thoughts you mention. I love the episodes, so I don't feel like I'm wasting my time.