3 ms·
I never understood the old TV show/movie technique, but I might have to try it now. My girlfriend's mother watches Pride and Prejudice almost every night before
by prawks 14y ago
I never understood the old TV show/movie technique, but I might have to try it now. My girlfriend's mother watches Pride and Prejudice almost every night before bed, and I never really got it.
- elemeno 14y agoI'd suspect that it can be helpful because it distracts you from thinking about other things, and if it's a show you're familiar with (or something where you don't need to pay too much attention) then it doesn't require much active effort from you either, hopefully leaving you in a state where you've purged yourself of too many other pressing thoughts and you're relaxed - both of which should help you sleep. A book might be better though, since blue light is supposed to promote wakefulness and is more prevalent in light coming from screens that from your average light bulb. (FWIW - I tend to watch cartoons on my iPhone just before I go to sleep, but only ones which I find slightly amusing and wouldn't watch otherwise)
- ajlburke 14y agoI've found audiobooks work really well - there's no screen glow to keep you up and most players let you set up a shutdown timer. The Audible edition of Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" has worked really well for me: it's a fascinating panorama of history, but very episodic so you don't miss out on plot points if you actually fall asleep; the writing style is clear, elegant, and often funny; and the narrator has a calming voice and a smooth even tone throughout all 1300+ years of history so you won't be jarred awake by changes in volume.