What do you think about before you sleep?

[Pyrophosphate]

Programming. Physics. More programming... Occasionally I have something in my immediate future to worry about instead.

 

[Phoenixx]

Sometimes the future, sometimes the past. If I had a good day, I'll reflect on that. If I'm stressed though, which I have been, I can't stop my brain repeating every single thing that's going on and dwelling on it over and over and over again. I eventually fall asleep, but the minute I wake back up, the thoughts immediately continue. I really need an "off" switch.

 

[Aletheia]

*blushes*
.....

 

[hidwell]

*blushes*
.....

Aletheia ! Whatever do you mean.

 

[Roman Legion]

Well, I think about my own demise, usually makes me feel much better.. Then I hit myself in the throat a few times in hopes that I finally made myself fully mute, rather than being only Selectively mute because then someone on this bloody rock we call Earth might actually not think my SM is BS (Basically my parents) because it is not documented by a medical professional.. Seriously, I picture myself with a M1911 before I go to sleep or another thing that I wish reality held true, but I'm not going to discuss that one, too private.

 

[gustavofring]

I try not to think of heavy stuff. Sometimes I just think of fantasy movies.
Star Wars or something. I fantasize a little about it. Then fall asleep. I guess I need that bit of escapism before falling asleep.

Sometimes I also fall asleep listening to an audiobook or series/movie with the laptop next to me. This is pretty bad habit, because the laptop is still on and probably not causing me to sleep well.

Recently a bad sleep pattern has set in again. I can't sleep until 4/5 AM.
Just one bad night can ruin it for me... GAH.

 

[Kiwong]

Sometimes I think I am running and I trip over something, and I stumble in my bed.

 

[Flowers-Of-Bloom]

Random things. Sometimes my mind is racing even though I'm really tired so I just lay there thinking and sometimes talking to myself quietly. I think about trivial things, deep things (meaning of life stuff), TV shows but usually what I do is just make up stories with characters and hopefully end up writing it out during the day if I find the time. I'm more relaxed before I go to sleep so it's easier to come up with ideas without all the daily distractions. Yeah I know, it's weird, but I'm a writer; it's what I do.

 

[Feeling_Nothing]

Everything, my life, how I fail, all my worries...
Takes me ages to fall asleep...

 

[Srijita52]

I mainly daydream before sleeping, making up random stories in my mind and imagining about random possibilities.

 

[MikeyC]

I mainly daydream before sleeping, making up random stories in my mind and imagining about random possibilities.

Yeah, I do this, as well. It can be either good or bad.

 

[O'Killian]

Sometimes I think I am running and I trip over something, and I stumble in my bed.

This happens to me occasionally as well. I understand it's not all that uncommon (in fact I think I once knew the name for the phenomenon, but can't remember it offhand).

I also used to have extreme sleep pattern problems (possibly still do and am just staving it off well). For a stretch of a few weeks at most I'd be diurnal, relatively normal waking/sleeping times, then I'd slowly stay up and get up later until I was full on nocturnal (asleep at sunrise, wake up in the late afternoon). This usually lasted until I tried to change it back around.

I always had it much easier going to sleep when I was on a nocturnal cycle, too. For the past two months or so I've just been essentially mentally throttling myself to sleep at night, no matter how long I have to lie there.

 

[Section_31]

sex

ok ok, i usually try to blank my mind actually. Breathe deep through my nose. I picture an empty void. sometimes i pretend im flying through space, seeing planets, nebula, stars, its quite serene and peaceful for me. Helps me knod off almost right away.

A bit unusual, i admit, but it works .

 

[LazyHermitCrab]

Same problem. This is why I leave the tv on to like a cooking channel or something so I can think of that.

 

[Boby]

I mainly daydream before sleeping, making up random stories in my mind and imagining about random possibilities.

Yep, I do it too,it's like a distraction from other thoughts that might keep me awake.

 

[mikebird]

That's one thing about my life that hasn't changed since being tiny, and now mid-thirties, and I hope when I'm senior

Like a PC or Mac shutting down, gathering thoughts

Getting organised for the day ahead - good or bad. Can take no time, or an hour or more. Paranoia. I bounce out of bed like a boxer, maybe some panic. Just getting things in order quick, using my prep and dreams

 

[sillyrabbit231]

I think of urban legends when I'm trying to sleep. It decreases my chance to close my eyes to sleep. I also think of what I'm going to do tommorow. I also think of my crush

 

[AsTimeBurns]

I usually try to day dream about random things like time travel or space travel, etc... Although often I start thinking about death and then I have to read for a while cos I can't sleep then.

 

[Gaucho]

also same here. I try to imagine nice things, how this or that would be like.
I also start to wonder many times what went wrong with me over the years that I turned into the person i am now. I remember how everything was fine in my life( i always was kinda weak emotionally and had SA but people liked me), but at some point of life( i think switching school) i lost the North and my life went down hill. Now I'm a miserable piece of sh it and have nearly no hope left, its like all my hope got sucked out of my body, i have no beliefs, no knowledge of anything except some concret things like football( what obviously isn't important in life). I wish i had a little bit hope left, but every single day is just SHI T, and the worst thing of all, i have what probably most people would call:"Lucky life" i got all the money i need, i can study, loving family. hahah but my fking mind is too weak.

sorry for this long useless post

 

[Aletheia]

Sometimes I think I am running and I trip over something, and I stumble in my bed.

Yeah I get these:

A hypnic jerk, hypnagogic jerk, sleep start, or night start, is an involuntary myoclonic twitch which occurs during hypnagogia, just as a person is beginning to fall asleep, often causing them to awaken suddenly for a moment....

The consensus among researchers is that, as the muscles begin to slack and go into a restful state as sleep is entered, the brain senses these relaxation signals and misinterprets them as indications of falling. The brain then sends signals to arm and leg muscles in an attempt to regain balance. This misinterpretation that takes place in the brain may also be responsible for the "falling" dreams that accompany the falling sensation. These "dreams" are not really normal dreams, as they are not produced from REM sleep, but rather more like a daydream or hallucination in response to the body’s sensations.

So the jerk causes the dream rather than the other way around, but it sure doesn't feel like that.