Most of us are willing to trade in a limb, have contemplated losing our jobs and have thrown caution to the wind to catch up on sleep. And then there are times when you doomscroll, stare at the ceiling and have counted so many sheep that they’ve given up jumping in sheer exasperation and yet sleep eludes you. Some of us then just toss and turn in bed. Others annoy partners who are sleeping besides them peacefully. So we decided to ask around, what REALLY worked? On the occasion of World Sleep Day, I asked some people about habits that have helped them snooze deeply and a little more. I also tried not to judge them for their weird…convictions.
“I listen to crime podcasts everyday before going to sleep” – Ruman Baig
People always recommend that listening something helps if you are having issues sleeping. A 2019 Edison Research report suggested more than half of nearly 6,000 people that surveyed reported that they tune in to their favourite podcast before sleeping. Of course, we are not sure about the true crime thing because I am not sure gory blood scenes described in grisly details are my thing but I guess each to their own.
“I make up fake scenes and scenarios in my head” – Sumona Bose
“I struggle to shut my thoughts and fall asleep (it is one of the aspects of living with ADHD). So, in order to fall asleep I make up fake scenes and scenarios in my head – I do not ALWAYS have to be the protagonist in them. Since my thoughts and emotions are flowing through me so intensely just before bed, I dream almost every night. I have turned this into a habit of writing down my dreams as soon as I wake so that I can one day release the wackiest dream journal that’s ever been written!”
We’re not sure if the fake scenarios involve love scenes or some sort of drama but we are down to listening to whatever is happening in her dreams.
“I need to read, even if it’s something mundane” – Zoha Castelino
We all know that one person who doesn’t get sleep instantly. Well, in this case, she likes to read even about the simplest and regular things, in her words “even a BuzzFeed quiz”. If she doesn’t read, Zoha gets super restless, she says. “I also snore as I have a deviated septum”, she says.
” I lucid dream sometimes” – Twisha Dedhiya
So for all of you who don’t know what lucid dreaming is we have a detailed article on it, so refer to that. Lucid dreaming is basically when you can control your dreams, sounds super weird but it’s fascinating. I mean there are some people who like to be the one in control of everything (me), but can’t really do it as it isn’t practical, so it might be good to control something, given that my life is all over the place.
“I apply Vaporub on my neck when I have a day off next day” – Dhvani Gala
“Yes I apply Vaporub when I have a day off the next day and want to wake up feeling rested, but I really don’t recommend this because what even, this is weird. Other weird things I do include mildly dipping a q-tip in oil and then applying it in my ear. I also sleep with 3 pillows under me – one below my head, one below my lower back and one under my legs, it results in me having no back or leg pain in the morning. And also nobody else in my family having any pillows.
Nonetheless if you ever want to try such weird things, do it at your own risk. Happy Sleeping! Toodless.
