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This Is What Good Sleepers Think About While Falling Asleep (and How Bad Sleepers Can Steal Their Magic)
My daughter has unfortunately inherited my husband’s complete disinterest in sleep, and basically from birth has fought any and all attempts to put her to bed. To cope with her tossing and turning, we developed a game we call “sleepy thoughts.” Every time I tuck her in at night I offer some pleasant but distracting scenario or a question for her to think about.
If you were an astronaut on a mission to Mars, who would you want to take with you and why? If you could have any birthday party you can dream up, what would it be like? Please describe in great detail. What is cuter, a marmot, an otter, or a bunny? (I was solidly team marmot, while she was forcefully in favor of the otter.)
I do this because I prefer her to be pondering cake flavors and furry critters rather than bothering me with complaints in the evening. But I just read an article that suggests I may have stumbled onto a real, scientifically validated trick for easier bedtimes, and one that exhausted adults can use on themselves as well.
The bedtime thoughts of good sleepers versus insomniacs
The insight comes from a pair of Australian psychologists, Melinda Jackson and Hailey Meakin, who have…
