Quote Originally Posted by sallybrarian View Post
Stupid life getting in the way of my dreams! I don't get enough sleep-in time.
Ha! I was having this same thought recently and went to great lengths to work out a way that Wife and I could wake up 30 minutes later than we had been.

So is it generally true that you have trouble falling asleep initially but then tend not to naturally wake up in the middle of the night?

The best advice that I can give for falling asleep is to simply not worry about it. When you close your eyes, set aside expectations of sleep per se and think instead of it just as your quiet time to blank out your mind and do nothing but wait in that peaceful emptiness. Gently set aside thoughts as they arise and go back to just enjoying the peace of silence and a quiet mind. Inevitably once I stop worrying about it, sleep seems to come on its own.

>I keep trying to practice SSILD whenever I can, but it has been ending up that I do it when I first go to sleep as a mental reminder: do this when you wake in the
middle of the night. Except that I'm not waking in the middle of the night!
If you're wanting to train yourself up to do WBTB, you could consider drinking some "pee water" before bed to induce a natural early morning bio-break. That's how I usually get myself back into the wbtb rhythm when I'm out of the habit. (In the middle of doing this now, actually!)

>I'm having a hard time doing my preferred RC at work because I want to nose pinch, but my hands get dirty helping people with books and public use computers and
I don't want to touch my face. Will buy handkerchiefs soon and might also get a digital watch to use as a RC.
Heh, I totally get this. I often worried about the idea of my filthy hands touching my (relatively) clean face. I'd imagine this is even worse in a public-facing job with lots of interaction. Another good reality check is to simply do something mental, such as to simply consider whether your present situation makes sense. You can demand proof from yourself that you're not dreaming. This is good in that it builds the habit of strongly engaging your critical thinking in those moments where you've allowed life's natural rhythm to lull you into a sort of waking sleep.

I'm really impressed with your diligence! Keep up the great work!