How Audiobooks Cured My Insomnia
And I still use them every night to fall asleep.
As I think is common for all but a lucky few of us, I struggle with mild insomnia. This is especially relevant right now with all the craziness going on in the world. I have often found myself plagued by the cascading thought-nado that won’t slow down for five minutes so I can doze off. That all changed when I started using audiobooks to put me to sleep.
I occasionally enjoy audiobooks during my waking hours, and I found them relaxing so I decided to try listening to them at night. I was asleep so fast I was instantly hooked. Had I tapped into some sort of childhood-trained reptilian brain switch from years of falling asleep to bedtime stories? I don’t have tangible memories of being read to sleep as a child but maybe my subconscious still does?
Audiobooks have the powerful effect of preoccupying my mind just enough to stop the thought-nado, and at the same time being soothing enough to let me fall asleep (usually in 5–10 minutes!). It’s like an off-button for my brain, and one I’ve been using every night for the last few years. Even on nights I would normally be up for hours, with audiobooks I can get to sleep in 30–45 minutes max.
However, there are several nuances to this life-hack that take it to the next level for me, and…
