Remember, back in the day, when moms and pops read you bedtime tales?
And how effing effective it was for falling asleep?
Well, I’m here to admit that I still make people do that for me.
“Please? Just till I fall asleep?”
“You’re a writer. Can’t you just read to yourself? Quietly?”
“I can, but I want you to…”
“Fine. Can I read you something other than Scientific American this time, though?”
Alright. So, not everyone’s so lucky as me. Not everyone makes weird requests like I do and finds someone equally weird and willing enough to carry them out for her at bedtime. But, even on evenings when I’m all curled up solo sans my man and hafta read by my lone – I still find a good literary brain lullaby to be an ideal soporific. And the National Sleep Foundation agrees: it’s a better decompression activity than most’ve the other nocturnal hobbies you’re probably keeping (and that’re keeping you up late.) In fact, they even go so far as to say that you should spend your last hour pre attempted snooze doing something like perusing a paperback – eschewing electronic versions like e-readers.
Other experts concur with this – proffering a relevant yes-and:
That it matters what you’re perusing prior to pillow time.
For example, if you’re tryn’a wind down, yet you’re reading (or making your slumber-mate read to you) about the latest innovations and discoveries in neuroscience or psychology, then do you think you’d fall asleep? Or stay up till 2 A.M. debating about whether or not “holding a warm cup of coffee truly effects how kind people are to one another”? (Yes, that’s a thing. And, yes, we did exactly that.) It’s just like when you or I were kids. Whoever wanted us to get to sleep read stuff like Good Night Moon to us. Nothing over the top. Nice, quiet-themed, orated, eloquent equivalents to Max Richter’s Dream album. Similarly, now that we’re (allegedly) adults, we’ve gotta find fodder for brain placation. Sure, something full’a “aha” moments is fine – but anything too heady or existential’ll just be tantamount to singing your toddler thoughts the “Song that Never Ends”. You’ll be up all night with a billion inquiries brewing for an author you’ll never get to ask them to. Or the scientists. Or god.
Thus, I’ve come up with just a handful’a fun books I’d high suggests before bed. Enjoy:
1. My Booky Wook by Russell Brand
I remember reading this when I was detoxing from prescription benzos and painkillers. Very little could help me sleep. But cuddled up with my lavender pillow, my kava tea to my side, and Radiohead playing in the background… I polished off this auto-bio in a matter of days. Every night I giggled my way into the internal abyss where thoughts, insomnia, pain, or suffering of withdrawal symptoms didn’t exist. Mr. Brand succeeds in gleefully putting you to sleep with My Booky Wook. His hilariously illustrated life story details how he conquered the odds on his rise to fame, but also slips in inspirational messages while you’re uninhibited by his disarming comedy. The combo of those two things cooks up a serenity souffle – the perfect mattress snack for your mind.
(Disarming laughter…)
(…and inspirational information. Sidenote: this bit might not be specifically in the book.)
2. Mosquitoes by William Faulkner
Faulkner’s work might best be equated to that feeling I get when I watch a Seven jeans commercial. I have no idea what the point was. I’m not even sure what they’re selling. But it’s so beautiful that I want some more. Similarly, Moquitoes‘ metaphors are like a montage of OMGery. Even if you’ve no idea what’s going on as you read this story, set in New Orleans (circa the 1920’s, I believe), the descriptions alone are worth the effort. In fact, most of his work is that way:
(Way I see it: if nada else, your sheer weariness of his style’ll put you out should you become bored enough.)
3. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
And, finally, to top it all off: we’re bringing it back to the retro-tales.
An actual bedtime story you might’ve heard decades ago.
I suggest the Velveteen Rabbit specifically because if you’re like me and haven’t picked it up since you were six or seven, you truly oughtta. After a long day that’s assaulted your skull’s contents, what could be more calming than the comforting familiarity of a childhood book? Also: it’s amazing to see just how deep some of the messages behind these stories we once read are. (And, had we not been brought up in a culture with an opposite value system, they might’ve even stuck with more of us. But I digress.) I didn’t even realize how wow-worthy this story was until more recently when a friend posted an excerpt from it on Facebook:
(What? No, I’m not crying. That’s an opthalmic sweat condition I have. Leave me alone.)
Any of you got some good book recommendations for those of us snuggled in with our specs on?
Please share.
Till then: best of luck tucking yourselves in, my sleepy readers.