Easy Way to be Aware When Falling Asleep and Fall Asleep More Easily

[Find]

Okay, so it's SUPER EASY, and it may or may not help you fall asleep, but it will help you stay aware as you fall asleep. Actually, I have a feeling someone else has already mentioned it, because it's so simple, I just can't imagine that it hasn't been posted before. Anyway, to fall asleep more easily and be aware while doing it: Get snuggly in your bed. Make sure you're comfortable, lights off, etc,. and then, Start counting in your head: one Mississippi, two Mississippi, onwards. Keep counting until you lose your place, or find yourself skipping number or making mistakes. At that point, start over. What you should start seeing is that the numbers get smaller, and you'll reach a point at which you can only count a few numbers before you mess up. When this happens you'll know that you are extremely close to falling asleep. It's pretty much like counting sheep, only more boring. And it feels so weird when you can only count to five before you forget your place.

[ArtemC]

I'm gonna try this. But what do you do when you're "getting close"? 'Cause I imagine realising I'm falling asleep would wake me up again...

[MissLucy]

I haven't tried this, but I often stay naturally aware while I'm falling asleep. What I do is just start visualizing the dream scene, and before I know it, I'm in it

[Find]

I'm gonna try this. But what do you do when you're "getting close"? 'Cause I imagine realising I'm falling asleep would wake me up again... Usually when I see the numbers getting smaller, I'm pretty calm and super sleepy. You should be able to remain relaxed, because by that point you're pretty far gone. It's just a matter of barely hanging on and keeping your mind awake.

[Quietus]

I've noticed a similar thing when attempting MILDs. My mantra starts of with "I will realize i that i am dreaming", and after about 5 minutes, i'll realize that the words are harder to string together and often it's changed to something like "I release that I am kneeling" or something obscure like that.

[tommo]

Hehe, that happens to me too with the mantras. I think the key is to keep your mind lucid, by repeating it or counting the numbers correctly, actually focusing on saying them correctly. Which should give you enough lucidity to enter a dream aware. Seems to work anyway, as does just making yourself aware without any counting, but I think this is a good starting point to figure out what awareness feels like until one can just initiate awareness.

[CarloC]

I don't know if knowing that soon I will be sleeping would help my awareness. Because yesterday I counted sheeps. I counted MANY sheeps. I mean, seriously. Then I started to mistake sheeps and slept Anyway, i'll try counting Mississipis instead of sheeps. If it works, you have won the internets o/