We can return to the axiom about sound. What does tend to hold up is the impact of unexpected or dissonant sound on our ability to sleep. Clearly, a loud crash will wake us up. When we are asleep, there is still monitoring going on and our amygdala is still sorting out what comes in through our ears to see if anything is threatening us. Furthermore, we are vigilant regarding anything that seems “out of the ordinary” (including silence if we live in a noisy urban setting). This of course can be the sound of a crying baby, the sound of our sleep partner talking in their sleep, or even our own snoring. There are many potential sources of disruptive sound. Perhaps we should be wearing sound-abating headphones (especially if we are trying to sleep in a setting other than our bedroom. Perhaps, instead, we should appreciate the guardianship offered by our ears, auditory neural processing system, and alert-triggering amygdala.
Made Up Environment (Fantasy)
There is another option we have regarding sight, sound and sleep. We can create our own sensory environment when preparing to fall asleep. We can generate a world of fantasy that is relaxing, reassuring and pleasant. We might image walking through splendid forests or along a beach at sunset. We might recall a moment when our family was celebrating a birthday or Thanksgiving dinner. A sexual fantasy might even be on the venue. In each case, sight and sound are not distracting; rather they bring about sleep.
Obviously, our world of fantasy can also turn against us. We can recall a horrible interaction with one of our children or with someone at work. We also know that traumatic events from our past can play out when we are falling asleep. Those living with post-traumatic stress disorder often fear the moments when they are lying down in bed precisely because they are then most vulnerable to a replay of the traumatizing event.
One key to “choosing” a positive fantasy relates to the sights and sounds that are produced in the bedroom environment. A beautiful piece of music can elicit a beautiful fantasy. A love song from our past can produce a memory (and enactment) of a moment when we were in love or at least in a state of infatuation. We recall a walk on the beach with someone we love when a full moon was casting glistening light off the water. That moment in the park is recalled when our partner stopped in order to tell us of their love for us. These memories or made-up fantasies can produce a deep breath, a smile and initiation of quality sleep.
