Slip Sliding Into Slumber

At work we use Engagement Questions to break up the monotony of the day, all the while playfully building a strong rapport among team members. Working remotely, we don’t have the benefit of face-to-face round table discussions or chats by the water cooler or in the breakroom. The company provides questions, trivia, polls and other modules for us to use, but I have yet to use one because I always come up with my own.

I had difficulty sleeping one night recently, which prompted me to create an interesting topic for the “Question of the Day” at work. That question was: What is your perfect audial environment for sleep? Music, silence, sounds of nature, white noise or something else?

For me, it’s always been music, just as I love and need to hear it every day, preferably all day.

Over the years, I’ve used contemporary jazz, ballads, or a combination of both. Usually, songs that sound beautiful, but not so immersive as to have you sitting up in bed, having your own mini-concert, and keeping people up with your singing. I have a “Goodnight” playlist on my Android that includes songs like “You Are So Beautiful” by Jonathan Butler, “I Will Always Be There For You” by Anquette, and “The Rose” by Urban Knights (look them up on YouTube and see for yourself).

Three songs in particular that help me drift away are “Jahraymecofasola” by Jill Scott, “Forever, For Always, For Love” by Luther Vandross, and “Look Around” by Freddie Jackson. If you give them a listen, you’ll see they’re almost lullabies in and of themselves. Maybe I’ll make a mix of the playlist and post it sometime for you all to use. We’ll see.

My second favorite would be those “Sounds of Nature” CDs. But not all of them. I only listen to two, when I’m in the mood for them. I purchased them back in the early nineties at the bookstore where I worked and still have them today (also converted to Mp3 for my playlist – Sorry iPhone users, another reason I can’t give your phones any love). “Thundering Rainstorm” and “Ocean’s Relaxing Surf”. I’ve also purchased soft jazz CDs that are custom-designed for sleep.

Sadly, over time, my wife lost her love for those and prefers complete silence, which kills me. I’d rather have the low hum of a fan in the background, creating some soft form of white noise.

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Still, it’s better than my sophomore year of college in 1986-7. I shared one of the two bedrooms in the apartment with someone who needed absolute silence. I couldn’t sleep with my Walkman headphones on, so I perched my boombox on my headboard with the volume set at 1.

It was still too much for him, who often wrapped his pillows around his ears and slept on his face, under the covers. At low as it was, it didn’t take long to hear him mumble, “I can still hearrrrr iiiiiiit.”

Click. Off.

The year before that, I got my first taste of southern sounds on campus. Being a city boy, I was used to gunfire and police cars at night; basketball on the court, across the street from my house and fights on my street corner. The first night in Tallahassee, Florida I stared at the ceiling, trying not to go insane from the sounds of crickets.

I was half-tempted to dial 9-1-1 on the hall phone and report a fire in the dorms.

Whirrrrrrrrrrr (fire truck horn)

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Really tempted. But no, I didn’t. At least I don’t think I did. Can’t remember.

But that’s me. I need sound, baby. I don’t know why. Everybody is different, but I know I ain’t the only one.

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Oh yeah, there is that last audio sleep-inducer that I can only mention here. And if you repeat it, I’ll deny it and delete this post.

The minute she starts fussing at me about something I did or didn’t do…

Like a big-headed baby, wrapped in silk…

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What do you like to listen to (or not hear at all) to help you get to sleep? Leave a comment in the section below and share. Also, feel free to sign up at the bottom to receive future email posts from Kenny’s Camera, Cooking & Crazy Confessions at ZootsBlogSpot!