iPods Defeating Insomnia

On Mar 1, 2005, at 11:17 AM, Scott Hunter wrote:

> I don't know how you get the iPod to produce sound when listening to
> it
> in bed, but if you don't want to share (or are asked not to), try a
> pillow speaker. You can keep the volume pretty low, and unless you're
> the one whose ear is on the pillow with the speaker in/under it, you
> won't hear much if any of what is being played.

Interesting, I'd heard about speakers in pillows but didn't really
remember it. Then today I see the following (original site in Japanese
or I'd link there):

<http://www.bookofjoe.com/2005/03/toshiba_bone_co.html>

A pillow that conducts sound through bone, not air. Won't disturb your
partner.

Steve

--- begin forwarded text

From: Maryanne Garry
Subject: why the audiobooks put you to sleep

Dear Adam,

Just a geek note to you on why you fall asleep to audiobooks.

There's a part of the cognitive system called "working memory", which
is in charge of focusing attention. (So the word "memory" here is
probably confusingly used). There is a part of the working memory
system that is in charge of verbal information, and as it turns out,
anxious people, ruminating people, don't shut off that part of their
working memory very well. One way to shut it off is really to tie it
up doing something else that captures attention but doesn't capture
it so much that it winds you up (like, say, watching The Shield on
TV). An audiobook is good, because you cannot control the rate at
which you take in information (the way you can with a book). Instead,
you have to concentrate on each word as it travels into your ears,
and if you don't pay attention, it's gone. Just this little bit of
attention capture is enough to shut off the rumination cycle and let
you drift off. But too exciting a book and you're wound up again.

Ironically, the primary thing I have always done with my iPod is
exactly what you've just discovered. Works really well with
RadioShark + random droning BBC broadcast. They're quite soporific,
the BBC.

PS: I need a Tivoli now!!

Maryanne Garry, PhD
Victoria University of Wellington
School of Psychology * Te Kura Maatai Hinengaro
Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/psyc/staff/maryanne-garry/index.aspx

--- end forwarded text

Maryanne Garry wrote:
>There's a part of the cognitive system called "working memory", which
>is in charge of focusing attention. (So the word "memory" here is
>probably confusingly used). There is a part of the working memory
>system that is in charge of verbal information, and as it turns out,
>anxious people, ruminating people, don't shut off that part of their
>working memory very well. One way to shut it off is really to tie it
>up doing something else that captures attention but doesn't capture
>it so much that it winds you up (like, say, watching The Shield on
>TV).

I have the opposite problem. I'm unable to work unless the
"background" portion of my auditory processing centers in my brain
are occupied. If its silent I'm almost completely unable to get any
work done whatsoever. Its just I get curious about lots of non-core
things.

At work the hubbub of the office is more than enough to occupy my
background auditory processing centers. (I work on the
transportation/customer service floor of a major fruit importing
company.) This is as long as I'm working normal hours, if for
whatever reason I'm going to be working later than 6pm or so I make
sure to bring my iBook so I can listen to music. (I'll get an iPod
mini here soon.)

At home I have to have music without words playing, or I'll be unable to work.

Its sort of like when I was younger I was unable to speak without
moving my hands. My mom could shut me up by holding my hands and not
allowing them to move. Its funny in hindsight, but its a little
disturbing that my hands were so tied to my speech centers...

Nick