FQ TOPIC: Sleepy

Going to set a record for the quickest ever FridayQ response.. :)

FQ1: On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night? Do you think that's a good number?
Averages about 7 I guess. I'd rather get 8 :)

FQ2: Have you any sleep essentials? A nightlight or teddy bear perhaps? Must the door and closet be either closed or open?
I used to have a bed full of stuffed toys when I was a kid. Now nothing but my pillow. When I was 11 years old, some irresponsible mother let us watch Friday the 13th at a slumber party. From that point on I couldn't sleep without the door closed, the theory being that I would at least be able to hear someone coming if they had to open the door (it squeaked). But that was only at my parents place. Once I moved out of home and into places that felt more secure (my parents place was relatively big, and had lots of space in the garage/workshop downstairs for scary people to hide waiting for me to go to sleep), I have never felt that way.

FQ3: What do you wear to bed? What color are your sheets? How many pillows under your head?
I wear pjs to bed. Sheets range in various colours. They're mostly inherited from my parents place or my nana's. In fact I don't think I've ever bought my own set of sheets. I just have one relatively thin pillow (I sleep in my tummy quite a bit).

FQ BIG SLEEP: Share some helpful advice you use when having trouble falling asleep.
The only thing that vaguely works for me is totally clearing my mind. Visualising nothing except that blackness I can see and the slight ringing in my ears that I can hear. Clearing your mind is actually a very hard thing to do, and requires much practise (ask anyone that's been on a vipassana)

Postscript. After reading My So-Called Strife .. I used to be afraid (and vaguely still am), that if I hung a limb over the edge of the bed while in it, a guilotine like device would slice whatever was protuding clean off. I think I also used to be vaguely afraid that things would reach out from under the bed and grab my ankles if I stood there too long, so I'd have to get into bed quickly :)