Testing in My Sleep

I think I read it in something Oliver Burkeman wrote recently but the idea is all over the place: counting backwards in threes can help you to fall asleep when you've got stuff on your mind and can't settle down.

The idea is that it's a sufficiently complex activity that you have to focus on it rather than all the other things crowding your consciousness and keeping you awake, but it doesn't have a high enough cognitive load to keep you awake itself.

So the other night, after one of my daughters had woke me up at 2am to tell me she loved me (thanks, but...) I tried it:

500, 497, 494 ... all going well ... 491, 488 ... counting down ... 485 ... a second voice: how can we check we're on track? ... 482 ... how about using 470? ... 479 ... 10 by 3 is 30 ... 476 ... and 30 off 500 gives 470 as a simple verification ... 473 ... Hmm, 473 less three, yes! ... 470 .... That's a pass. We can check again at another 30 off 470, that'll be 440 ... erm, 467? ... then 410, 380, 350, you not asleep yet, James?

Image: http://flic.kr/p/83AsRH

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