For years, and perhaps forever, my favorite television shows are Friends and Frasier. I am currently cycling through Frasier AGAIN. I do this several times a year.
They are my nigh-nigh shows.
When my husband left for … eight months that time, I had the damnedest time trying to sleep and a friend of mine told me to turn on the tv, set the volume real low and try not to fall asleep. It worked. It worked so well, that’s how I’ve slept the last … thirteen years. So, at night, I turn on whatever I’m watching, watch til my eyelids get heavy and then I usually get up, pee, turn it off, stick my earplugs in, and sleep. Some nights my eyelids don’t get heavy early enough and some nights, I never get back up. Fortunately the latter happens more often than the former.
I know it’s bad feng shui to have a tv in my bedroom. I know they say it’ll destroy our sex life. I know the light tv emits is a no-no for sleep. I know. I.don’t.care. Maybe my feng shui demands rectangular plastic to combat too much water in that room. Maybe we have to rewind after sex. Maybe every moment of sleep I get is a miracle. Maybe THEEEEY dunno my life.
The best sleep comes where for four nights straight, I have to start back on the same episode.
Reading before bed will keep me up half the night. Books don’t belong in my bedroom. The trusted levity of sit-coms is where it’s at. Some dramedies will do, but the sit-com is ideal.
Honorable mentions: Arrested Development, 30Rock, The Office, That 70s Show, How I Met Your Mother, Wings, Will & Grace, and of course, Cheers. Those are my best shows. I know them all, I can watch them with my eyes closed, although, I admit, they’re better with my eyes open.
joeyfullystated 
My go-to is Whose Line Is It Anyway? It’s improv and hilarious and I think laughing is the best way to relax ergo fall asleep. What do THEEEEY know anyway?
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They know nothing, obviously. Ryan Stiles. *giggles* I love Ryan Stiles.
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True, Ryan’s funny. But I loves me some Colin Mochrie.
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Ryan’s YUMMY.
Did you ever watch the original version?
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I only have seen the versions with Drew Carey as host (and Wayne Brady!) and the new one with Aisha Tyler as host.
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They are all good, I loved the original British one, that’s of course the first one I watched. Worth watching if you catch it 🙂
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I’ll check it out!
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That 70’s Show. Can Kitty and Red be my parents?!
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My parents are not unlike Kitty and Red… 🙂
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Picturing your mom laughing like Kitty cause I LOVE her laugh. Red….such a grouch you just wanna hug him. Always. Just to tick him off. 😀
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My mother doesn’t laugh like Kitty, but she laughs just as often. Fun ladies married to strong silent types is a thing, hm?
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That’s a pretty good collection of shows. I think I could fall asleep to any of them, but books will do that too. I’m reading lately before falling asleep.
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You’re a very good boy.
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Nah, I’m just sucked into a book 🙂
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HAHA! Sucker! (that’s how it happens, man!)
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I have like 20 books in a pile but this one, I can’t put down.
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😀 What is it?
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It’s “Ocean Station” a historical account of Coast Guard weather ships from the 40s through the 70s. My friend served on one for several years.
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Groovy! Sounds like a good book to read in the cold of winter!
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Reading about guys stuck on a 300’ ship in the North Atlantic, with 60 mph winds and 30-50’ seas. Then thinking about all the inconveniences we complain about. I have so much respect for people who served. Most people (including me) have no f’ing idea.
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Right on. The Mister’s ship stories aren’t even coast guard stories and they’re doozies. See also, sandstorms. Humans are pretty amazing.
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“Hogan’s Heroes” generally puts Mary out. Either that or “Perry Mason.” When I was traveling she said she used to watch old Dr Who shows to help her sleep.
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Hogan’s Heroes would probably put me to sleep, too. I love Perry Mason. I’ve only seen about 10 Dr Who shows, all of them the newer, and I do believe I slept through a few on a Sunday afternoon!
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Ancient Aliens is what works for me. When I work evenings, I’m usually all wound up when I get home, so I’ll turn on Ancient Aliens and within a half hour my eyes are drooping. Only thing is, the TV is downstairs and my bedroom is all. the. way. upstairs. So sometimes I wake back up after huffing it up the stairs.
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Ah, but your bedroom has the good feng shui! 🙂
Ancient Aliens is a good one, Jewels.
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I usually can not sleep with a TV on. I keep wanting to put meaning to the murmuring and I can’t fall asleep. Of course as you get older sleep becomes really hard to figure out; you just take it when you can get it.
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“Meaning to the murmuring” I like that.
I used to be a total darkness/city silence sleeper, but I’ve gotten better at sleeping here in the last few years and especially the last few months.
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Never was able to sleep with a TV on. Whatever works is good right?
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It really is. I used to be the same way. Hopefully you’ll be able to keep your solid sleep and never veer from the ideal!
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Me sleep is bulldog dependent these days.
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🙂
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Love all those shows – and I forgot completely about Wings!! I also can’t fall asleep without the TV on when Kevin is away…having a TV in the bedroom hasn’t destroyed anything yet!
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😀 Good!
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Watching television will definitely put me to sleep. I love Frazier but generally I prefer movies.
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Mom and I had shows to nap to. Perry Mason was tops. The Wild Wild West was also excellent.
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I had a crush on Robert Conrad, who was way too old for me. Nevertheless…
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How sweet!
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We have to have a TV in the bedroom for my husband to sleep. We don’t have one now and he is sleeping on the couch. Better get a new TV, huh? I don’t need TV to fall asleep. I read before I sleep but not to make me sleep. I don’t need anything for that. Drives the hubs crazy. His hearing is bad so the TV has to be loud…maybe we don’t need one in the bedroom? How do earplugs work for you?
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Earplugs are fabulous and I give them at least partial credit for getting me to the level of sleep I need. I’m a light sleeper and I sometimes have trouble falling asleep or going back to sleep. Hard floors and feet, pets, husband snoring, trucks on the interstate — I don’t hear much at all. I DO hear my alarm in the morning, which I worried about at first.
You probably should get your husband a new tv for the bedroom, and maybe those headphones that remote the sound to HIM and not you.
Here’s the post I wrote on earplugs — https://jolenemottern.com/2016/01/30/an-earful/
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I read before I go to sleep and all is well unless it is a real page turner and then I want to keep reading. But, if I want to take a nap, I find a John Wayne movie that I have seen so many times I can recite the lines. Turn it on rather low, grab an afghan or quilt, and I’m out like a light. Whatever works, right? 🙂
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Yes! Whatever works! My nap/I’m home sick film is Howard’s End! LOL
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I just cannot with the REMs when the tv is going, even when its across the house. And as weve “cut the cord,” volume normalizing between commercials and shows is jarring. Itll be all “ancient aliens says this..” all quiet and peaceful like, to “WELCOME TO BARGAIN BASEMENT BITCHES WHERE WE WILL SELL YOU SOME SHIT..” And I just cannot. And Gods forbid I actually hear wtf the AA guys are talking about..my brain does this “well, thats just fuckin stupid” thing and I end up fighting in the sleeps..
I DO like my Lustmord when I just CANNOT sleep though. His ethereal soundscapes do amazing things to calm my restless brain. Sometimes.
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No, no sleeping through commercials. Must dvd or stream. Must.
I get it about the tv, because I used to be the same way. I had to have dark and silent. Music is the one I can’t do. Well, I can’t do any sleeping to lyrics. It gets in my head and makes the bad dreams.
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Thats why I like Lustmord. No lyrics. 🙂
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I just bought a used book on Feng Shui and appreciate, “Maybe THEEEEY dunno my life.” Some good ideas, but not all of them fit. When it comes to getting to sleep, sit com reruns make a lot of sense. Old black and white movies and poetry also work for me. Sweet dreams!
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Oh I hope you get some good tips from the feng shui book. I’m glad you have your go-to sleepytime stuff 🙂
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We have a telly in the chambre. I don’t watch it. Ever. The only show that puts me to sleep is Off. I’ve had few sleepless nights, but reading fiction has helped to clear brainwaves.
Lately, as soon as I close my eyes, my muse speaks to me (do they ever sleep?) of a few good ideas. I’ve taken to sending myself emails before shutting down all remaining brain cells for the night.
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I used to be the same way.
I’m glad you have a system for getting the nightly muse to your morning!
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Wife said, “what are you doing?”
“Sending myself an email.”
She, “You need a notebook and pen by the bed.”
“And my glasses and a light, and to sit up, and (pause) this is easier.”
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YOU ARE RIGHT
*keeps a notebook and a pen by her bed* (and glasses and a lamp and water and hand cream and lip balm and earplugs and a glass of water)
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This is so interesting. My roommate used to fall asleep to her TV too, only to Golden Girls. However, Frasier is top of the comedy list for her and her daughter. They watch it fairly often and every December, we cycle through all of the Frasier Christmas episodes. Now the daughter is getting into Friends and I’m laughing at the other Joey.
“Honorable mentions: Arrested Development, 30Rock, The Office, That 70s Show, How I Met Your Mother, Wings, Will & Grace, and of course, Cheers.”
I never got into “The Office,” but I watched all of the rest. Been watching repeats of That 70’s Show because that was the decade of my young adulthood. Laughed my butt off at so much of it, made my eyes water at times. Good stuff.
Have a lovely evening, Joey, and hope you get extra super duper sleep tonight.
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I slept well, thanks!
I am glad we like so many of the same shows! The Office starts slowly and the comedy is more nuanced, like “WTF?” and “Did he just say what I think he said?” It’s brilliant writing. My husband didn’t think he’d like it, he was sorta turned off by it, but lo and behold, it sucked him in, too. It becomes a riot!
I’m glad you’re enjoying Friends. We watch so much Friends and have for so many years, my whole family, that we speak in Friends quotes ALAWT.
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I watch old shows to wind down at night. (Shows before your time like Barney Miller.) When it’s time for sleep I turn off the tv, open my iPad and pick some boring show, usually a British documentary. Like you I turn it down low and strain to listen. Puts me to asleep every time.
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Fabulous! I remember Barney Miller from syndication. If you think about it though, it’s best to watch old shows, (mine are to me) because you already know what’s going to happen, no suspense, relaxing!
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Ah, several of your shows make my list. I’m a big fan of the “okay, but you don’t know ME” rule of thumb. The hubby dozes like a champ in front of the tv but the teeniest sound coming from it keeps me awake unless I’m sick as a dog. Funny, that’s probably the most incompatible part of our marriage. 😆
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Haha! Well that doesn’t require counseling, so YAY! 😛
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I love Frasier and Cheers and Wings. There’s something from that era and NBC back then that made me laugh– and still does. TV memories are the best, I think.
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Oh good! Truth. Must See TV was the thing and most of those shows are NBC programs.
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LOVE each and every show you mentioned, Joey. I’m the type that falls asleep with a book. Either that or music (the zen type) on very low that sends me into the ethers. I have fallen asleep while watching TV in our living room, so I know it is possible to do. Happy Sunday!! 😘😘😘
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Happy Sunday!
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The best way, always Joey, is the way that works for you! As far as TV shows go, you have a wonderfully robust list going on. I can’t scroll past ‘The Office’ or ‘Seinfeld’ without at least a stop-and-chuckle. And perhaps a settle-in-for-the-remainder. Dramas can work for me, too, though. When I discovered ‘Blue Bloods’ in, oh, season six or so, I had to binge-record it on TNT the day they ran it 10 a.m. to midnight. Over and over and over I watched until my dear wife Karen thought something amiss about my relationship with Tom Selleck and crew.
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Hah! Fair enough. I understand binge-watching ‘your show’ — absolutely!
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Loved “Wings!” It’s been years since I’ve seen an episode though. Maybe time to revisit.
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I’ve done this with Golden Girls, Frasier, Seinfeld, Roseanne, and a few others. Right now I fall asleep to The New Adventures of Old Christine.
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I did the … slept with… slept TO The Golden Girls once, too 🙂
And I used to NAP to The New Adventures of Old Christine some years ago. 2pm, Christine on, Joey dowwwn!
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I usually read. It doesn’t always work, but that’s because my mind likes to talk too much. That 70’s Show is probably one of my favorite sitcoms.
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I’m in the book-reading category at bedtime. Even those rare times we are out late, I need some reading time before I close my eyes.
Last night however was a rare exception. I stayed up late to watch the lunar eclipse – watching The Matrix marathon 🙂
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Ooh! Good times!
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This reminds me that I never finished 30 Rock.
Same with the books. I can read blogs or whatever but forget a book.
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We are who we are. We like what works for us 🙂
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