Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson for May 09, 2023

Here’s a trick I figured out. Play a song in your head. Something you have completely memorized. Think it on a loop.

Three words: Video game ambience.

I put myself to sleep by thinking about the story I’m writing. That usually does the trick, but it might be a bad sign about the quality of my stories.

This is me right now up at 1 AM lol

Phoebe sums it up nicely. Be quiet, brain!

I imagine myself doing some kind of physical labor, like working in my garden or cutting the grass. Not making decisions or worrying, just seeing the actual work in my mind. It quiets my brain down quite well.

I had trouble falling asleep when I was Phoebe’s age. I thought early bedtimes were punishment for something.

For a few years after college, I could put myself to sleep thinking of the drone and chalkboard squeaks of a particular calculus professor.

Insomnia sucks. Some tricks I’ve tried that worked are 1. Distract yourself by counting or replaying a movie you know well in your head and 2. Pretending you have to get up in five minutes.

Read something boring like a book or car owners manual

Quick: imagine doing endless math problems!

On second thought, I’ll just take the insomnia.

Me last night. Sigh

That’s me too, a lot of nights. And yes, reading something boring helps. Or meditating…

To go to sleep when desired, think in detail about doing something creative that you never expect to actually do. If you expect to do it, it becomes planning and keeps you up instead. Then think about that art ONLY when you are trying to go to sleep.

Well, this is going to be the most relatable comic storyline I will ever find.

Try counting…not sheep, but unicorns!

Not a funny cartoon, but certainly relatable.

I suspect Dana Simpson wrote the script for this story arc one night between 1 am and 4 am.

“Write what you know.”

hang in there, Phoebe

So she’s losing The Game?

al-lad tho