--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What do you think about when you can't…" description: "\"“What do you think about when you can't sleep? Sometimes I think about the ocean. I can see it lapping on the shore, waves rolling in one after the oth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/jennifer-r-hubbard-26615_sleep_what-do-you-think-about-when-you-can-t-s_191229.jpg" --- # What do you think about when you can't sleep? Sometimes I… ![“What do you think about when you can't sleep? Sometimes I think about the ocean. I can see it lapping on the shore, waves rolling in one after the other, washing over the sand, never stopping. That's what usually puts me to sleep.” quote by Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/jennifer-r-hubbard-26615_sleep_what-do-you-think-about-when-you-can-t-s_191229.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/jennifer-r-hubbard-26615_sleep_what-do-you-think-about-when-you-can-t-s_191229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/jennifer-r-hubbard-26615_sleep_what-do-you-think-about-when-you-can-t-s_191229.jpg) > ““What do you think about when you can't sleep? Sometimes I think about the ocean. I can see it lapping on the shore, waves rolling in one after the other, washing over the sand, never stopping. That's what usually puts me to sleep.”” [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When insomnia strikes, the mind drifts to calming imagery like the endless ocean, soothing the restless self. **In simple terms:** Ocean thoughts help you sleep. Key Takeaway Use vivid mental scenes to calm insomnia. Themes sleep mindfulness imagery Mood calming introspective Type practical self‑help When to use this quote - nighttime routine - stress relief - creative visualization Key Concepts psychology relaxation techniques Questions to Reflect On - Which mental picture calms you? - Can you create a personal soothing scene? A Different Perspective Not everyone finds ocean imagery soothing; some may need different focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) ## Related quotes > [I think of you before I go to sleep you think of her before you dream and I wonder if you ever think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allie-mclaughlin/i-think-of-you-before-i-go-to-sleep-you-think-of-her-before-you-dream/) Allie McLaughlin > [It makes a difference what we choose to experience during sleep. Many of us think of sleep as a chance to get away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-reed/it-makes-a-difference-what-we-choose-to-experience-during-sleep-many/) [Henry Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-reed/) > [I've never understood people that sleep around. I think there's something very lacking in your life when you do, not to be judgmental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-arterton/i-ve-never-understood-people-that-sleep-around-i-think-there-s/) [Gemma Arterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-arterton/) > [On our honeymoon we talked and talked. We stayed in a beachfront villa, and we drank rum and lemonade and talked so much that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/on-our-honeymoon-we-talked-and-talked-we-stayed-in-a-beachfront-villa/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [If you think the ocean isn't important, imagine Earth without it. Mars comes to mind. No ocean, no life support system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/if-you-think-the-ocean-isn-t-important-imagine-earth-without-it-mars/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [People think that the ocean is big enough to sustain anything we throw at it - its hard to get into your head that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/people-think-that-the-ocean-is-big-enough-to-sustain-anything-we/) [Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/) > [Imagine a dolphin dancing in the sky. Let it dance with joy. Think of yourself at the bottom of the ocean watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/imagine-a-dolphin-dancing-in-the-sky-let-it-dance-with-joy-think-of/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Movies like 'The Abyss' and 'Jaws' make people think the ocean is threatening. It's not. It's very tranquil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-hawkes/movies-like-the-abyss-and-jaws-make-people-think-the-ocean-is/) [Graham Hawkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-hawkes/) > [“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop were not there, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa-of-calcutta/we-ourselves-feel-that-what-we-are-doing-is-just-a-drop-in-the-ocean/) [Mother Teresa of Calcutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa-of-calcutta/) > [“Do you ever think about the ocean?" Nick asked me. "What about it?" I said. "Like what could live down there? Like how there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-nelson/do-you-ever-think-about-the-ocean-nick-asked-me-what-about-it-i-said/) [Blake Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-nelson/) > [You've only got to begin to do anything to find out how few honest, honourable people there are. Sometimes, when I can't sleep, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/you-ve-only-got-to-begin-to-do-anything-to-find-out-how-few-honest/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“I am lying in the same bed where my mother died so long ago; on the same mattress, beneath the same black wool coverlet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-rulfo/i-am-lying-in-the-same-bed-where-my-mother-died-so-long-ago-on-the/) [Juan Rulfo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-rulfo/) > [“Sometimes I wish I never had to sleep. Sometimes I think that if I stay very, very still, if I never move at all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/sometimes-i-wish-i-never-had-to-sleep-sometimes-i-think-that-if-i/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Guys may be flirting all day. But before they go to sleep, they always think about the girl they truly care about...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoana-dianika/guys-may-be-flirting-all-day-but-before-they-go-to-sleep-they-always/) [Yoana Dianika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoana-dianika/) > [“You're all I think about, dream about. I get high and low and it's all about you now, it's not even about me anymore.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-evans/you-re-all-i-think-about-dream-about-i-get-high-and-low-and-it-s-all/) [Katy Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-evans/) ## More by Jennifer R. Hubbard > [“We'd both been pushing at the walls of our secret world, pushing at each other. We'd give each other everything we could.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/we-d-both-been-pushing-at-the-walls-of-our-secret-world-pushing-at/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“He stared at my wet hair. "You been under that fucking waterfall again?" "Not today." I didn't get why it bothered him so much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/he-stared-at-my-wet-hair-you-been-under-that-fucking-waterfall-again/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“I didn't know how to act; whether to make eye contact, how long to look at her, how close to walk. I didn't talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/i-didn-t-know-how-to-act-whether-to-make-eye-contact-how-long-to-look/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Once you're out here in the world, nobody cares where you used to live. Who you are, that's what counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/once-you-re-out-here-in-the-world-nobody-cares-where-you-used-to-live/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Más tarde le pregunté por qué me había dejado acercarme a ella. —Porque tú eras el único que no quería que me callara —dijo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/m-s-tarde-le-pregunt-por-qu-me-hab-a-dejado-acercarme-a-ella-porque-t/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Estaba sediento de soledad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/estaba-sediento-de-soledad/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“But we'd only had so many nights together, and the notebook had so many pages, and the world was never going to get bigger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/but-we-d-only-had-so-many-nights-together-and-the-notebook-had-so/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“—Lees mucho ¿no es así? —No era una pregunta—. Ven a reunirte con el resto de nosotros en el mundo real para variar. —Tú…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/lees-mucho-no-es-as-no-era-una-pregunta-ven-a-reunirte-con-el-resto/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“La Dra. Briggs siempre decía que si me iba de un lugar tendría que llegar a otro, y el dolor me seguiría dondequiera que…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/la-dra-briggs-siempre-dec-a-que-si-me-iba-de-un-lugar-tendr-a-que/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Even thought you've been acting like a jerk all night, you're still here. I could tell you were angry. So you're angry; at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/even-thought-you-ve-been-acting-like-a-jerk-all-night-you-re-still/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Believe me," he said, pointing his finger at me like a gun, "no good comes from lying about what you really want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/believe-me-he-said-pointing-his-finger-at-me-like-a-gun-no-good-comes/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Like I told you on Thanksgiving, pretending is a lousy way to get through life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/like-i-told-you-on-thanksgiving-pretending-is-a-lousy-way-to-get/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“But we'd had only so many nights together, and the notebook had only so many pages, and that world was never going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/but-we-d-had-only-so-many-nights-together-and-the-notebook-had-only/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Sometimes, almost getting what you want is worse than never coming close.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/sometimes-almost-getting-what-you-want-is-worse-than-never-coming/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) > [“Nothing Stays Secret Forever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/nothing-stays-secret-forever/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) [Explore all 16 Jennifer R. Hubbard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) ## More Sleep quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I went to a slumber party in a hotel. The whole hotel was rented out. The hotel was the party. It really was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-went-to-a-slumber-party-in-a-hotel-the-whole-hotel-was-rented-out/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [When we are apart you are all I think about I think about u when I am awake and when I go to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/when-we-are-apart-you-are-all-i-think-about-i-think-about-u-when-i-am/) Superman > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [It all depends on you. You can go on sleeping forever, you can wake up right this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/it-all-depends-on-you-you-can-go-on-sleeping-forever-you-can-wake-up/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“SILENT LIKE SLEEP You appear by my side, silent like sleep. Soft hair, a little wild. No fear, gentle like a calm river. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/silent-like-sleep-you-appear-by-my-side-silent-like-sleep-soft-hair-a/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The more I read about feeding times, sleep times and waking-up times, the more inadequate and miserable I felt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-porter/the-more-i-read-about-feeding-times-sleep-times-and-waking-up-times/) [Gail Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-porter/) > [Some people seem to survive on very little sleep but I am definitely not one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcdonald/some-people-seem-to-survive-on-very-little-sleep-but-i-am-definitely/) [Jane McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcdonald/) > [So mightiest powers buy deepest calms are fed, And sleep, how oft, in things that gentlest be!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-procter/so-mightiest-powers-buy-deepest-calms-are-fed-and-sleep-how-oft-in/) [Bryan Procter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-procter/) > [“If you go to bed too early and get up too late you probably won't sleep especially well. This could show up as either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-a-lewis/if-you-go-to-bed-too-early-and-get-up-too-late-you-probably-won-t/) [Penelope A. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-a-lewis/) > [“I wash with the can of water I set aside the night before, and eat whatever I put next to it. The washing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-marshall-smith/i-wash-with-the-can-of-water-i-set-aside-the-night-before-and-eat/) [Michael Marshall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-marshall-smith/) [Browse all 12,525 Sleep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What do you think about when you can't sleep? Sometimes I think about the ocean. I can see it lapping on the shore, waves rolling in one after the other, washing over the sand, never stopping. That's what usually puts me to sleep.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer R. 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