I have trouble falling asleep. Over the past couple years I’ve tried practically everything: limiting screen time, chomping on CBD gummies, spraying my pillows with soothing lavender spray. The results of those attempts at curing my insomnia, in order: boredom, tummy aches, and an aroma that soured into dampness almost immediately. So I tried something probably all sleep experts would not recommend: I brought a screen into bed, albeit a pretty small one that fed jokes into my earholes.

In the throes of my eternal awakeness one night I started watching 30 Rock, the beloved sitcom created by Tina Fey that also stars Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin. I did it again the next night, letting the melody of Tracy Jordan’s hit song “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” put me into a deep sleep. It's a habit I still haven't kicked. Now the show is sort of like a lullaby to me. Sleep experts preach the effectiveness of a routine to help you fall asleep, so if I queue up 30 Rock every damn night, that counts.

What sets 30 Rock apart from other shows is its consistently low stakes. Even a show like Friends has the occasional "dramatic" episode—you try falling asleep while two insufferable fools argue over whether or not they were on a break. The show is almost pure fluff—better than the filling of any pillow.

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The most dramatic thing that happens while watching 30 Rock is being unsure if Tracy Jordan's wife Angie will enjoy the party set up to celebrate the drop of her single, "My Single Is Dropping." And even when the show does take a slightly dramatic turn—spoiler alert—like when Jack Donaghy's wife Avery is kidnapped by Kim Jong Il, it's just delightfully absurd.



30 Rock’s willingness to go totally bizarre is part of what makes it so helpful as a sleep aid. The jokes range from a prolonged discussion about why referencing the mythical character Krang, a fictitious supervillain from '80s series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, on television would be a waste of time (meta!) to the long running gag that the show's cheery Kenneth Purcell is immortal. I can relax to one quip as I settle into bed and be reminded of it as I doze off: The perfect balance of comfort is knowing I'm in on the joke, plus a fun plot line reminder from my favorite bedtime story.

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These aren't just cheap jokes supported by an enthusiastic studio audience. 30 Rock's acclaim stems from its quick and sharp humor. No laugh tracks, no slapstick, no catchphrases that bait the audience to laugh—just an unceasing joy. According to Rolling Stone, the show contains 9.57 jokes each minute—the world record for most jokes per minute in a TV show. The endless barrage of jokes makes it just a little bit more difficult for my mind to get tied up in stressors: emails I haven’t sent, deadlines I’ve missed, friends I haven’t texted back. 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon deals with all those scenarios, but in a heightened way. She’s on an endless quest to have it all, which, same.

Since I'm advising you to never stop watching 30 Rock from now until forever, you should try to unlock the advanced level of viewership that I occupy. After such a prolonged period of watching, I can now just listen to the audio without actually having to see the screen. I can fill in the visuals with my eyes closed (I even listen now with an eye mask on) and nod off to sleep. Before I know it, I’m on the next train to snoozeville. It's time to trade in your favorite podcast or rain app for the soothing sounds of Tracy Morgan.

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Lastly, if you decide to join the ~*30 Rock 4 Sleep iiiii$ Th3 B3st Club69*~, you'll join a large number of fans. When it was announced that 30 Rock was leaving Netflix for Hulu, the people of the internet flipped. Several conversations on Reddit revealed that a lot of people were using the show as a sleep aid.who find counting how many times Alec Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy says "Good God, Lemon!" more soothing than counting sheep. That's comforting.

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Chloe Hall Beauty Director Chloe Hall oversees all beauty coverage at ELLE.com.

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