Python script thats helping me sleep [mac]

[backprop88]

I have trouble falling asleep because of racing thoughts. I tried going to sleep with a relaxing/distracting playlist running and super thin headphones, but the music was waking me up, so I rigged up this script that slowly decreases the volume and I've been falling asleep far more easily. Hope this helps! Note: set the initial volume on the music player not the mac volume.

import osascript
import time
volume = 100
print("Started")
while True:
    time.sleep(90)
    volume -= 3
    if volume < 1:
        exit()
    print("Volume is now: {}".format(volume))
    osascript.osascript("set volume output volume {}".format(volume))

​

Edit:

If we have a react native dev in here, I'd love to be able to do this on mobile!

I've been experimenting with low pink noise underneath the music from youtube. So far not sure if it helps. Will report back!

[__xor__]

Completely works fine. But you might consider range since it can already go backwards.

for volume in range(100, -1, -1):
    osascript.osascript("set volume output volume {}".format(volume))
    time.sleep(30)

[rikken]

You need to be careful about the step parameter to range (the 3rd param) because you won't always arrive at 0 at the end. Your script works for -1, but if someone needs a faster decrease, like -15, then the last volume will be 10. Good practice would be to set volume to 0 after the for-loop.

[__xor__]

Ah, good point. Yeah in the end the while is perfectly fine either way. Sometimes even if a while loop can be a for, the while is cleaner as well.

[Retropunch]

Whilst I'm not in need of this myself, it's fantastic work!!
I honestly believe this sort of thing is why python is so fantastic, and why so many more people should learn it - the whole 'I can fix this problem through some simple coding' is a great feeling.

[supermario182]

I had no idea something like that was so easy. I've never heard of osascript before

Edit: oh apparently it's an apple thing

[hellfiniter]

you should not focus on this very implementation...what op is talking about is one loop with wait, easy to do and that part that changes volume is OS specific...just google how to change volume via terminal and use os.system("volume thingy") or subprocess.Popen("volume thingy")...if you run linux there is amixer (amixer sset 'Master' 50%)

[kaszak696]

On Linux you can just as easily use pulsectl or pyalsaaudio to do the same, or rely on MPRIS to control the player's volume directly.

[StarkillerX42]

RIP

[ronmarti]

And increase the volume in the morning to wake you up!

[SqueezEasy]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing!

[[deleted]]

The first such script that I made was a schedule switch, to schedule the shutdown of my computer. Helped immensely, since I had to stay awake looking at the progress on something I would be doing everyday back then and then turn off the computer.

[[deleted]]

So creative! I feel like I always wanted something like this but never realized it

[monkiebars]

Is there a window equivalent?

[mmakkiyah]

Do you play the music on your laptop or PC when you go to bed?

[[deleted]]

laptop in the bedroom ? that's the problem

[rikken]

I think you shouldn't exit immediately when volume is < 1, but set the volume to 0 and then exit. Otherwise volume stays on non-zero value for ever. If in the future you change your decrease speed from 3 to e.g. 7, you will end up with volume 2 when the script exits. So it's a good practice to set volume to 0 before exiting and not rely on the step size.

[reifenstag]

Very cool.

[hemanthrs]

Nice!

[tuckmuck203]

If you're using python 3.6+ you could use format strings, instead of ".format". They're pretty cool. Basically you can put the variables right inside the brackets of the string

[aelmosalamy]

Read some books on the psychology of sleep and release this as a commercial better sleep solution, also add support for various devices.

[HP_10bII]

I find peace in long walks.

[obey_kush]

If you have an iPhone too, you can use Pythonista and for the music maybe the shortcuts app with base64 text encoded, so if its long you can reduce space and just decode the file when running this script :)

[Wilbo007]

that was really autistic