Pen and Ink Confessions

So, I've been doing critiques for friends, most notably Pat Esden and Becca Fitzpatrick, and what I offer seems to be productive and helpful. This prompts the question, why is it so much harder to critique my own stuff?

I know, the answer's obvious. I'm too close to the subject matter, I've been working with it so long I can't see it anymore, I only have my own perspective and therefore miss things other people might catch, I know the material so well I don't find the confusing bits confusing, etc. Any and all of the above.

The real question is, what can I do about it? Well, I've found that giving myself some space from the material really helps. It seems like anywhere from a couple months to a year may be needed, though, and that can be a long time to wait. I catch more by way of a line edit when I read the material from end to beginning. Alternatively, I can sometimes pull off pretending that I'm an editor, or that this work is someone elses. That's harder, and it can be near impossible to know if it's working.

What about you guys? Have you found a way to squeeze more out of your self-edits? I'm all ears.