Thread: Effective Methods For Falling Asleep

I created this thread so everybody could share various methods that they use to effectively fall asleep, such as drinking a glass of warm milk or blinking 100 times to aid with falling asleep. So, would anyone like to share their methods?

I like to read until I'm sleepy. I also find that my imagination is warmed up and ready to dream. Making a conscious effort to relax your body, piece by piece, starting with your feet, is pretty good too.

Imagining I find is best. I let my mind wander and I eventually wander so much, I forget how to stay awake.

This may seem weird to some people, but I imagine having conversations with my friends. They are usually very deep or interesting though I don't remember them when I wake up. I also imagine weird scenarios. A recent one was that everyone in my town woke up and they had written somewhere "wear red today or you'll die." Then all this stuff happens I don't remember. I kind of have an overactive imagination. Thinking about all this random crap eventually gets me to sleep. I actually consider the time right before sleep one of the best parts of my day.

I have lots of things I do to help, which has helped me with some of my temporarely insomnia problems. Chamomile tea makes it easier to fall asleep in the evening. If I'm not tired (but need to sleep after turning my sleep pattern around) I daydream. When I lose the trail of thought during this, I know I'm starting to fall asleep. I might also dream something related to the daydream during the night. Another thing that seems to help, especially if I wake up during the night, is to "shake" my eyeballs back and forth (not everyone can do it) and it seems to make me feel more sleepy. Another thing I do if I'm having trouble falling asleep after waking up in the night, is to do a bit of uninentional WBTB. I usually turn my computer on and surf the web for 10-30 mins.

Another thing I sometimes do at bedtime is to use some of the relaxation techniques used for WILDs and counting my breaths.

Interesting methods, I should try some of these sometime. As for one of my methods, I try staring intensely at my television. This method works especially well if you're watching a show with bright, vivid colors, like a cartoon.

TV works well for me as long as I like the show, set on a timer. Rain is nice too. Comfortable bed with clean sheets, I love them freshly washed and all bedding gets washed often. It helps me personally if my teeth are brushed and flossed and I sleep better after a warm shower as well.

When I remember, I turn the lights down before I go to bed. I don't have a dimmer switch, but I turn off the main light and use my desk lamp instead. Sometimes I have warm milk or cocoa (brought to you by the convenience of the microwave!). Physical routines are nice, though the best methods are more psychological.

I'm not a good role model btw. I sometimes keep on reading a book until I start losing track in the middle of sentences.

I sometimes have to make an effort to stop thinking about something I'm working on. Similarly I try to avoid re-running stories in my head, e.g. a book or movie. What you want is a sort of defocused drifting. This naturally leads to nonsense thoughts (sentences which don't make sense) and hypnagogia in general.

I normally get comfortable on my back and go through relaxing my body. Then I roll onto on my side... no idea why, I just do.

Originally Posted by Cheatey

Interesting methods, I should try some of these sometime. As for one of my methods, I try staring intensely at my television. This method works especially well if you're watching a show with bright, vivid colors, like a cartoon.

I might try this. Well, my general way to get to sleep is to blink really fast, for about a minute or less, and then I close them really fast. Then I keep them closed.

The best way is physical exertion during the day to tire you out, and a steady sleep cycle. Oh yeah, and stress is bad for sleep, so keep that to a minimum

Originally Posted by Luminous

I have lots of things I do to help, which has helped me with some of my temporarely insomnia problems. Chamomile tea makes it easier to fall asleep in the evening. If I'm not tired (but need to sleep after turning my sleep pattern around) I daydream. When I lose the trail of thought during this, I know I'm starting to fall asleep. I might also dream something related to the daydream during the night. Another thing that seems to help, especially if I wake up during the night, is to "shake" my eyeballs back and forth (not everyone can do it) and it seems to make me feel more sleepy. Another thing I do if I'm having trouble falling asleep after waking up in the night, is to do a bit of uninentional WBTB. I usually turn my computer on and surf the web for 10-30 mins.

Another thing I sometimes do at bedtime is to use some of the relaxation techniques used for WILDs and counting my breaths.

The vibrating eyeballs thing rocks man! I can do that & I just tried it. I felt instantly & way more tired. I am excited! Thanks man I will use this when doing wilds. Simple childhood tricks I thought were so dumb now become profound.

I never have trouble falling asleep at night. It's one of the best times of the day for me; I love watching my mind fall asleep.

I have trouble getting back to sleep after writing a dream in my DJ (I write dreams on paper then add to DJ on here.) or for "BTB.

I try to stop my self-talk - such as "Argh, I can't sleep" by replacing the self talk with an image:

What I'm trying lately is Clairity's alphabet technique. I go through the alphabet and for each letter, name an object. I imagine myself in a dream sign (by the sea, for example) imagine someone passing me the object from the right and I chuck it to the left.

I'm finding with the alphabet technique that I'll suddenly realise I've forgotten what letter I'm on or have stopped doing the exercise for a bit. Unfortunately I often say, "Oh no, I'm waking up again" which is something I'm hoping to de-condition.