What do you do when...

[baronbrocoli]

What do you do when you're feeling tired and sleepy, so you get in bed, but suddently you don't feel sleepy at all. You cannot fall asleep and you're just lying there on your bed. After lying on my bed for half an hour without being able to sleep, I'm here. I need some advice for falling asleep easily if anyone has something that works, please post it here

[DeadDollKitty]

Concentrate on your breathing, meditate. Focus on the pictures inside your head. Dont think about anything. Let the passing thoughts go through your brain, play some soft music mabey, nothing you really know the words to, like classical. I do this sometimes, when I cant fall asleep at all.

[Merlock]

Hm, I'd have to suggest the opposite. I can't see focusing as an effective way of falling asleep since that's the one thing that seems to keep one awake. Think about how you usually fall asleep - random thoughts fill your head and you drift off. Those thoughts then turn into hypnagogia and so on. So, if you can't fall asleep, don't think about falling asleep. Just lie relaxed with eyes closed, resting, and thinking of anything. Don't do it willfully, just allow your thoughts to flow freely, about anything and everything, as usual. I usually don't fall asleep until an hour after I get in bed. So, perhaps this is a subjective point of view but I'm speaking from experience so hopefully this advice might be of use.

[Wavefunction]

Repeating a phrase to myself does the trick for me

[dodobird]

Well, you can just get up as you did, and do stuff until you are tired again. Reading is helpful because it can make your eyes tired. If you have this problem a lot: Try to keep a steady sleep schedule, wake up and go to sleep at the same hour every day. Wake up early in the morning Don't take naps during the day Reduce coffee, tee, and coke, and don't drink them in the evening.

[ThePhobiaViewed]

If I can't fall asleep I just lay completely still on my back like I would to WILD and fall asleep eventually. Listening to music or the radio helps too.

[Redrivertears]

Heya there, Usually when I find myself unable to sleep, either in the evening or after waking up during the night, I'd simply stay in my bed, grab myself a book and read for 15-30 minutes. This normally relaxes me enough to go right back to sleep afterwards. I find that 'trying to sleep' in any way or form does not work for me. The more I try to fall asleep the more I stay awake. Sleep for me either comes naturally or not at all. Also, sometimes I'm unable to sleep because my mind is still 'processing' something, and I can't let go of it easily. This is easy to identify for me, as I just keep thinking on the same topic, even if I try not to. The best thing then to do then for me is to write it down. (or type it down on my pc). Either in itself or as a 'to do' for the next day. Usually after that I'm able to let it go and sleep again. Hope that helps a bit, -Redrivertears-

[Lunalight]

Yeah, last night it took me three hours to get to sleep. I find that reading until I feel sleepy helps.

[rose_red]

Sometimes when you can't fall asleep and you're just laying there (even if you feel tired) your body is saying not yet. The best way I can thing of is set your alarm clock for a certain time every day. And when your alarm goes off, get up. Dont toss the clock out the window and roll over and go back to sleep, get up. Do this every day, and don't take naps during the day. Since this is basicly telling your body I'm not gonna lay in bed all day because you wanted to play insomniac, your body will (after a settling period) start putting you to bed at the right time every night. How you can tell if your body is ready to go to bed is if you can't read more than a page or two in a book without losing focus.

[Adrenaline Junkie]

One thing thats important is to avoid bringing fresh thoughts into your head, especially if you find them important, for example thinking about your girlfriend or a girl you like at school you will bring in your emotions and this will keep you awake and more aware, just try to think of many random thoughts that have no significance, let them swirl in your mind and observe them as they flow by and that should in equal bring you to sleep.

[baronbrocoli]

Thank you all for the advice I'm definitively gonna try some stuff next time I can't sleep.

[baronbrocoli]

Right, last night I tried reading (consider it was 2am) and that got me tired pretty fast. Then I just kept having random thought till I fell asleep. I'm gonna try to read tonight again, that seems to do the trick. Also, maybe I'll take a hot shower to relax before bed

[sourcejedi]

Right, last night I tried reading (consider it was 2am) and that got me tired pretty fast. Then I just kept having random thought till I fell asleep. I'm gonna try to read tonight again, that seems to do the trick. Also, maybe I'll take a hot shower to relax before bed Random thoughts is good. And if you make a habit of doing something particular before you go to bed like showering, that'll help too.

[Loner]

I myself have frequent insomnia. More often than not, actually. I've tried many techniques to help me drift off. I've found that reading, like it has been mentioned, really works to get your brain ready for sleep. It usually wears off after I stop reading, though. I tried thinging about things that happened during the day, but that was worse. Then I tried imagining fantasy scenerios, but that required too much thought. Then I tried using the image of me turning a ratchet on a bolt rythmically(I'm a mechanic), along with the sound of the ratchet gears spinning. I'd do that for a while, and that would clear my mind, and random thoughts would come along, I'd lose lucidity, and get caught up in the developing storylines. Then I replaced the ratched on focusing on the feeling of blood pulsing in my brain with my heartbeats. After a while I could feel those patterns altering so that they didn't coincide with my heartbeat. I guess this is what people refer to a vibrations, but I'm not sure. They would feel stronger and stronger, until they swept me up into my first WILD. I had no idea what I was doing, of course. I still have yet to master my insomnia, however. Still working on it.

[baronbrocoli]

I myself have frequent insomnia. More often than not, actually. I've tried many techniques to help me drift off. I've found that reading, like it has been mentioned, really works to get your brain ready for sleep. It usually wears off after I stop reading, though. I tried thinging about things that happened during the day, but that was worse. Then I tried imagining fantasy scenerios, but that required too much thought. Then I tried using the image of me turning a ratchet on a bolt rythmically(I'm a mechanic), along with the sound of the ratchet gears spinning. I'd do that for a while, and that would clear my mind, and random thoughts would come along, I'd lose lucidity, and get caught up in the developing storylines. Then I replaced the ratched on focusing on the feeling of blood pulsing in my brain with my heartbeats. After a while I could feel those patterns altering so that they didn't coincide with my heartbeat. I guess this is what people refer to a vibrations, but I'm not sure. They would feel stronger and stronger, until they swept me up into my first WILD. I had no idea what I was doing, of course. I still have yet to master my insomnia, however. Still working on it. That's great Loner keep working.

[Kroy]

In order of increasing effectiveness: 1. Some sort of constant "white" noise. In my case a fan (+air conditioner in summer) 2. Read 3. Work on a crossword puzzle (not for everybody maybe, but maybe even more effective for an insomniac who isn't normally into them). 4. Tune in a show on TV that is really boring or mellow. It should be on PBS or some other channel that is commercial free. I like nature documentaries on PBS, not that they are boring, I love nature, but they usually have a very calm, quiet, soothing narration. Turn the volume low to the point you really have to listen (over the fan or A/C). Try to find something you aren't particularly interested in. If you are desperate, there is always CSPAN! :p Roy

[tonythephatone]

as of yet i'm not much of a LDer.. but ive got two fishtanks in my room and i purposely don't do maintenance on them as oftne as i should because the running water may as well be the anti-coffee.. nobody stays awake in my bed for more than about 20 minutes when i need to add a gallon or so to my fish tanks... so perhaps think about getting a small fountain or something? i think water makes some of the best white noise ever... once you get one.. the first 2 days youll notice it and it may irritate you.. but on day three or four you wont notice it at all until you look at it.. and then you'll hear it and realize you havent been hearing it.. the sound itself is a little like a dream.. there and yet not there.. works for me.....

[Amethyst Star]

I find that when I go to bed, I have to purposefully surrender to sleep. I have to choose to let the things of the day go and then give my mind permission to wander where it will (within reason). Usually, if I'm being kept awake by thoughts, it's usually one or two that I can't keep my mind off of, so I have to make a conscious choice to not worry about it until tomorrow. I don't know if that helps, but it's what I do. ...which is probably one reason why I have a hard time WILDing. Too much thought/non-thought involved.

[baronbrocoli]

I find that when I go to bed, I have to purposefully surrender to sleep. I have to choose to let the things of the day go and then give my mind permission to wander where it will (within reason). Usually, if I'm being kept awake by thoughts, it's usually one or two that I can't keep my mind off of, so I have to make a conscious choice to not worry about it until tomorrow. I don't know if that helps, but it's what I do. ...which is probably one reason why I have a hard time WILDing. Too much thought/non-thought involved. yeah I see what you mean actually this has worked before for me. I'm gonnna keep trying that too.