Thread: How do you fall asleep?

I usually listen to music until I feel like I can fall asleep, then I take out my ear buds and focus on what I want to accomplish that night. (wake up after each rem period, remember to do rcs in dreams etc.) Or else I just lay there and let my mind wander on anything.

I sort of.. fall asleep, you know?
Lol. I get all kinds of things. Like lying down and suddenly it's morning and I'm still tired, lol.
Or lying there and rolling around the bed and my head feels like it'll explode

never NEVER ask yourself that when your trying to fall asleep, I can't fall asleep when I say that to myself. I just let my mind wander or just talk to myself to fall asleep.

I'm usually awake in bed for about an hour. I use the time to think, plan, daydream etc. Often times it delays my falling asleep because I can't fall asleep until I let my mind clear.

Originally Posted by Oneria

i've heard to try reading a boring book, dunno if it really works tho cuz i get bored after reading it for like 30 seconds

I agree to that...cause boring books make your eyes (and your mind) tired. Which just makes you want to close your eyes, rest, read it later...and before you know it, you're already dreaming!

I lie in bed, getting tired. I get more and more tired, until at one point I feel my head a bit heavy. I lie like this letting my mind wander, maybe thinking about having LDs, and then eventually I just wink out.

if i can't sleep i count my breaths in and out till i have breathed in 50 time and breathed out50 times

Good topic. I was wondering this myself as I tried to Wild a few days ago.

I lie on my back at first until I'm all relaxed and calm (I do this subconsciously, I don't think "Oh I'm relaxed, now let's do the next part.") Then I get into my favourite sleeping postition and just let all muscle tension go. Everything. Then there's a special state of mind I go in. It's hard to descibe, but it's like I compartmentalise my mind and just switch off all the more complex functions. To be honest, it feels like I "move" the conscious part of my brain to kind of near the top-back of my skull. It may sound pretentious and a lie, but it's what works for me. I don't have trouble sleeping. I can get to sleep in about 10-15 mins.

I sleep on my side, which I believe is better for relaxation because you're not fighting gravity to breathe. I also think you should have a fixed sleeping position so your body knows what it's supposed to do next.

Yeah, it's quite hard for me to get to sleep as well but I tried thinking about something else and away I go.

If you have sex in your bed, do it with your head on the opposite side of the bed. Also, if you're lying down in bed, do not lie down the way you would sleep. The way you lie down to sleep should only be associated with sleep. Everything else you do, do it on the opposite side of the bed.

(from http://www.sleepphones.com/hygiene)
If you have insomnia, do not lay in bed for more than 20 minutes getting frustrated. Get up and do something else (such as reading a book) until you feel tired again. Then return to bed.

If your mind won't shut off when trying to sleep, consider keeping a journal by the bed where you can write down your thoughts or make to-do lists for 10-15 minutes before sleeping.

1. Most important: Get up at the same time every single day, including the weekends.
2. Try to go to bed at a reasonable hour, so that you are not tired the next day. Remember to follow rule number one.
3. Allow for at least 1 hour to unwind before bedtime. You may try relaxation or meditation techniques to help you unwind. (The SleepPhones System is designed to help you relax quickly.)
4. Use the bedroom only for sex and sleep. This enhances your brain's association of the bedroom to be a place for sleep.
5. Avoid caffeine after dinner. Some people are so sensitive they need to avoid caffeine after lunch.
6. Avoid large meals just before bed. Eating just before lying down often results in heartburn.
7. Exercise daily, but avoid exercise 2-4 hours prior to bedtime.
8. Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet to facilitate your body's ability to wind down. No TV!
9. Avoid napping during the day. This can confuse your biological clock.

Huh... Apparently I have a relatively unique method.

I just think about stuff. Maybe something I wish I had done/done different during the day, an idea for a novel, trying to figure something out, ask "Why?" on random subjects... It gets rather philosophical sometimes.

I eventually just think and analyze so much that my brain just kinda goes "For christ's sake, shut the hell up already! -Click.-" And I fall to sleep. usually takes about 30 minutes.

I have trouble sleeping and recently my strategy has been just to stay awake really long until im so tired i fall asleep within minutes. its a bad thing to do and when i start going back to school again i have to get a more regular sleep patern.

A lot of people say to wait until you get tired. The problem with that is that some people like me have to get up early in the morning and we don't get enough sleep if we go to sleep later.

Originally Posted by kingofclutch

A lot of people say to wait until you get tired. The problem with that is that some people like me have to get up early in the morning and we don't get enough sleep if we go to sleep later.

This is exactly my problem. My screwed up body clock is not at all tired at 11 pm, or even 12pm, but come 7:15 the next morning, I have trouble keeping my eyes open

I'll try some of these techniques, and also try to get off the computer longer before going to bed.