Ask Lemmy

The best thing you can do is five hours before going to bed, making sure you get enough exercise and avoid caffeine.

Other than that, I have a routine of stretching and reading before bed, so usually just doing that puts me out.

Failing that, I used to have really bad insomnia, and one thing I would remind myself is that even just laying awake in bed is a kind of rest, and even if you don't sleep you can kind of drift off into a reverie here and there.

Related, I find having something enjoyable to think about as I close my eyes is fun and distracting. For me that's creative stuff like writing stories, designing games, or making game levels in my head.

1. Lifestyle change: exercise often so your body actually gets tired.
2. If it's already late: go for a night walk.

The sleep with me podcast.

The way the host talks makes actually following along at low volume very difficult but it’s still engaging enough to keep my mind from wandering to racing sorts of places. It puts me out nearly every time I try it.

Shove my husband and tell him to stop snoring.

I pay attention to my feet and feel that they are asleep, then my calves, and so on until I feel like my whole body is asleep.

Count backwards from 100 in Spanish in my head, or think about slowly descending through the color wheel from a bright loud red then orange, down through yellow, to green, blue, sleepy deep purple.

Also - don't get in bed until you are sleepy. Exercise during the day. Yin Yoga before bed.

Alphabet game.

Start withAa, think the first word beginning with A that comes to mind.

Go to B and stay on topic this time.

Keep going till you fall asleep.

"A... Albatross (so birds) B... Bluejay. C... Coocoo..."try to be specific but going general is ok too. If you can't think of something on topic start the next topic from there and move on. Don't dwell, don't think too hard.

This almost always works. If not, I get up and go do something mindless until I get eepy.

I used to struggle with this. What worked for me was waking at 5am and then being active all day.

Caffeine the next day. Not trying to be funny or facetious. It's actually what I do.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/military-sleep-method

Putting on some quiet music also helps.

I essentially think up Skyrim-related fanfic. I got enough hours in Skyrim that's it takes little effort to think about the universe. It's a neutral ish subject that is distinct from most real world problems so it usually does the job to distract my brain.

I've probably thought up enough fanfic to make a new elder scrolls main story line and a few side stories, or book or something, but alas no one probably cares to hear my stories.

When I can't sleep I play the "alphabet game" in my head: I pick a random subject. Can be anything really, doesn't have to be something I am an expert in. The other night it was "things associated with either the Commodore 64 or the Amiga". Then I think about a fitting thing for each letter of the alphabet, from A to Z.

Sounds weird, but it works for me 99% of the time. I actually made it to Z without falling asleep only once in my whole life. In that case you can still pick a new subject and start again at A.

Keeps your head occupied in a good way.

Bi-polar, so sleep disorder since I was a child. Extremely strict routine is how I manage it (along with pharma for mood regulation). Sleeping pills if I have to break routine.

For me, audio books. I have to constantly restart chapters but I'm usually out within 20 minutes.

Breathe deep, hold for five seconds, breathe out, hold for five seconds. Repeat until asleep.

I've slept on sidewalks, in ditches, in beds, and in snow banks. Focusing on your breathing works.

That's the neat thing, you don't.

Educational videos. Lowest brightness and volume.

Whatever time you fall asleep, don't sleep in.

I use a visualization technique, and this'll probably sound dumb, but it works for me. Try it.

When I have an intrusive thought, I visualize it being consumed in a mushroom cloud and mutter "boom" a few times. There's something about the combination of the visualization and vocalization that makes the intrusive thought go away.

I have no idea how or why it works. It just does.

Late to the party, have a very good suggestion.

Some very very short back story. In my younger years I had a lot of issues with anxiety when going to bed. Thinking about things I needed to fix or what tommorow would bring. And I realised that imagining a story or a world and setting specific foundational points, like a framework that a story as an example could be worked from. Then each night building something additional on that framework every night in my mind, keeping the core fixed and every new addition as part of this world or story. I would eventually get less and less added and become relaxed and fall a sleep sooner and sooner.

Just like a child wanting the same story every night.

Going back to something known and adding just a little bit or playing with an idea within the set framework is soothing for the mind. Because it familiar.

Edit: a spelling

Meditation, masturbation and moderation. The last one is the most important, a well habituated bedtime will help you sleep better.

When I can’t fall asleep it’s usually because my mind is racing and worrying about things so I just put on a podcast that’s only mildly interesting enough to distract me but not get me fully engaged.

Read

Quetiapine.

I play games in my head like rimworld trying to simulate all the things makes my brain say fuck this and go to sleep.

Or if it way to energised I go for a run.

Melatonin helps me but i usually only take it to get into a pattern again

I read for an hour in bed every night. That gets me very tired and sleepy. People are just in front of screens all damn day and don't know how to turn off.

If I wake up and can't fall back asleep, I keep melatonin next to me. If I really want to sleep well I'll take 10mg edible ~1 hour before bed.

Listening to recorded rain sounds.

Alternatively: Industrial Thrash Metal.

Tell yourself a story in your head. A book, movie, show, game...it doesn't matter. It just needs to be a story you're very very familiar with, know the details inside and out. Start from the very beginning and be as detailed as possible.

You'll be out in 5 minutes

I close my eyes and do the “four corners”technique or whatever it’s called. inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, repeat. It eventually lowers your heart rate, increases CO2 in the blood and clears your thoughts. It’s much easier to sleep after doing that for like 20 mins.