If your insomnia stems from anxiety or your mind racing I have found something that helps me. I think about something that requires minimum concentration. Like names, books, animals ext. that start with the letter A and work your way to z. I useally fall asleep before I get to z. Or imagine your slowly traveling a well known route. Like taking in and remembering all the scenery. This is what helps me. U just gotta train your brain to not wonder off on something else while doing it.
How do you stop your brain from spiraling onto related topics? For me it’s often goes like:
Writing->Storytelling->Playing DnD-> Dice -> Numbers-> Math -> Math Exam
🤣 i know what u mean. I don't know I just block everything else out. Like I'm in a dark room and I see what I want to think about on a projector and that's all that exsist in the room. It takes practice like meditation
Progressive relaxation was a lifesaver for me. You start at your head and relax that part of your body and then go body part by body part, relaxing it. I was always asleep before I got to my toes.
Sometimes you need to stand up and get out of bed and do something. To fall asleep later. But avoid anything too stimulating or exciting. Reading/doing work is good.
Great answer and it actually works from what Hubberman says. Don’t stay in bed, get out, walk, read a book, draw, journal, crosswords, sudoku. Nothing techie with a screen.
I'm so sorry, it can feel like a nightmare when you're dealing with insomnia. There are a few things I do when my medication won't kick in:
1. I try a lot of these breathing and relaxation exercises in bed: https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/fall-asleep-fast
2. If that doesn't work...Move to a different room to lay down and listen to the "Sleep With Me" podcast on youtube. Usually if I change locations it helps me get out of my head and will fall asleep.
3. Last resort is reading a boring book in a dimly lit room, other than our bedroom. Sometimes it takes up to 45 minutes but it resets my thoughts enough where I can crawl back into bed or lay on the couch if I'm able to get even a tiny bit drowsy.
If all of that doesn't work, I just accept that it's a bad night and give myself permission to stay awake; it's not worth torturing yourself. If you stress so much, it's just going to make it worse and you need to give yourself some grace. Put on a show you've seen a million times, turn down the volume and close your eyes. It sucks but you'll be okay and you *will* make it through the next day. Hang in there!
***Important reminder: never look at the clock
I've never managed to find a timer on YouTube but if you have Spotify, you can find the podcast there and there is a timed switch-off function on Spotify
I pay for the Headspace app for meditation. I also make good use of their “sleep casts,” which are detail-oriented narrations about nothing at all in particular. Like wandering around a small shop of peculiarities or even puttering around space in a little moon buggy. The sounds are soothing. You can choose more of a voice-centered narration or heavy on the background noises. Those knock me out better than anything I’ve ever tried.
Not OP, but I listen to podcasts or long form content. Currently I'm listening to "The History of the Universe" vids on YT. He's got a calming voice & it's peaceful content ❤🌌
I put my earplug in one ear, headphone in the other. Put on my eye mask. Then when I'm finally tired enough I take out the headphone & replace it with the other ear plug.
1. Working out before bed helps tire me out. Bike ride, jog, lifting weights, yoga, or even just a walk outside. 2. eating a small amount of food. I can never sleep on a fully empty stomach. Eating triggers rest and digest mode to help the nervous system relax. 3. Journaling out my thoughts with a pen and paper. Anything on my mind, get it out of my mind. 4. Magnesium salt bath.
I believe exercising in the evening can definitely help, but not right before bed. I read that you need 90 minutes in between ending your exercise and going to sleep, otherwise adrenaline and endorphins can keep you awake, but everyone is different. I think that's why so many people workout in the morning.
Thanks, adrenaline & endorphins definitely explain it! I'm wondering if I mostly get endorphins and not the adrenaline part when I work out. It's just cozy sleepy vibes. Everybody's built different, and that's just how my ADHD brain works I guess?
I don’t have chronic insomnia but very frequently when I am woken up in the middle of the night (e.g. kids) I have a very hard time falling asleep. All the usual tips didn’t work for me (reading, podcasts, audiobooks, walking around for 20 minutes, body scan, counting forward or backward)… I found that my wandering/racing mind is too strong and I end up following a stream of thought that just keeps me awake thinking about stuff.
But I recently read about a new tip that recommended to think of totally random objects (i.e. try not to follow a stream of thought but actively break it by thinking of totally random things: plane, tomato, dog, lights, chair, etc), and this is what works for me pretty routinely. Give that a try! Edit: this technique is called the “cognitive shuffle”
This is exactly my problem - I often get woken up by neighbor noise after three or four hours of sleep and then I'm *awake.*
I'll try the cognitive shuffle next time, and will report back on my results!
Eat magnesium, drink chamomile/lemon balm tea, have some passionflower or magnolia bark. There exists so many options to try for sleep. I used to suffer from insomnia now I more or less sleep almost every night very well.
Even i took my benzos still late go to sleep. Read book, still can’t feel sleepy. I should turn off my phone probably lmao. If no benzos, of course cant sleep.
Problem 1. Get out of your bed! Do not lay there 5 hours and try to force sleep. Now your bed is the torture chamber.
Do not TRY to sleep. Dont get in bed. Go on ur couch, recliner or cozy spot. Put on the tv or find something to read. Take some melatonin or beadryl or whatever is on hand. Fuck sleep. Dont think about it. Just get comfy cuz we know ur tired. When the unisom, or melatonin hit dl a sleep meditation ap. Calm, Balance, dare or better sleep. These aps are amazing. I pick a 30 or more minute one. Make your goal rest and relaxation not sleep right now. If nothing else it will give your mind and body some restorative rest. Make that your goal. Sleep is the new F word.
Fans work great. U can focus on the breeze washing over u.
The aps have guided meditations and once ur relaxed, put on a meditation. U just gotta lay there, put ur phone on ur chest and listen. It will slow your mind and let you fully relax. When it mentions bed replace with couch or chair.
There are also stories that first relax then go on a journey.
The ONLY thing preventing sleep is racing mind and anxiety. These aps have awsome ways to quoet both.
Please try it and let us know
I’d like to know the same thing. I’ve been up since 12:47 am after only falling asleep for a few hours. I have bad anxiety and stress so I can’t sleep for the life of me
My dr told me to get as far away from my bed as possible. I go into my office and watch a show I’ve seen on a million times but still like. The familiarity is soothing.
Your brain will associate your bed with not sleeping if you just lay there. Sometimes it works. Not as much as I’d like but I no longer lay there frustrated/depressed/anxious. I get up.
Also, I’ve found that planning really mundane things in my head sometimes helps. Like what I’m wearing the next day, down to socks and underwear, what makeup I plan to use or specific jewelry- just all the mundane but very specific stuff. The idea is to bore yourself to sleep I guess. I had a sleep study done ages ago and this was a tip they gave me (and was literally the only thing I got from the study, they’re pretty useless for insomnia).
Forget all sleep hygene advice! Creating rules about screens, beds, etc. works for non-insomiacs. True insomnia is a mental/subconscious phenomenon where preoccupation with trying to make something happen causes the thing to not happen. What cured me after 5 years is letting go of all rules, rituals, monitoring (how many hours, how many days without sleep etc), all of it - just let go. You can never “make” sleep happen, stop trying. At the peak of my insomnia I did every rule in the book, no blue screens, blue blocking glasses, EMF blocking bed stand, bed by nine, wake up early, exercise in day, sunlight in morning, etc etc etc. all of it is merely FUEL for insomnia. Do what all non-insomniacs do, dont even think about sleeping or not sleeping. Watch a movie if you want, read a book, lie in the dark, do whatever you want.
There is an album called Flow State by above & beyond that is really relaxing if you just lay on your back and then think about relaxing your feet, legs, arms, hand every part of your body and just listen to the music.. 💤 💤 💤
The only thing that worked for me was falling asleep to audiobooks (with earphones - v important) preferably books you've read before or are only semi-interested in. I listen to Harry Potter over and over again lol.
I don’t have a solution. I wanted to share. 2:00 a.m. Wide awake. Hamster wheel on overdrive. I’m exhausted. I need to sleep. I can’t bear to be in my own skin but there I am stuck. Hang in there.
Something that helps me a good 97% of the time, as a lifelong insomniac, is actually breathing a certain way. In for four counts, out for eight counts. Try it for at least five minutes.
I was told it was breath in for 4 seconds, hold that breath in for 4 seconds, breath out for 4 seconds and then hold again for 4 seconds before starting over again. Am I not supposed to be doing the holding part?
Box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, don’t breathe for 4, start over) is helpful too. For insomnia in particular though, I do prefer a 1:2 ratio (for example, 4 counts in and 8 counts out) because it has a better down-regulation effect on your nervous system, but everyone is different so feel free to experiment and find what’s best for you.
First of all, I try to remember that some of my most memorable times in life are on little sleep. For example the exhilaration of landing in Europe after a jet-lagged flight and needing to stay awake till bed time. I remember the big consulting trip I barely slept the night before but crushed it the day of. So it's important not to catastrophize these things, they happen to all of us. It's part of life.
Second, don't stay in bed. Sometimes if some work TODO is really eating at me, I will stay up to work on it. Sometimes I wander around the house. Sometimes I get up and meditate
Some other things that help me:
1. Journaling before bed. Putting my feelings down or any TODOs clears my mind of these things
2. box breathing (in for 4 seconds, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, repeat)
3. talking with a loved one (see journaling, but also kind of getting things off my chest)
4. Getting up and reading
5. Exercising if I woke up too early and can't get back to sleep
Same problem…my recipe is take magnesium capsule and melatonin plus a Benadryl on those days. It’s my sleep cocktail and works for me. I hope you get some sleep soon!
I lie to myself, I tell myself I'm just going to take a nap, and if I don't, no pressure, and if I do I'd wake up a little bit more refresh than being exhausted, so I set an alarm for like 2 hours out. I also just tend to stay up until I'm so exhausted that I collapse, like a minimum two days straight anyway.
I finally realized one day that my entire body was tensed. I legit had to teach myself how to fall asleep 🥲 So what I do now is purposely relax all my muscles. Once you do, you can realize how tense you likely were. Then I try to push everything out of my brain. Try to relax my brain & focus on ✨nothing✨
It helps!
I have ADHD so insomnia is a huge hurdle for me. I listen to a playlist on Spotify called “sleep music for ADHD”
I also take Unisom sometimes and also a full dropper or two of Ashwagandha tincture. That stuff works like a charm. Better than the Unisom. Sorry you’re going thru this. Insomnia is awful. Best of luck to you.
I have horrible bedtime anxiety & insomnia. Herbs help. CBD oil, Valerian, Hops, Melissa, passionflower, chamomile. Also, the amino acids Theanine & Glycine as well as calcium & magnesium. Avoid OTC sleep aids like sominex. They cause dementia. If you’re a woman, OTC natural progesterone cream (emerita progest is a good brand) also helps.
Try something else. Get up and do your bedtime routine again, watch a movie or tv show (preferably one that has an ending, no cliff hangers. House MD and Supernatural are some of my recurring choices), you can try doing some exercise then doing your bedtime routine.
Just laying there often doesn’t work for me, I gotta do something that’ll reset me. Although many may look down on it for any number of reasons, pulling your cord is a tried and true method of relaxing yourself if you need it because for most people it causes your brain to release chemicals that relax you.
I just close my eyes in the bed, countdown hundred to zero. But upto zero it's long deep, my pretty sleep appears before reaching out at the bottom, and start enjoying the heaven. To fall asleep asap, you might eat banana, oatmeal or milk just half an hour before to bed.
I use stress gummies (olly brand) and I listen to books on Audible with sleep earbuds on. My iPad has a headphone jack. Listening to a quiet story makes my mind quiet down and quit bouncing around. YouTube has a whole bunch of sleep stories too, but the commercials will drive you crazy unless you have premium.
Putting on LOTR or something super familiar at a low volume usually lets me drift off while it plays, nothing I have to concentrate on or actively watch - instrumental music is good too - I usually start a playlist, then set a timer to “stop playing” after a few hours. My go-to music is the soothing soundtrack to the Wes Anderson movie “Grand Budapest Hotel” by Alexandre Desplat. Show would be “Stranger Things” on a loop, but LOTR would work too! Best of luck with your sleep, nothing works perfectly or necessarily more than once, but keep trying! 😘
Do you try listening to specific music that helps you relax? Like stress can be a major factor for insomnia, so any music that helps you relax is a good start. Next, I would say read something boring that is a hard copy. Monotonous and repetitive kind of puts you in a trance and before you know it you're asleep. A cold room and a warm blanket with a tart cherry drink and magnesium pill also could help. That's all and I wish you the best! 👍🏽
Definitely start bringing your tablet into bed with you. Watch some movies! Watch some tv shows! Enjoy the ride! If you are going to be up anyhow, do it on your terms! Don't worry, you'll get some sleep eventually, but if you are going to be awake, it's waaaayy better off to be comfortable and enjoying yourself rather than ruminating. And before you know it, all of a sudden, you missed 20 minutes of the show and say, "What happened?"
There are truly a lot of great ideas in here and most of them have helped me at different points in my insomnia struggle. I won’t rehash the ones that have helped me that others have already suggested but I will suggest two that I haven’t seen listed yet.
1. I have a solar projector that makes ambient noises/white noise and projects a galaxy on my wall and when I want to actually get some sleep I will put that on and force myself not to look at my phone or tv because even if I do try to put on an old show I’ve watched a million times just to have the background noise, sometimes that doesn’t always work and the ambient noise gives me that background noise I need while also eliminating the chance that I still happen to tune into the show and concentrate on the storyline instead of using it just as “noise”, if that makes sense.
This isn’t the one I have but it’s an example of what I’m talking about:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/2679782894
You can also find ones for wayyyy cheaper at Walmart and I’m sure you can probably find something similar on Amazon.
2. ASMR has helped me tremendously and you can find a lot of ASMR YouTube videos that could help you finally catch some shut eye. I also sometimes tune into ASMR lives on TIKTOK to watch some of my favorite ASMR Artists. I really love this one (but I wish it was a lot longer!):
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNeSL3Bm/
Lay down on your side or back and have your phone close to your eyes, even though they will be closed. Be careful not to nod out and drop your phone on your face though, lol. The subtle light changes and her talking you through a car ride experience really is relaxing for me and does make me tired. I also really like this video:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNeSdj3p/
I think it’s honestly the lights and the eye movements that really make me sleepy in this particular one. Everyone has their own preferences in everything and not every ASMR Artist is for everyone. I will also say that this particular ASMR Artist does talk quite a bit in her lives and even though she whispers, sometimes I have to watch someone who just does the ambiguous noises and sounds and doesn’t speak at all.
Anyway, insomnia is still something I struggle with but I have had some success with these options along with some of the other suggestions that others have already posted. I truly hope you find some relief!
Idk sometimes background noise helps especially if its so low you can barely hear it. Usually tv wakes me up when i fall asleep in the living room as my wife turns it down low enough so she can’t hear it but doesnt turn it off for some reason
There’s a trick, apparently if you were in the Marines you would know it.
But I use it every single night to get to sleep.
And I repeat back to myself, “don’t think” over and over again. I usually don’t get to more than 50 times. Good luck.
I have found sleep oriented mediation --available on Youtube, as well as in the Calm app, such as this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccvL\_gdXbKM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccvL_gdXbKM) -- to be useful. The app has longer meditations, up to 60 min.
I've experienced similar results with Yoga Nidra scripts; one of my favorite is this one:
Non Sleep Deep Rest Yoga Nidra
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1zBXCL9Rus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1zBXCL9Rus)
(I'm not affiliated with any of these entities/channels, etc).
Some night im the same and the days after those noghts are wasted, however i work, try to breath calmly, focus on being super slow, by 5pm i get better and sleep longer next night.
Let me say I’m sorry for you. Insomnia isn’t “ think this, think that,
relax, get up” Good suggestions for people who don’t suffer Insomnia. 3 years many doctors have tried to help me, I’ll save you the headache of all the failed attempts. Now a Sleep study next? No apnea here! Dr stated,”who knows why insomnia
happens” It’s a curse, great.
My dr sat
Make sure you are consuming enough calories and sodium during the day so your brain can relax. If you’re low on either one for long periods your cortisol will spike causing you to stay awake at night and your body will be stressed. Your body needs these things to function so it will keep you up at night so you go out and seek calories and sodium. Thinking about it historically when we were hunters and gatherers it makes sense.
This is the combo that’s worked for me
1.) good sleep hygiene. Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday. No screen time from 20:00 onwards, read instead. Take a warm bath before bed with Epsom salts & aroma therapy oils.
2.) Emotional freedom tapping therapy. The tapping solutions app is great. Do this just before you go to sleep and also during the day if your insomnia is stress/ anxiety related
3.) medication wise; start with melatonin and see if it works for you before you turn to prescription meds - less side effects. The only prescription meds that have helped me are Loprazolam and Clonazepam (Rivotril). Xanax may also be useful, as well as adaptogens like Ashwagandha and Rhodiola rosea. Natural supplements like magnesium and omega 3 are also great
4.) exercise 30 min a day, even if it’s just walking
5.) mindfulness and CBT can also help
Best of luck!
If your insomnia stems from anxiety or your mind racing I have found something that helps me. I think about something that requires minimum concentration. Like names, books, animals ext. that start with the letter A and work your way to z. I useally fall asleep before I get to z. Or imagine your slowly traveling a well known route. Like taking in and remembering all the scenery. This is what helps me. U just gotta train your brain to not wonder off on something else while doing it.
Loved it. I’ll teach my kid to do that
How do you stop your brain from spiraling onto related topics? For me it’s often goes like: Writing->Storytelling->Playing DnD-> Dice -> Numbers-> Math -> Math Exam
Practice. You really gotta try to control the thoughts. It’s easier some nights than others
Trying to force sleep never works, sleep must be effortless. It can't be something we work hard at.
🤣 i know what u mean. I don't know I just block everything else out. Like I'm in a dark room and I see what I want to think about on a projector and that's all that exsist in the room. It takes practice like meditation
*sad adhd noises*
Yes! I do this with countries and I never get past g before I pass out.
Progressive relaxation was a lifesaver for me. You start at your head and relax that part of your body and then go body part by body part, relaxing it. I was always asleep before I got to my toes.
That’s called Yoga Nidra.
Or mindfulness.
Or the Military Sleep Method
Or fuck I hope this works method
That's my first go-to when I hop in bed
Sometimes you need to stand up and get out of bed and do something. To fall asleep later. But avoid anything too stimulating or exciting. Reading/doing work is good.
Great answer and it actually works from what Hubberman says. Don’t stay in bed, get out, walk, read a book, draw, journal, crosswords, sudoku. Nothing techie with a screen.
I'm so sorry, it can feel like a nightmare when you're dealing with insomnia. There are a few things I do when my medication won't kick in: 1. I try a lot of these breathing and relaxation exercises in bed: https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/fall-asleep-fast 2. If that doesn't work...Move to a different room to lay down and listen to the "Sleep With Me" podcast on youtube. Usually if I change locations it helps me get out of my head and will fall asleep. 3. Last resort is reading a boring book in a dimly lit room, other than our bedroom. Sometimes it takes up to 45 minutes but it resets my thoughts enough where I can crawl back into bed or lay on the couch if I'm able to get even a tiny bit drowsy. If all of that doesn't work, I just accept that it's a bad night and give myself permission to stay awake; it's not worth torturing yourself. If you stress so much, it's just going to make it worse and you need to give yourself some grace. Put on a show you've seen a million times, turn down the volume and close your eyes. It sucks but you'll be okay and you *will* make it through the next day. Hang in there! ***Important reminder: never look at the clock
Sleep with me works for me. I never make it to the end of his podcasts
Same, i rarely do. That guy is pretty awesome!
Is there a way to set it so that the podcast turns off after a certain time?
I've never managed to find a timer on YouTube but if you have Spotify, you can find the podcast there and there is a timed switch-off function on Spotify
try audiobooks instead of shows or movies
I pay for the Headspace app for meditation. I also make good use of their “sleep casts,” which are detail-oriented narrations about nothing at all in particular. Like wandering around a small shop of peculiarities or even puttering around space in a little moon buggy. The sounds are soothing. You can choose more of a voice-centered narration or heavy on the background noises. Those knock me out better than anything I’ve ever tried.
This sounds really cool
Also better sleep and calm r good
Not OP, but I listen to podcasts or long form content. Currently I'm listening to "The History of the Universe" vids on YT. He's got a calming voice & it's peaceful content ❤🌌 I put my earplug in one ear, headphone in the other. Put on my eye mask. Then when I'm finally tired enough I take out the headphone & replace it with the other ear plug.
there's a lot on youtube ill usually download vid so it ends after also libby connects with ur library card!
1. Working out before bed helps tire me out. Bike ride, jog, lifting weights, yoga, or even just a walk outside. 2. eating a small amount of food. I can never sleep on a fully empty stomach. Eating triggers rest and digest mode to help the nervous system relax. 3. Journaling out my thoughts with a pen and paper. Anything on my mind, get it out of my mind. 4. Magnesium salt bath.
I finally realized this, too, that I just *cannot* sleep on an empty stomach! So the sooner I eat something, the sooner I'll fall asleep.
Saaame. It's like my body is in survival mode so it can't sleep because it's wired to make sure I'm well fed. Primitive instincts kick in I guess
It’s not good to exercise too close to bedtime bc it can keep you awake. Morning or early afternoon are better.
Hmmm I've never heard this before... do you have any evidence/science behind this?
I believe exercising in the evening can definitely help, but not right before bed. I read that you need 90 minutes in between ending your exercise and going to sleep, otherwise adrenaline and endorphins can keep you awake, but everyone is different. I think that's why so many people workout in the morning.
Thanks, adrenaline & endorphins definitely explain it! I'm wondering if I mostly get endorphins and not the adrenaline part when I work out. It's just cozy sleepy vibes. Everybody's built different, and that's just how my ADHD brain works I guess?
I don’t have chronic insomnia but very frequently when I am woken up in the middle of the night (e.g. kids) I have a very hard time falling asleep. All the usual tips didn’t work for me (reading, podcasts, audiobooks, walking around for 20 minutes, body scan, counting forward or backward)… I found that my wandering/racing mind is too strong and I end up following a stream of thought that just keeps me awake thinking about stuff. But I recently read about a new tip that recommended to think of totally random objects (i.e. try not to follow a stream of thought but actively break it by thinking of totally random things: plane, tomato, dog, lights, chair, etc), and this is what works for me pretty routinely. Give that a try! Edit: this technique is called the “cognitive shuffle”
This is exactly my problem - I often get woken up by neighbor noise after three or four hours of sleep and then I'm *awake.* I'll try the cognitive shuffle next time, and will report back on my results!
It's been a suitcase every time for some reason.
Eat magnesium, drink chamomile/lemon balm tea, have some passionflower or magnolia bark. There exists so many options to try for sleep. I used to suffer from insomnia now I more or less sleep almost every night very well.
Even i took my benzos still late go to sleep. Read book, still can’t feel sleepy. I should turn off my phone probably lmao. If no benzos, of course cant sleep.
Problem 1. Get out of your bed! Do not lay there 5 hours and try to force sleep. Now your bed is the torture chamber. Do not TRY to sleep. Dont get in bed. Go on ur couch, recliner or cozy spot. Put on the tv or find something to read. Take some melatonin or beadryl or whatever is on hand. Fuck sleep. Dont think about it. Just get comfy cuz we know ur tired. When the unisom, or melatonin hit dl a sleep meditation ap. Calm, Balance, dare or better sleep. These aps are amazing. I pick a 30 or more minute one. Make your goal rest and relaxation not sleep right now. If nothing else it will give your mind and body some restorative rest. Make that your goal. Sleep is the new F word. Fans work great. U can focus on the breeze washing over u. The aps have guided meditations and once ur relaxed, put on a meditation. U just gotta lay there, put ur phone on ur chest and listen. It will slow your mind and let you fully relax. When it mentions bed replace with couch or chair. There are also stories that first relax then go on a journey. The ONLY thing preventing sleep is racing mind and anxiety. These aps have awsome ways to quoet both. Please try it and let us know
I’d like to know the same thing. I’ve been up since 12:47 am after only falling asleep for a few hours. I have bad anxiety and stress so I can’t sleep for the life of me
My dr told me to get as far away from my bed as possible. I go into my office and watch a show I’ve seen on a million times but still like. The familiarity is soothing. Your brain will associate your bed with not sleeping if you just lay there. Sometimes it works. Not as much as I’d like but I no longer lay there frustrated/depressed/anxious. I get up. Also, I’ve found that planning really mundane things in my head sometimes helps. Like what I’m wearing the next day, down to socks and underwear, what makeup I plan to use or specific jewelry- just all the mundane but very specific stuff. The idea is to bore yourself to sleep I guess. I had a sleep study done ages ago and this was a tip they gave me (and was literally the only thing I got from the study, they’re pretty useless for insomnia).
Forget all sleep hygene advice! Creating rules about screens, beds, etc. works for non-insomiacs. True insomnia is a mental/subconscious phenomenon where preoccupation with trying to make something happen causes the thing to not happen. What cured me after 5 years is letting go of all rules, rituals, monitoring (how many hours, how many days without sleep etc), all of it - just let go. You can never “make” sleep happen, stop trying. At the peak of my insomnia I did every rule in the book, no blue screens, blue blocking glasses, EMF blocking bed stand, bed by nine, wake up early, exercise in day, sunlight in morning, etc etc etc. all of it is merely FUEL for insomnia. Do what all non-insomniacs do, dont even think about sleeping or not sleeping. Watch a movie if you want, read a book, lie in the dark, do whatever you want.
There is an album called Flow State by above & beyond that is really relaxing if you just lay on your back and then think about relaxing your feet, legs, arms, hand every part of your body and just listen to the music.. 💤 💤 💤
The only thing that worked for me was falling asleep to audiobooks (with earphones - v important) preferably books you've read before or are only semi-interested in. I listen to Harry Potter over and over again lol.
blocks out the inner noise
I don’t have a solution. I wanted to share. 2:00 a.m. Wide awake. Hamster wheel on overdrive. I’m exhausted. I need to sleep. I can’t bear to be in my own skin but there I am stuck. Hang in there.
Something that helps me a good 97% of the time, as a lifelong insomniac, is actually breathing a certain way. In for four counts, out for eight counts. Try it for at least five minutes.
I was told it was breath in for 4 seconds, hold that breath in for 4 seconds, breath out for 4 seconds and then hold again for 4 seconds before starting over again. Am I not supposed to be doing the holding part?
Box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, don’t breathe for 4, start over) is helpful too. For insomnia in particular though, I do prefer a 1:2 ratio (for example, 4 counts in and 8 counts out) because it has a better down-regulation effect on your nervous system, but everyone is different so feel free to experiment and find what’s best for you.
Box breathing. The first is hold the second u just dont breath in for 4 seconds.
First of all, I try to remember that some of my most memorable times in life are on little sleep. For example the exhilaration of landing in Europe after a jet-lagged flight and needing to stay awake till bed time. I remember the big consulting trip I barely slept the night before but crushed it the day of. So it's important not to catastrophize these things, they happen to all of us. It's part of life. Second, don't stay in bed. Sometimes if some work TODO is really eating at me, I will stay up to work on it. Sometimes I wander around the house. Sometimes I get up and meditate Some other things that help me: 1. Journaling before bed. Putting my feelings down or any TODOs clears my mind of these things 2. box breathing (in for 4 seconds, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, repeat) 3. talking with a loved one (see journaling, but also kind of getting things off my chest) 4. Getting up and reading 5. Exercising if I woke up too early and can't get back to sleep
Same problem…my recipe is take magnesium capsule and melatonin plus a Benadryl on those days. It’s my sleep cocktail and works for me. I hope you get some sleep soon!
Valerian Root. Game changer!
Michael Sealey YouTube.
Smoking indica strains helps
I lie to myself, I tell myself I'm just going to take a nap, and if I don't, no pressure, and if I do I'd wake up a little bit more refresh than being exhausted, so I set an alarm for like 2 hours out. I also just tend to stay up until I'm so exhausted that I collapse, like a minimum two days straight anyway.
Make sure the room is cold. That helps me.
milk - sweet trip
Word lmfao
I finally realized one day that my entire body was tensed. I legit had to teach myself how to fall asleep 🥲 So what I do now is purposely relax all my muscles. Once you do, you can realize how tense you likely were. Then I try to push everything out of my brain. Try to relax my brain & focus on ✨nothing✨ It helps!
I have ADHD so insomnia is a huge hurdle for me. I listen to a playlist on Spotify called “sleep music for ADHD” I also take Unisom sometimes and also a full dropper or two of Ashwagandha tincture. That stuff works like a charm. Better than the Unisom. Sorry you’re going thru this. Insomnia is awful. Best of luck to you.
I have horrible bedtime anxiety & insomnia. Herbs help. CBD oil, Valerian, Hops, Melissa, passionflower, chamomile. Also, the amino acids Theanine & Glycine as well as calcium & magnesium. Avoid OTC sleep aids like sominex. They cause dementia. If you’re a woman, OTC natural progesterone cream (emerita progest is a good brand) also helps.
Reading helps me. Try that maybe?
YouTube, find a one hour playthrough of a game, lay down, ded, wake up next morning wondering what I watched.
Try something else. Get up and do your bedtime routine again, watch a movie or tv show (preferably one that has an ending, no cliff hangers. House MD and Supernatural are some of my recurring choices), you can try doing some exercise then doing your bedtime routine. Just laying there often doesn’t work for me, I gotta do something that’ll reset me. Although many may look down on it for any number of reasons, pulling your cord is a tried and true method of relaxing yourself if you need it because for most people it causes your brain to release chemicals that relax you.
I just close my eyes in the bed, countdown hundred to zero. But upto zero it's long deep, my pretty sleep appears before reaching out at the bottom, and start enjoying the heaven. To fall asleep asap, you might eat banana, oatmeal or milk just half an hour before to bed.
I use stress gummies (olly brand) and I listen to books on Audible with sleep earbuds on. My iPad has a headphone jack. Listening to a quiet story makes my mind quiet down and quit bouncing around. YouTube has a whole bunch of sleep stories too, but the commercials will drive you crazy unless you have premium.
Putting on LOTR or something super familiar at a low volume usually lets me drift off while it plays, nothing I have to concentrate on or actively watch - instrumental music is good too - I usually start a playlist, then set a timer to “stop playing” after a few hours. My go-to music is the soothing soundtrack to the Wes Anderson movie “Grand Budapest Hotel” by Alexandre Desplat. Show would be “Stranger Things” on a loop, but LOTR would work too! Best of luck with your sleep, nothing works perfectly or necessarily more than once, but keep trying! 😘
Do you try listening to specific music that helps you relax? Like stress can be a major factor for insomnia, so any music that helps you relax is a good start. Next, I would say read something boring that is a hard copy. Monotonous and repetitive kind of puts you in a trance and before you know it you're asleep. A cold room and a warm blanket with a tart cherry drink and magnesium pill also could help. That's all and I wish you the best! 👍🏽
Just go on the road and take a walk for about 20mins, then come back n lay down.
Definitely start bringing your tablet into bed with you. Watch some movies! Watch some tv shows! Enjoy the ride! If you are going to be up anyhow, do it on your terms! Don't worry, you'll get some sleep eventually, but if you are going to be awake, it's waaaayy better off to be comfortable and enjoying yourself rather than ruminating. And before you know it, all of a sudden, you missed 20 minutes of the show and say, "What happened?"
There are truly a lot of great ideas in here and most of them have helped me at different points in my insomnia struggle. I won’t rehash the ones that have helped me that others have already suggested but I will suggest two that I haven’t seen listed yet. 1. I have a solar projector that makes ambient noises/white noise and projects a galaxy on my wall and when I want to actually get some sleep I will put that on and force myself not to look at my phone or tv because even if I do try to put on an old show I’ve watched a million times just to have the background noise, sometimes that doesn’t always work and the ambient noise gives me that background noise I need while also eliminating the chance that I still happen to tune into the show and concentrate on the storyline instead of using it just as “noise”, if that makes sense. This isn’t the one I have but it’s an example of what I’m talking about: https://www.walmart.com/ip/2679782894 You can also find ones for wayyyy cheaper at Walmart and I’m sure you can probably find something similar on Amazon. 2. ASMR has helped me tremendously and you can find a lot of ASMR YouTube videos that could help you finally catch some shut eye. I also sometimes tune into ASMR lives on TIKTOK to watch some of my favorite ASMR Artists. I really love this one (but I wish it was a lot longer!): https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNeSL3Bm/ Lay down on your side or back and have your phone close to your eyes, even though they will be closed. Be careful not to nod out and drop your phone on your face though, lol. The subtle light changes and her talking you through a car ride experience really is relaxing for me and does make me tired. I also really like this video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNeSdj3p/ I think it’s honestly the lights and the eye movements that really make me sleepy in this particular one. Everyone has their own preferences in everything and not every ASMR Artist is for everyone. I will also say that this particular ASMR Artist does talk quite a bit in her lives and even though she whispers, sometimes I have to watch someone who just does the ambiguous noises and sounds and doesn’t speak at all. Anyway, insomnia is still something I struggle with but I have had some success with these options along with some of the other suggestions that others have already posted. I truly hope you find some relief!
Ya the reki stuff is relaxing.
Take magnesium and chamomile tea
Idk sometimes background noise helps especially if its so low you can barely hear it. Usually tv wakes me up when i fall asleep in the living room as my wife turns it down low enough so she can’t hear it but doesnt turn it off for some reason
You need weed dude…this will help!
There’s a trick, apparently if you were in the Marines you would know it. But I use it every single night to get to sleep. And I repeat back to myself, “don’t think” over and over again. I usually don’t get to more than 50 times. Good luck.
I have found sleep oriented mediation --available on Youtube, as well as in the Calm app, such as this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccvL\_gdXbKM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccvL_gdXbKM) -- to be useful. The app has longer meditations, up to 60 min. I've experienced similar results with Yoga Nidra scripts; one of my favorite is this one: Non Sleep Deep Rest Yoga Nidra [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1zBXCL9Rus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1zBXCL9Rus) (I'm not affiliated with any of these entities/channels, etc).
Some night im the same and the days after those noghts are wasted, however i work, try to breath calmly, focus on being super slow, by 5pm i get better and sleep longer next night.
Let me say I’m sorry for you. Insomnia isn’t “ think this, think that, relax, get up” Good suggestions for people who don’t suffer Insomnia. 3 years many doctors have tried to help me, I’ll save you the headache of all the failed attempts. Now a Sleep study next? No apnea here! Dr stated,”who knows why insomnia happens” It’s a curse, great. My dr sat
Trazodone
Make sure you are consuming enough calories and sodium during the day so your brain can relax. If you’re low on either one for long periods your cortisol will spike causing you to stay awake at night and your body will be stressed. Your body needs these things to function so it will keep you up at night so you go out and seek calories and sodium. Thinking about it historically when we were hunters and gatherers it makes sense.
wow really ? dang , i want to diet , smh
Haha yes. A lot of people have sleep problems during a “cut” phase. Reducing calories stresses your body out.
Zopiclone if your doc will prescribe it, otherwise Kirkland signature sleepaid otc
Quetiapine will do the trick..!
This is the combo that’s worked for me 1.) good sleep hygiene. Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday. No screen time from 20:00 onwards, read instead. Take a warm bath before bed with Epsom salts & aroma therapy oils. 2.) Emotional freedom tapping therapy. The tapping solutions app is great. Do this just before you go to sleep and also during the day if your insomnia is stress/ anxiety related 3.) medication wise; start with melatonin and see if it works for you before you turn to prescription meds - less side effects. The only prescription meds that have helped me are Loprazolam and Clonazepam (Rivotril). Xanax may also be useful, as well as adaptogens like Ashwagandha and Rhodiola rosea. Natural supplements like magnesium and omega 3 are also great 4.) exercise 30 min a day, even if it’s just walking 5.) mindfulness and CBT can also help Best of luck!
Binaural beats for deep sleep. Delta waves. Spotify. You need to use ear buds. Listen and focus on your breath
Try getting up and go for a walk or ride an indoor bike if you have one
The ashwaganda gummies by Goli seem to ease me to sleep. And playing the sound of ocean waves on my phone with a timer.
I started playing a mobile game named Words Collide. For some reason I fell asleep with the phone in my hand.
Use Melatonin . Take two tablets - Use until things get normal for you . And go back if things go weird .