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In Honor Of World Sleep Day, Here Are 30 Tips For Falling Asleep Easily, Shared By Users Of This Online Group
Every morning people who need to go to school, to work or any other commitments wish that they could sleep just for 5 more minutes. Every night we say that tonight we’ll go to bed early so we'll be rested in the morning, but that usually doesn’t happen. But it should, as sleep is very important in order for the human body and mind to function properly.
Sleep deprivation is very common and to spread awareness about its damage, the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society declared the last Friday before the March Equinox as World Sleep Day, first held on 14 March 2008.
This year, World Sleep Day falls on 18 March and to celebrate it properly, it’s obvious we have to have a good night’s sleep. To achieve this goal, Bored Panda went on the internet and picked out the most useful tips for easily falling asleep that are tried out by Reddit users. While personal experience is great advice, we also looked into what the scientists are saying, so you can find that in this article as well.
More info: Reddit part 1 | Reddit part 2 | Reddit part 3
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Don't have children.
More! 3 years ago
Unfortunately it’s illegal to sell your offspring in this country..
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Keerthi Vardhan 3 years ago
For some they dream of kids...for some they're a nightmare. It's a wide range of extreme ranges of personal opinion when it comes to kids. They teach us patience. Sometimes adorable, and sometime they aren't. Not something to discuss over matters of every night's sleep.
More! 3 years ago
I’ve got three teenagers in this ‘Age of the Internet and Entitlement’ and I’ve never been as impatient as I am now.
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Every year, the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society organizes discussions, presentations of educational materials and exhibitions to make people talk about sleep, its importance and the damage that not many people know about if they don’t get those 8 hours a night. This year’s slogan is 'Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World' and if we would like to achieve that, we should follow a few instructions.
RELATED:
#2
1. Undress
2. KEEP YOUR SOCKS ON
3. Go to bed
4. Hate the living f**k out of your socks
5. OMG these socks are so uncomfortable...I wish i could take them off!
6.Don't take off your socks
7. Hate your socks even more
8. And all your other socks too
9. THESE F**KING SOCKS, ARGH!!!
10. After 5 minutes, take off the socks
11. Enjoy bliss
12. Fall asleep like a happy little angel on a cloud of comfort.
If you are one of those people who enjoy sleeping with socks (a.k.a. freaks of nature), just do the same but with socks off first.
Leigh Jones 3 years ago
Feet are the other brain. When your foot needs no sock, soporific bliss is pillow away.
#3
I close my eyes and try to imagine strange and impossible things, the kinds of things that usually happen only in my dreams. Once I'm able to start letting one idea flow seamlessly into another I'm usually already asleep and dreaming.
Dániel Tahin 3 years ago
It works for me. Usually I imagine myself on a very fast motorcycle jumping from roof to roof.
JEON CENA 3 years ago
How can you find sleep with the sound of a motorcycle?
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Jerry Conaway 3 years ago
It's going to sound weird AF, but I find the Xenomorph from "Alien" to be soothing. Imagining a hive of those things is better than counting sheep!
Robin DJW 3 years ago
A variant of this: being read to sleep. If you don't have someone who likes to do that for you (every. single. night.) then put a books-on-tape onto your phone with a 30-min sleep timer. The story takes you some where/some time and off you go. We've been married 23 years, and my SO started doing this for me when I could not drop the squirrel wheel of work stuff. The number of books we've read is astonishing.
Covid and the whole pandemic messed up people’s sleeping habits so the National Health Service or the NHS, which is the public healthcare system in the UK, gives advice on what can help with falling asleep faster and improving the quality of sleep.
They firstly advise you to get into a daily routine and stick to the same sleeping pattern at all times. It is also important to have a nightly routine of winding down and that can include meditation, reading, and most importantly, putting down your phone or your computer.
#4
Replay a book or movie in your head with you as the hero/villain.
Essentially, tell yourself a story.
Agamemnon Padar 3 years ago
Works for me for years. Scenario 1: have landed as navigator with a huge starship on an alien planet 2: living in a fantasy world like lord of the rings. Sitting with a group of companions in an old library while a storm is outside making plans to destroy evil 😁
Madeleine Flowers 3 years ago
I do this a lot, but it doesn't help me fall asleep. I pretty much just read and sit in bed until I fall asleep, for whatever weird reason.
Camilla Koutsos 3 years ago
I just listen to talking books I'm familiar with. The story prevents brain churn, but isn't suspenseful enough to keep you awake.
#5
i got told to build my dream mansion like in sims, i never make it past the 1st floor
Sareaesque 3 years ago
I think it's the focus, it's having your brain that centered on one task that it allows the rest to power down
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Madeleine Flowers 3 years ago
Update: This worked pretty well, or at least it took my mind off of stressing.
#6
My dad told me this when I was a kid and it worked for me. Close your eyes and try to feel like you're melting into the bed.
Warning: may cause sleep paralysis.
Roomba Gloom (No/None) 3 years ago
So they just gonna go ahead and say "may cause sleep paralysis" without any further information??? F...
Sometimes people really want to go to sleep because their bodies are tired, but their minds are running on full power. It often is caused by anxiety and worries we have, and it is especially relevant now because the pandemic isn’t even over, and on top of that, the war in Ukraine doesn’t seem to have an end.
The NHS thinks that the most important thing while dealing with these unwanted emotions is to recognize them, challenge them and try to find something to replace them with, “By catching the thought, checking it, and seeing if you can change it, with practice, you can help break the negative cycle.”
#7
The best advice I ever got for falling asleep is to only use your bed for sleeping. Your brain will learn to associate laying in bed with sleep and you'll be conditioned Pavlov-style to conk out shortly after you lay down. If you currently hang out in your bed during the day reading, playing video games, etc try not doing that for awhile and see what changes.
Number 5 3 years ago
Well, I guess kudos if it works for this person. I'm the type of person who feels sleepy and awake at the wrong times no matter what I do and nighttime tends to be when my thoughts won't shut up.
#8
Close my eyes and focus only on my breathing. Certified one way ticket to Zzz land
Curry on... 3 years ago
That's pretty much what I do. I take in deep slow breaths and before I know it, it's the next day.
Madeleine Flowers 3 years ago
This did help to calm me down, but then I got distracted all over again.
Try to avoid “having caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or a big meal too close to bedtime” because they can prevent deep sleep and can make it harder to fall asleep. The NHS suggests that regular exercise helps with normalizing your sleep but just be careful about doing anything intense before bedtime as for some people it might have an opposite effect.
The environment in which you sleep also can impact the quality of sleep and the time you fall asleep. It’s best to keep the room not too hot, dark and quiet. If that doesn’t help, you might want to adjust and maybe listen to an audiobook, have a night lamp or have another layer on you. Also, “wearing earplugs, putting your phone on silent and face down (or out of the room entirely), keeping clocks out of view and making sure the room is well ventilated can all make a big difference.”
#9
Can't stress how much a good mattress makes a difference. Even when I wasn't earning too much, it was the best investment I made. Also reducing any stimulants close to bed such as sugar and caffeine.
Kindlovinghumble 3 years ago
Amen to this! When you have a lumpy or uncomfortable mattress your body feels it even subconsciously making it so you don't/won't sleep as good. Mattresses are expensive but remember you spend something like 25+ of your life sleeping so it's worth it! (Plus even more TRYING to fall asleep)
Eat Dirt Crow 3 years ago
One could make the argument that it's a piece of furniture that you really only use when you're unconscious. And that you really won't know if it's uncomfortable until you wake up. This cycle can't be accomplished in a mattress store(at least without making the salesman feel awkward) and if you CAN complete this cycle in a mattress store then you don't have trouble sleeping and the mattress doesn't matter.
over it already 3 years ago
I wholly agree, but also check the box spring if you have one. Last time I bought a new mattress, I saw the main board to support the middle of the bed was split in two (likely due to a child or 3 jumping on the bed when I wasn't looking) & that's why it was sagging & left me sore. Mattress was old enough to warrant replacing but I could have braced/replaced that board and gotten more life out of it.
#10
reading a book
The Alchemist 3 years ago
But then suddenly it's 3:27 A.M and you have no idea how that happened
Risali Thiranya 3 years ago
This is definitely for people who dont enjoy reading... I, on the other hand, binge-read chapters like ya'll binge-watch netflix
#11
I think the biggest thing for me falling asleep when I couldn't was to not fight it. I would just let myself get up, walk around, do whatever I wanted to do/felt stressed about and then slept after.
I found that I ended up sleeping faster, and better, once I got things off my mind.
Ed Brandon 3 years ago
I think a "reset" - get up, do something else for a bit - then try again is a good idea. But stressing about something that keeps you awake is usually precisely because you can't actually do anything about it in that moment.
Doug Fuidge 3 years ago
100% agree with this! Forcing yourself to sleep or stressing about not getting enough, whilst easier said than done, will stop you sleeping! I think the average person falls asleep between 8&15mins of getting into bed. If it hasn't happened, get up, take a break from trying and then start night time process again.
Madeleine Flowers 3 years ago
Well, I'm a kid, and my family has rules. If I'm worried about schoolwork, then there's nothing I can really do other than plan things out in my head. Most of the time I'm stressed thinking I have a blood clot, or cancer, or something that I almost definitely don't have. Then I just read and eventually I get tired enough that I just close the book and fall asleep.
Brandy Grote 3 years ago (edited)
Yep. Although if I had a lot on my mind and racing thoughts, I would tell my brain "if you aren't going to give my body the energy RIGHT NOW to do these things, shut up." Quiet mind, sleepy me!
The last thing that the NHS points out is that if you are lying in bed with eyes wide open and don’t feel sleepy at all, it’s best to get up and do something relaxing such as reading a book or listening to calm, quiet music until you feel sleepier.
We would like to know if you have ever tried out any of the methods mentioned by redditors or by the NHS specialists. Maybe you have some tricks of your own? Let us know in the comments!
#12
No caffeine in the afternoon.
No screen time after 9 (or a couple hours before you want to go to sleep).
Exercise during the day.
If all else fails, NyQuil and weed.
ZenChickChristine 3 years ago
For anyone with substance use disorders, switch it to melatonin in that last sentence.
#13
I do a little writing in order to get any negative feelings out of my mind and onto paper. Then I pick a book (paper, not e-book) and read until I start nodding off. Works every time.
Marco Conti 3 years ago
I don't understand the "no e-book" rule. I have been using some kind of e-reader for 15 years and I am really happy with it. My wife is even happier as my book light and the noise of turning pages used to keep her up, while my iPad in dark mode is much less disruptive and easier to read.
Kindlovinghumble 3 years ago
When my twins were little, I'd always darken the room, play the same lullaby music very quietly and then read them a bedtime book. To this day if I turn that music on, or read that particular book they immediately get sleepy. It's crazy!
Rachel Ainsworth 3 years ago
When work is busy and I can't stop thinking about it, I find it helps to write a to do list for tomorrow.
#14
At night, put your phone on a charger outside your bedroom. This 1) keeps you from staying up all night on your phone and 2) makes you get up in the morning to turn off the alarm.
Thomas Sweda 3 years ago
I can’t do that . I have a hard wired phone. Does this mean I’ll never be able to fall asleep?
#15
I find it much easier if I'm physically tired, so I guess do some strenuous exercise during the day and take it from there
#16
Slowly count backwards from 100. Chances are you'll get tired by 50..
Qibli of the SandWings 3 years ago (edited)
Agreed. I’m in class and I almost nodded off at 60 lol
Load More Replies... Mr. Jones 3 years ago
I found counting backwards from 100 in threes worked until I had the pattern memorized.
Lauren 3 years ago
Start at 300. Works almost 100% of the time for me. If I make it to zero, I start again.
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Madeleine Flowers 3 years ago
I think counting down made me anxious, and my mind kept wandering. Not super helpful.
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𝖊𝖆 3 years ago
Doesn’t work, I count back from 1000 and often make it to 0 and have to start again ):
Qibli of the SandWings 3 years ago
Then I think you have a sleep disorder :/
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#17
I think the big thing for me was to get into a habit and doing the same thing. Being in front of a screen like my cell phone never really bothered me in terms of being able to fall asleep so I will usually be in bed on it for a while. What really does it for me is that I sleep with ear plugs. I can be awake, reading, talking to the GF, etc, but once I put my ear plugs in it's like my body knows it's sleepy time.
Ed Brandon 3 years ago
Also not fun with tinnitus, and makes it worse. Also totally pointless if there's no noise anyway.
Suutashi 3 years ago (edited)
Noise canceling earbuds or headphones are a good alternative. There is a special brand of earbuds called Sleeper that are specifically designed to be worn while sleeping. If you do go this route make sure to have whatever device it is plugged into with the screen dimmed as dark as possible and have it set to do not disturb mode.
Kathi Schäffer 3 years ago
My problem with this is that I don't hear my alarm that way and then I'm late for work the next day 😂
#18
Stop browsing reddit for one
buttonpusher 3 years ago
Only time I'm on it is if I'm stuck in a game somewhere and it's one of the first links to come up in search. Other than that I avoid it, it's a cess pit.
John L 3 years ago
Yeah, using a computer before bed is a sure way to insomnia. Something about the "blue light" computer screens emit.
#19
Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day and avoid stimulants or alcohol.
Barring that, diphenhydramine.
Madeleine Flowers 3 years ago
I fall asleep sometime between 9:45 and 12:15. I don't have a schedule. I have my brain, and it does not like the prospect of good sleep.
Amanda Reicha 3 years ago
Would be nice if my circadian rhythm wasn't messed up. Having a type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder prevents a regular sleep schedule (seizures and anxiety attacks don't help). I envy those who can have such a strict schedule
#20
An hour before bed, take a shower and dry yourself with a fluffy towel. (Note: from this point onward, NO SCREENS) Sniff a bit of lavender essential oil. Otherwise, another soft-smelling scent will do. Small amounts! Don't wanna overstimulate. Go lie in bed, notice your body and relax it one muscle at a time, all the way to your neck, jaw, lips, eyes. Breathe. Like, a lot. Not fast and crazy, but just pay attention to your breath for a while as you continue to relax. Zzz.
Kindlovinghumble 3 years ago
A sleep doctor said this same thing. Also, imagine going over one part of your body at a time, starting with your head, eyes, then work down and relax each part in your mind. You won't believe how tense some parts were when you do this.
memyselfandI 3 years ago
And five minutes into that meditation routine, the thought dam breaks and I have to go plan seven different life paths and a few conversations that will never happen.
#21
I just let my mind wander. I try to focus on visual things rather than my internal dialogue just because I feel like talking in my head will keep me awake.
Squishmar 3 years ago
I kind of do the opposite of this. I try to focus my mind on making lists... sometimes by rhyming words, say, words that end with "a t." At, Bat, Brat, Cat, Chat, etc.... Through the alphabet but I hardly ever make it past g or so. Lately, I've been going through the alphabet and naming a food and a one-word-titled movie or tv show that begins with each letter.... (A is for artichoke and Argo... Or Amelie or Amistad....) I'm falling asleep already....
#22
Pull out one of my college textbooks that I should be reading and my eyes will instantly start feeling heavy.
#23
For me the solution is to just close my eyes and don’t move. After a few minutes I “automatically” fall asleep. Music often helps, as your brain has something to occupy itself with.
Kindlovinghumble 3 years ago
I remember in college I stayed at a friends place w/ some of my girl friends. We all crashed in the same room. All of a sudden at 7am we hear waves crashing (not a big deal, kinda soothing) but then freaking WHALE sounds! My friend had one of those sound soothing things (they had JUST come out) and that was her alarm! Apparently doesn't work well bc She was dead asleep while the rest of us were dying laughing bc the whale sounds were hilarious!
Ed Brandon 3 years ago
"Close your eyes and don't move" if you want to sleep is possibly the most stupid advice I have ever heard. What does the author think people are doing when they can't sleep - dancing the can-can with their eyes wide open?? 😂 Unbelievable.
Yoga Kitty 3 years ago
You would be surprised how much you really move without realiding - if you really focus on it anf try to lay completely still for some time it might actually help.
Load More Replies... Arthur Waite 3 years ago
Music is very useful - I have a radio with a countdown-timer. I'll set the timer to 60 minutes, the station to Jazz-FM (Ontario), and lie down. Hardly ever hear the timer shut off. The downside - when I'm listening to jazz during the day, I sometimes doze off. Seems I've Pavlov'ed my mind.
#24
Try to stay awake. Reverse psychology.
Aliquid 3 years ago
actually I have used this to trick children into falling asleep MANY times
Load More Replies... Aliquid 3 years ago
I use this, but slightly different. I don't TRY to stay awake, I just accept that I won't fall asleep. I come to terms with it. So my thought is "I know I'm not going to fall asleep, and I won't let that bother me. But I need rest, so I'm just going to lie in bed and relax. Daydream, or listen to quiet music... etc. That way at least I get some rest." -- And I end up falling asleep. But even if I don't, that's ok.
Chinmayee Kalghatgi 3 years ago
Have you tried reverse psychology on me? When i say sleep i dont sleep and when i say no sleep i dont sleep
#25
Sleep With Me Podcast
Bean Sprout 3 years ago
Sleep with Me app was great until the ads started. I don't want the subliminal effects.
Joe Reaves 3 years ago
Also - Get Sleepy, Sleepy Time Tales, Nothing Much Happens. I couldn't get on with Sleep With Me, something about the narrator's voice bugged mem but those three work very well for me.
#26
Drink a glass of milk before you go to bed. My friend did a science fair project on it in middle school (according to her research it works!)
#27
No electronics or screens about an hour before laying down.
Kindlovinghumble 3 years ago
I will say, this one is so true! We have a tv in our armoire in our room. I hate when I come to bed and see the doors open bc I know my husband is getting ready to watch tv. I'm not a bedroom tv person but he is. I sleep better bc I don't watch it while he does and he tosses and turns most every night.
#28
Meditating is a good way to both clear or strength the mind against wondering before bed. It's hard at first but gets easier over time. If you can also simulate the feeling of drifting off to sleep in your mind..the feeling you get when you're really tired and just can't help but fall sleep sitting at your computer, you kind of focus on that feeling and let it take you away and you're out.
Mary Jeffries 3 years ago
There are some great guided meditations that really help me fall asleep.
Mary Rogers 3 years ago
Yoga Nidra, which isn't exercise but rather a type of guided meditation that can put you to sleep. Insight Timer is a great app for finding just about any type of guided meditation.
Load More Replies... #29
Try to exert yourself throughout the day. For e.g. take stairs instead of an elevator. Do those things in such a way that you don't waste your work time. Go for a run in the morning and play or go for a run after you get from work. Basically get tired at the end of the day. That way the exercise is better for your health and you will get the best sleep of your life.
Richard Chesher 3 years ago
The very best technique is a trick I got from an episode of the Mentalist. Lie down, close your eyes, concentrate on your breathing. When you breathe in think One. When you breathe out think Two. You'll be sound asleep very quickly.
phil blanque 3 years ago
I tell myself stories in my head. Then one day I realized these stories are really good! So I wrote them down and sent them to a publisher, and they loved it! They are going to publish it and there is talk of a movie deal!!!.....Wait a moment...I must be dreaming....finally asleep.
Eat Dirt Crow 3 years ago
A physically demanding job helps, too. Sometimes when I get home from work, especially during the summer, I barely have the energy to take off my boots.
#30
Quit caffeine.
I did about a year ago and rarely have sleepless/bad nights anymore. I mean, I have medications and therapy for bipolar which is tied to insomnia as well, and I'm sure those are helping.
But those were helping other aspects of my life for years and still I'd go days and days without real sleep.
Quitting caffeine made all the difference in the world.
Mama Penguin 3 years ago
I need some coffee in the morning. But I limit myself to one cup a day.
YourWorstNightmare 3 years ago
Thats because its a stimulant. But please tell me what to do if my stimulants are prescribed.
Lara Kashdan Stolzberg 3 years ago
THIS!!! I didn't quit completely but only have in the morning. NEVER have any past noon. I can't tell you how often I hear sob stories about insomnia from big caffeine drinkers. I say, "stop having any after noon, and limit morning intake." 99% of the time they answer with, "oh no! Caffeine doesn't effect ME like that. It's something else." (Note: it is the caffeine - I speak from experience (including the argument it wasn't the caffeine))
#31
I listen to ASMR. I usually end up passing out 15 minutes in.
Ham Explosion 3 years ago
You... you know... you know asmr is disgusting and even bad for you sometimes...
#32
Throw on some Futurama, lower the volume until you can just barely hear it, and then close your eyes.
#33
Join the military? Seemed to work wonders for some of those I work along side with.
Marco Conti 3 years ago
Soldiers can fall asleep anywhere. I fell asleep standing up more than once., Back in civilian life I had to go back to using tricks. My current one is to listen to 1 h to 2hh long lectures. I know it takes me 1/2 hour to go to sleep, so the next night I listen to the same lecture and forward it to 30 min. and so on. Works like a charm and I learn a lot.
Amanda Nolting 3 years ago
I'd agree with this one. Everyone I've ever known in the military or who has been in the military can fall asleep in seconds anywhere. They get conditioned to sleep whenever they can. I'm extremely jealous of it.
Chich 3 years ago
Why stand when you can kneel, why kneel when you can sit, why sit when you can lie down. Two things I learned: a) how to drop off to sleep at a moments notice because you didn't know when you'd next get the chance and, b) always carry a spoon as food could appear at any time so you best be ready :)
#35
pray, knocks you out almost instantly
Ed Brandon 3 years ago
Pray for sleep, or just generally? What do I do with my other two wishes?
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Mr. Jones 3 years ago
I used to have really bad bouts of insomnia. And when it happened, it would raise my anxiety levels and I would stress out and toss and turn all night. Then one night it dawned on me that even if I could not sleep, no one was expecting me to be anywhere but in my bed. So even if I couldn't sleep I wasn't obligated to anyone or anything during that time. Now if I can't sleep, I just lie in bed and enjoy the solace and usually that ends up putting me to sleep.
Aliquid 3 years ago
I would have to say "Shut up" to all the people who say "I just do this, and it works"... good for you, aren't you special. If you find it easy to fall asleep, then you can't relate to or help those who have a hard time. The posts that are helpful are from people with the message of "I used to struggle falling asleep, but this helped".
Amanda Reicha 3 years ago
Yeah. I have a circadian rhythm disorder, seizures, and anxiety attacks that show up at random. I can't keep any type of set schedule, especially sleep. I need to listen to music or books to prevent night time seizure triggers. Exertion from daily activities done too quickly or being too active in a day can trigger a seizure or anxiety attack. I will listen to someone who's been through what I deal with medically on a daily basis and says they have found a way to sleep better.
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Anapv 3 years ago
Listening to a soothing story read on youtube helps me relax and usually I don't get to hear the end of it.
Nugget 3 years ago
I love listening to audiobooks and podcasts to sleep,but sometimes I have to turn them off because they're too interesting lol
Load More Replies... codeMonkey 3 years ago
Something that I came up with recently that worked was start counting to 10 like you would normally. then for 11-20, start counting a little slower. Then from 21-30 count slower still, and so on. Most of the time I am out before I reach 50.
Number 5 3 years ago
A lot of these suggestions seem to be way to specific to the individual person who suggested them. It's extremely frustrating having sleeping sleeping issues and figuring out what works best for you. I was really surprised the Melatonin does work in making me feel tired faster. The sleepiness kicks in 90% of the time within an hour of taking it. It does not keep me asleep the entire night but I do actually get more sleep. Melatonin is very hit or miss but I would say give it a go if you haven't.
Mary Rogers 3 years ago
You might want to try a time released form of melatonin to keep you asleep at night.
Load More Replies... Lousha 3 years ago
I was very stressed and unhappy from early childhood up to my early 30s. A few specific incidents in high school made things a hundred times worse and from then on I just couldn't sleep. Often I was up until 5 in the morning, finally dozed off, then had to get up at 6. At first nothing really helped. Then I had a moderate success by telling myself a story. Something cheesy, sweet, that often made me fall asleep. Later I couldn't sleep in the dark and in full silence, but also couldn't have anything on that would make me concentrate on words or rhythm. So I listened to either nature noises like wind of sea, or put on Piglet the Hero with a low volume. (By this time I was getting close to 30.) I never found out what happened after 5-10 minutes in that movie, it was great! But even if I managed to fall asleep I woke up lots of times at night. What eventually solved my insomnia was finding a solution to my financial issues, paying off all debts, then later meeting my partner.
Lousha 3 years ago
Since he's next to me at night I don't need a light, I don't need silence (he snores), and I sleep like I was hit in the head with an anvil. He knows how much I struggled, we spent lots of night chatting online before we became a couple because I couldn't sleep and he did all he could to stay up with me. Sometimes we just watched the same movie, started at the same time, and just wrote a few lines from time to time like "wow, that was funny" , "I can't believe they did that!" . Once we were together it made him really happy to see me sleep like a rock. Nowadays the few very rare nights when I can't sleep because I'm excited about something (like planting time is coming and I'm anxious to start gardening) I choose a word, then try to find one that starts with the letter the first one ended, and so on. Like "bird" , "dead" , "dandelion" , "nurse" , "elegant" etc. That stops me obsessing over plans and thoughts, and puts me to sleep in minutes.
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Daune Tullina 3 years ago (edited)
I used to count but now I pick a vowel and consonant like 'at' and start at the beginning of the alphabet and make word. Bat, cat, fat etc. I'm usually alseep by the time I hut m
Squishmar 3 years ago
I literally have this same example above! I've done this so many times though that I now started going through the alphabet and naming a food and a one-word-titled movie or tv show. "A": Artichoke; "Alien," "Argo," "Amelie," etc....
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John King 3 years ago
Thinking pr fantasizing about impossible things(magic, being king, ect) works miracles. So long as you don't fight your own thought process and if your own imagination takes a turn on you(it will) let it be. Just wiggle in a thought that saves you and you'll be passed out in no time.
just me 3 years ago
I would have trouble because my mind wouldn't slow down or shut up. Not anxiety, just activity. I started playing solitaire and doing sudoku on my phone (I know, no screens, but it helps me, and I have night mode on). Once my brain is occupied with something concrete and focused it can't keep running around on me and I start having trouble keeping my eyes open.
Mr. Jones 3 years ago
I used to have really bad bouts of insomnia. And when it happened, it would raise my anxiety levels and I would stress out and toss and turn all night. Then one night it dawned on me that even if I could not sleep, no one was expecting me to be anywhere but in my bed. So even if I couldn't sleep I wasn't obligated to anyone or anything during that time. Now if I can't sleep, I just lie in bed and enjoy the solace and usually that ends up putting me to sleep.
Aliquid 3 years ago
I would have to say "Shut up" to all the people who say "I just do this, and it works"... good for you, aren't you special. If you find it easy to fall asleep, then you can't relate to or help those who have a hard time. The posts that are helpful are from people with the message of "I used to struggle falling asleep, but this helped".
Amanda Reicha 3 years ago
Yeah. I have a circadian rhythm disorder, seizures, and anxiety attacks that show up at random. I can't keep any type of set schedule, especially sleep. I need to listen to music or books to prevent night time seizure triggers. Exertion from daily activities done too quickly or being too active in a day can trigger a seizure or anxiety attack. I will listen to someone who's been through what I deal with medically on a daily basis and says they have found a way to sleep better.
Load More Replies... Anapv 3 years ago
Listening to a soothing story read on youtube helps me relax and usually I don't get to hear the end of it.
Nugget 3 years ago
I love listening to audiobooks and podcasts to sleep,but sometimes I have to turn them off because they're too interesting lol
Load More Replies... codeMonkey 3 years ago
Something that I came up with recently that worked was start counting to 10 like you would normally. then for 11-20, start counting a little slower. Then from 21-30 count slower still, and so on. Most of the time I am out before I reach 50.
Number 5 3 years ago
A lot of these suggestions seem to be way to specific to the individual person who suggested them. It's extremely frustrating having sleeping sleeping issues and figuring out what works best for you. I was really surprised the Melatonin does work in making me feel tired faster. The sleepiness kicks in 90% of the time within an hour of taking it. It does not keep me asleep the entire night but I do actually get more sleep. Melatonin is very hit or miss but I would say give it a go if you haven't.
Mary Rogers 3 years ago
You might want to try a time released form of melatonin to keep you asleep at night.
Load More Replies... Lousha 3 years ago
I was very stressed and unhappy from early childhood up to my early 30s. A few specific incidents in high school made things a hundred times worse and from then on I just couldn't sleep. Often I was up until 5 in the morning, finally dozed off, then had to get up at 6. At first nothing really helped. Then I had a moderate success by telling myself a story. Something cheesy, sweet, that often made me fall asleep. Later I couldn't sleep in the dark and in full silence, but also couldn't have anything on that would make me concentrate on words or rhythm. So I listened to either nature noises like wind of sea, or put on Piglet the Hero with a low volume. (By this time I was getting close to 30.) I never found out what happened after 5-10 minutes in that movie, it was great! But even if I managed to fall asleep I woke up lots of times at night. What eventually solved my insomnia was finding a solution to my financial issues, paying off all debts, then later meeting my partner.
Lousha 3 years ago
Since he's next to me at night I don't need a light, I don't need silence (he snores), and I sleep like I was hit in the head with an anvil. He knows how much I struggled, we spent lots of night chatting online before we became a couple because I couldn't sleep and he did all he could to stay up with me. Sometimes we just watched the same movie, started at the same time, and just wrote a few lines from time to time like "wow, that was funny" , "I can't believe they did that!" . Once we were together it made him really happy to see me sleep like a rock. Nowadays the few very rare nights when I can't sleep because I'm excited about something (like planting time is coming and I'm anxious to start gardening) I choose a word, then try to find one that starts with the letter the first one ended, and so on. Like "bird" , "dead" , "dandelion" , "nurse" , "elegant" etc. That stops me obsessing over plans and thoughts, and puts me to sleep in minutes.
Load More Replies... Daune Tullina 3 years ago (edited)
I used to count but now I pick a vowel and consonant like 'at' and start at the beginning of the alphabet and make word. Bat, cat, fat etc. I'm usually alseep by the time I hut m
Squishmar 3 years ago
I literally have this same example above! I've done this so many times though that I now started going through the alphabet and naming a food and a one-word-titled movie or tv show. "A": Artichoke; "Alien," "Argo," "Amelie," etc....
Load More Replies... John King 3 years ago
Thinking pr fantasizing about impossible things(magic, being king, ect) works miracles. So long as you don't fight your own thought process and if your own imagination takes a turn on you(it will) let it be. Just wiggle in a thought that saves you and you'll be passed out in no time.
just me 3 years ago
I would have trouble because my mind wouldn't slow down or shut up. Not anxiety, just activity. I started playing solitaire and doing sudoku on my phone (I know, no screens, but it helps me, and I have night mode on). Once my brain is occupied with something concrete and focused it can't keep running around on me and I start having trouble keeping my eyes open.
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