What do you do when you can't sleep?
 

I've read many times if you're laying in bed for more than X amount of minutes (don't remember if it was like 15 or 30 minutes) and haven't fallen to sleep yet, then you should get out of bed and do something until you're sleepy. This probably won't help you if you need to wake up early the next day, but you're out of bed trying to get tired until a couple hours before you need to wake up, and then when you do wake up you're tired as fuck, and are like omgwtfbbq.

Anyway, what do you guys do when you can't sleep? I can't sleep right now, and so I'm on here posting about what the fuck I'm doing. Damn sleep/wake cycles. I need an IV of melatonin or some shit. Maybe if someone asked me what super power I could have if I could only have one, I would pick the super power to fall asleep at will, because this is some bullshit. At least I don't have a big test tomorrow, but it has happened before. Man that was some bullshit.

Oh, and any tips on what you do to fall asleep? I've tried those OTC sleeping pills, they don't work, or they take way too fucking long to work. You have to take them pre-emptively and hope for the best. Bullshit!

Laying in bed for about 30-60 minutes before falling asleep is standard fare for me. However if I get frustrated and can't seem to come even slightly close to falling asleep, I'll usually bust out a book - preferably one that isn't intense and gripping so it'll lull me to sleep faster.

Also effective for me: going for a 15-20 minute drive, eating meat or something warm, drinking something warm (chamomile tea, anyone?) or drinking warm milk with a bit of Bailey's mixed in. Alcohol does indeed make me sleepy.

Either attempt to fall asleep or just surf online until I get tired.

I usually watch a TV show or something, or play certain videogames as they tire you out quickly.

I have had some terrible sleeps lately and end up surfing the internet till I think I can sleep.

How does benadryl affect you? It puts me out whether I like it or not about 30 minutes after I take it. Alcohol works for some people but keep in mind that it inhibits you from getting to REM sleep so use it sparingly. As Ayos mentioned chamomile tea is good and milk has tryptophan in it and we all know what that does.

I wank off until I pass out, or make thread after thread on forums until my fingers go numb. Oh wait...

Personally, I just turn on some jazz or some classical music... Eventually that knocks me out.

Either that or hit the punching bag until i'm good and tired.

I had tons of fun with this when I had cases of Insomnia. I haven't really had many cases of that for some time, but I did recently have problems falling asleep. I fixed that by laying in another place for a while, falling asleep, then coming back.

For the problem of thinking about tomorrow being tired, I just think to myself logically that 'It is only one day, I CAN get through it', 'I have had two or less hours a sleep at times before a major exam and did fine', and 'I have gone over forty hours at times iwthout sleep and been able to do what i needed to do'. After that, it helps push though thoughts away.

Some other tricks may include reading books, studying a language, playing a video game, surfing online, and watching T.V.

I often have trouble sleeping.

I found one way to help me go to sleep was to listen to a playlist of quiet music I made. However, it'd work some times but not others.

Nowadays, I usually lie on my side in bed and read an Ebook on my PDA. That way, the lights are already off, and then the moment I get drowsy I just throw the PDA on the table and doze off. Usually takes around 15-20mins before I get sleepy that way.

If anyone was wondering, I am in love with Midna.

This is hot

I do the exact opposite of what I should do, which is to say I hop online and read forums. I don't think I've ever fallen asleep within 30 minutes of hitting the pillow, I just can't do it.

I used to do that, but these days I can't really stand for there to be a lot of noise in the room. I end up listening to it instead of sleeping.

Nobody was wondering.

<3

If I can't sleep I'll usually just make myself a snack of some sort, because I tend to get sleepy after eating. Usually it's a turkey sandwich, because i've heard it has sleep inducing properties (can't attest to this though), but I switch it around a lot.

Reading tedious book such as medical text book,lol.
I hardly have this problem, since I've to wake up early and stay late almost every night. :)

I think it's pretty awesome that your offspring will never read this.

Oh wait, so you don't think I should be bookmarking my posts and having the kids read them before school each morning?

My bad.

Reading is definetly the best sleeping aid in my book, along with alcohol.

However, I find the most important thing for me as far as being able to sleep is that I quit working on whatever it is that I have to do, so as to get my head off of my work and to let it slow down before hitting the pillow.

Of course, durnig exam periods, when I have to study AND hand in large assignements at the same time, I can hardly do this, so in those times I just bite the bullet and lack sleep for a couple of weeks.

I'm hopeless with this since I just lie there like a numbskull, trying to fall asleep. Reading books doesn't do it for me, since turning the lights on and such keeps me awake.

I recently read a tip about how you should tense up every muscle in your body, one by one, until it hurts - and then let go of it all. Apparently, the relaxation somehow leads to mental relaxation. Gotta try it someday.

As for alcohol, taking a whiskey or something also helps me relax, that has done wonders for sleeping. Just one glass, it gives you that warm and relaxed feeling.

I usually have trouble sleeping from time to time. I'm always going between day shit and night shift work. A lot of times I like to put a fan fairly close to where my head is resting. I usually find the slight breeze of cool air relaxes me and helps me sleep.

I have a thunderstorm CD that really does wonders when I have a hard time going to sleep. I usually try to play video games that get me bored fairly easily. Usually that amount of boredom will help me get tired, such as maxing out recipes on Tales Of The Abyss.

I'll agree with Midna, and I don't care, if I can't go to sleep, I actually find when I masturbate it helps me go to sleep easier.

Dude, I use that stuff too. Sounds great on my surround sound too.

I usually don't have trouble falling asleep at all since I'm typically busy and physically active during the day. So by the time it's time for me to sleep, I'm pretty tired by then.

It is kinda weird that you mention that, because whenever I am physically active, even though I am really tired, I still have a hard time getting to sleep.

Hmmmm.... I will have to look into that. Maybe its my diet of sugar that is causing the problem?

I try to stay active, but it makes me tired, so I take a nap in the afternoon, and then I'm not tired when it's time to go to sleep, so my sleep/wake cycle is all screwed up, and it's a bitch trying to reset your circadian biorhythm or whatever the hell it is. Maybe I'll just make an excuse and say like my pineal gland is all fux0red.

My #1 sleeping aid is my diary. After writing a page or two I usually feel extremely sleepy. Yes, my life is so boring. :D