What do you do when you can't sleep?

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mitch1971 said:
Coldness is the key to sleep. Your brain needs to drop it's temperature a few degrees for fast sleep. (It's why we turn our pillow over to feel the cold on our heads) Make sure you room is cold enough before you get into bed. Ten minutes and you'll be 'lights out'.
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This.

Also, around an hour or a bit more than an hour before bed, turn your alarms on and all that and then get ready for bed. Pick up a book and just read and enjoy it.

I got into books doing this because I'm on my phone pretty much all day for business, this gives me some down time.

Also, get a PHYSICAL book, not a kindle.

Then once you start noticing your eyes getting tired, close the book and fall asleep.
 
EviLore said:
See sunlight in the morning, work out for at least one hour during the day, be worn out physically by nighttime. No caffeine after 12pm.
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Came here to post this. A lot of people (myself included) think caffeine doesn't affect them enough to give any troubles with sleeping but you'll feel a big difference (though my cut-off is 5-6pm, i like having a single espresso after dinner).

Working out doesn't even have to be at the gym. You can run, bike, walk, or even thoroughly clean your room/house. I personally like to do groceries on foot after work. Meaning I'll have to carry two big bags around for 30-40 minutes. I don't think it's all about your body needing to be absolutely exhausted in order to sleep. Your mind needs a catalyst too. Laying in bed knowing you've done something productive and important that day works wonders.

Edit: And as others have pointed out: A cold(er) sleeping environment. I bought an AC just for this. Makes my room a steady 18 degrees celsius from 10:30 pm till 3 am (shits expensive on the energy bill)
 
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Generally I just read. Most of the time it works, unless I fuck up and I'm reading some sort of fun fantasy/sci fi novel and suddenly it has been 2 hours, I've read 4 chapters and I can't sleep because a character just died and the war is about to be lost and I can't just stop there without knowing what happens next.


Z O N E said:
This.

Also, around an hour or a bit more than an hour before bed, turn your alarms on and all that and then get ready for bed. Pick up a book and just read and enjoy it.

I got into books doing this because I'm on my phone pretty much all day for business, this gives me some down time.

Also, get a PHYSICAL book, not a kindle.

Then once you start noticing your eyes getting tired, close the book and fall asleep.
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I actually prefer the Kindle when I'm reading to fall asleep. I set the backlight to the lowest setting which still lets you read comfortably in a pitch dark room but emits way less light than sort of reading light and/or nightstand lamp.
 
Fbh said:
I actually prefer the Kindle when I'm reading to fall asleep. I set the backlight to the lowest setting which still lets you read comfortably in a pitch dark room but emits way less light than sort of reading light and/or nightstand lamp.
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I think for me it's more about the mental part of it. Cause to me I'm still using a device and reading from an actual book can held my brain differentiate from a device to a book.

But books in general are a great way to just tire yourself out. Just read slowly, enjoy a bit and then your body should naturally just start feeling sleepier.

Also OP, what EviLore EviLore said.

Don't drink caffeine after 12pm (I stopped drinking caffeine when I was 19 when I realised it was making my days sluggish). Wear your body out so by the time it's the evening, your body should naturally be low on energy and tired.

Also, a consistent schedule is key. I always wake up at 6:30am. Then I have the entire day to do what I need. Even if I'm not working, I still wake up at 6:30am and have the entire day to do anything. My body will naturally get tired enough late in the evening and I can easily pass out.
 
If I can't sleep after two or three hours I take a little Zolpidem.

That does the job. But I wake up in the morning like I took a beating. So I try not to do that..
 
Just FYI: melatonin is what your body naturally produces to control the wake-sleep cycle. IMO way better than anything prescribed or man-made substitutes. I've never had any issues or side effects, you may need to try a few nights/doses to find what works for you.
 
Picture yourself having survived a plane crash in a little Cessna in the North American wilderness. On your way down you saw an abandoned tiny little log cabin on the side of a mountain. With your backpack you struggle through the cold snow storm and manage to find the cabin. You are thoroughly chilled, but there's firewood in a crate outside so you take it and lit a warming fire in the little firestove inside. As you hear the crackling fire you drag your exhausted body to the bed in the corner and pull the blanket over yourself. As you lay there snug with long johns and thick wool socks the first hint of warmth comes over you. You have plenty of food in the backpack and you can boil snow later with the dusty pot on the table. The snow storm intensifies and you can hear the walls creak, but it's a sturdy cabin so you'll be safe from the elements.

That's pretty much what I do and it's very cozy.
 
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Play computer games, so that I don't sleep at all.

Eventually, exhaustion gets the better of you and you just collapse into a deep sleep.

⚠️ Don't do this if you are going to be operating machinery of any kind while having not slept.
 
Listen to some music, read a book. Light some incense. Meditate. Stay away from games or movies. And definitely don't doomscroll X or whatever.

Keep in mind that even when you're not sleeping, your body is still resting. It's never a total loss when you're in bed.
 
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Melatonin - 2.5 mg is my sweet spot. The recommended 5 mg dosage gives me really vivid nightmares and has me feeling like I'm still sleepy the next morning. Half that, my eyes get heavy an hour later and I'm out cold.
 
Trilobit said:
That's pretty much what I do and it's very cozy.
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Yeah I'll do this sometimes if I'm having trouble falling asleep, create cozy 'mind spaces' and just inhabit them for a while, usually just transitions to kind a dreamlike state then I'm zonked. Doesn't always work right away, but it definitely helps.
 
being physically tired is so important. also, reading helps a lot to fall asleep from the mental stimulation.
 
MastAndo said:
Melatonin - 2.5 mg is my sweet spot. The recommended 5 mg dosage gives me really vivid nightmares and has me feeling like I'm still sleepy the next morning. Half that, my eyes get heavy an hour later and I'm out cold.
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I was the same, the brand I get has 1-5 chewable pills as a dosage. I tried 1, nothing at all. I tried 5 and I was out past my alarm and felt really groggy the next half day. Finally I settled on 3 and within 40 minutes my eyelids get heavy and by the time I've felt that I'm out until my alarm rings and I wake up "clean".

These days I might have melatonin once or twice a week, I have restless legs syndrome, no matter how much exercise I get. When I need to sleep this is my go to. Every weekday I exercise and cut out sugar/caffeine from dinner time. I also pretty much wake and sleep at similar times each day.
 
I love playing chess but watching chess content on YouTube while trying to sleep is literally like taking a sleeping pill, so I just watch a little of that and I passout
 
Coma eat yourself. Not kidding, eat large amounts of food and u will go automatically into sleep mode after that quick.
 
I suffer insomnia not chronic but about every 6-months it'll come back for 1-month. It was much worse in my teens. Anyway, depends on what's causing sleep loss. If not insomnia:

- No blue screens (TVs, cell phones, Steamdeck et al ) before sleeping or in the room you sleep in. The room you sleep in should only be associated with sleep...and other fun stuff which is a different topic.
- No caffeine
- Don't drink too many liquids. If you're struggling to stay asleep; having to get up to take a leak can make it hard to fall back asleep or cause maintenance insomnia if this is weekly.
- No alcohol (which isn't good for you in the first place)


Many 'no's' but here's what you can do that helps:

1. Use natural melatonin and low dosage. Like 3mgs or less. 5 is a lot, even if it's all natural.
2. Products with eucalyptus tend to calm the brain down
3. If it's warm, lite bed coverings. Cold, down comforters.
4. Comfortable clothing helps and maybe a shower an hour or two prior.
5. READING really calms one down to sleep. Then again, I wouldn't read something too dramatic if you have a wild imagination.
6. Keep a clean room and fixed bed. Something about having everything tidy is certainly more welcoming to sleep than having everything a mess.
7. Some recommend nature sound generators or relaxing music. This doesn't work for everyone.

I suffer from maintenance insomnia and use some extras if there's a lot of difficulty:

1. Doxylamine Succinate (Unisom) 1/4 tablet only once or twice a week and check with a doctor. It's OTC but does have a half-life.
2. Melatonin spray
3. Marpac Dohm white noise generator
4. Running the tower fan on a lower speed
5. Blackout curtains with corner binders


No matter how bad it is. Unless it's really serious and you've been to multiple doctors; try to avoid ever taking prescription sleep aids. They can come with a number of bad side effects and tend to have some type of dependency. Prescription sleep meds are never actually treating the cause of your sleep loss either. They're typically just to knock you out but the body will begin to tolerate most. Best to find a sleep therapist to seek natural means if it's something beyond public discussion causing sleep loss.
 
Relax.. tell my monkey brain to shut up and take a breath.

Then I tell it again to shut up, and take a breath.

And again.

Though, on bad days, 0.5 gr melatonin puts me to sleep. Though, I wake up and want to continue sleeping.

But mainly, it is about telling my idiot brain to take a breath and shut the fuck up.
 
Take L-Theanine and Melatonin.

But THE best way to make sure I sleep well is to work out for at least an hour during the day. No medications or routines I've tried have led to as much deep and restorative sleep as that.
 
Turn on Ambient or space dreams radio station and relaxing YouTube podcast on low in the background, do it for me most of the time.
 
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Solarstrike said:
Trazadone. Nothing worked for me, tried everything. That shit works, I'm on 100mg 1 tab at bedtime. Guaranteed it will help you sleep, might need to cut it in half. Ask your doctor they'll help you. And of course the other comments in here from EviLore EviLore Happosai Happosai W WhatDidHeSay? kvltus lvlzvs kvltus lvlzvs Z Z O N E rapid32.5 rapid32.5 will help if you do not want to use medication.
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I was tagged so I'll comment. In 2007, I suffered an extremely bad case of insomnia and didn't sleep for over 4-days. It was a last resort for my doctor then to put me on trazadone. For those who don't know, trazadone was formerly an anti-depressant which got pulled quickly after a case where a patient passed out while driving.

It's a knockout drug and it's dangerous. The halflife alone says you shouldn't drive at least a day after using. Doctor probably also told you that the you take this if you're being treated in home and not self commuting. Also duration is 1-2 weeks before tapering and cutting it off. The body should sleep naturally after that unless you suffer something else like PTSD.

Be careful and make sure you're in your bed when you take it. 10-15 minutes to kick in and you won't even be able to walk. That's how strong 100mgs is.
 
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Happosai said:
The halflife alone says you shouldn't drive at least a day after using. Doctor probably also told you that the you take this if you're being treated in home and not self commuting. Also duration is 1-2 weeks before tapering and cutting it off. The body should sleep naturally after that unless you suffer something else like PTSD.
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I'm sorry you had insomnia. Four days is wow, yeah that's rough. Yes, I do not commute much as i usually call a drive service (doctors mainly). I'm on 21 different kinds of medications. Trazadone is powerful stuff. I don't take it everyday just nights where I can't seem to fall asleep.
 
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Solarstrike said:
I'm sorry you had insomnia. Four days is wow, yeah that's rough. Yes, I do not commute much as i usually call a drive service (doctors mainly). I'm on 21 different kinds of medications. Trazadone is powerful stuff. I don't take it everyday just nights where I can't seem to fall asleep.
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It's something many members here have suffered from too. My worst cases of insomnia were in the 2000s as mentioned and were largely the result of anti-depressants I'd been prescribed during my college years. I'm off all prescription meds today but it took a lot of support and work to get there. Not something one can do themselves without medical advise or a plan. The 4-days was the result of withdrawal from a medication (Lexapro if I remember correctly) and I've had G.A.D. most of my life which was an underlying cause.

Back to Trazadone, you'd need to follow dosage and usage from a license MD or specialized psychiatrist which isn't far off. The cause of issues vary which is why I can't give a precise formula to anyone unless I knew what the source is. For instance, if your sleep loss was caused by apnea; you'd first want to enroll in a sleep clinic (check if it's covered by your insurance) and go from there before even touching prescription meds. Insomnia if mild can be treated naturally depending on the cause. Trazadone as I posted previously is usually a last resort. If it's prescribed for 4-days (for instance), your body should be able to taper off and resume natural sleep without from there or with a less powerful OTC sleep aid.

This is my personal experience and I want speak for all on Trazadone. For severe insomnia it will work. When I was prescribed in 2007, over the course of 3-months of insomnia issues; my doctor was letting visit twice to find the best solutions. Things hit the wall when it was discovered that I had severe side effects from Lexapro and it had to be pulled cold (no tapering which is dangerous but was supervised by a medical professional). I was warned of the many withdrawal symptoms I'd have but not about the insomnia. 4-days without sleep is hell no doubt. I tried nearly everything including OTC meds. Nothing worked. Even tried an extreme physical workout for 8-hours and no sleep. Once the Trazadone was prescribed in knocked me out 14-hours the first time. Half life was intense and I felt dizzy all day. I took it nearly 1-week and afterward my body was able to sleep without any other sleep medication for that time. Again, for me personally...there were no real great side effects. However, you have to take into account that I'd been on anti-depressants over 11-years at that point and Trazadone was originally classified as an anti-depressant. It's possible I'd been able to tolerate common side effects of anti-depressants by that point. For others, it's hard to say. The greatest warning I'll reiterate with trazadone when operating machinery, physical activity (even walking) and driving...it can be super dangerous. It kicks in fast too, so if you're not in a place to sleep normally...you'll have trouble getting there once it's working. I'd go to a doctor about the dosage and duration but certainly say that taking it any longer than 2-weeks is too much.
 
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