No pharmaceutical aids preferably
I use a visualization technique, and this’ll probably sound dumb, but it works for me. Try it.
When I have an intrusive thought, I visualize it being consumed in a mushroom cloud and mutter “boom” a few times. There’s something about the combination of the visualization and vocalization that makes the intrusive thought go away.
I have no idea how or why it works. It just does.
Melatonin helps me but i usually only take it to get into a pattern again
I have a cat or two that purr a lot. I do not care for sound machines but purr machines are great.
You know how easy it is ti doze of to voices talking around a campfire? Put some monotonous voices like that on in the bacjground
Late to the party, have a very good suggestion.
Some very very short back story. In my younger years I had a lot of issues with anxiety when going to bed. Thinking about things I needed to fix or what tommorow would bring. And I realised that imagining a story or a world and setting specific foundational points, like a framework that a story as an example could be worked from. Then each night building something additional on that framework every night in my mind, keeping the core fixed and every new addition as part of this world or story. I would eventually get less and less added and become relaxed and fall a sleep sooner and sooner.
Just like a child wanting the same story every night.
Going back to something known and adding just a little bit och playing with an idea within the set framework is soothing for the mind. Because it familiar.
Weed has managed to bring me back from the brinks of madness without ill effects if I consume edibles. It’s not the best sleep quality but any sleep helps.
I close my eyes and do the “four corners”technique or whatever it’s called. inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, repeat. It eventually lowers your heart rate, increases CO2 in the blood and clears your thoughts. It’s much easier to sleep after doing that for like 20 mins.
- Hydrate
- Eat
- A meditative exercise where you lay still and imagine your toes being pulled down. Like as if gravity got 10x heavier at your toes pushing them down. Then your fee, ankles, knees, legs, etc. up to your head. It should last 3-5 minutes and at worst it’s very calming
You can try fantasizing, which I was told primes the brain to dream, though I don’t know how supported that is. The big thing is to not stress about not being ‘asleep’ too much. You need 8 hours of contiguous rest but it doesn’t all have to be deep sleep. You can lay in the dark for an hour with your eyes closed and it will be better than not. Stressing about being awake is worse than not resting at all.
- Instrumental album
- Broski or TheoryFighter talking about fighting game mechanics (I don’t know why, but if it works, it works!). Just be sure to turn off autoplay so you don’t get jolted awake by someone else’s Youtube intro.
When I can’t sleep I play the “alphabet game” in my head: I pick a random subject. Can be anything really, doesn’t have to be something I am an expert in. The other night it was “things associated with either the Commodore 64 or the Amiga”. Then I think about a fitting thing for each letter of the alphabet, from A to Z.
Sounds weird, but it works for me 99% of the time. I actually made it to Z without falling asleep only once in my whole life. In that case you can still pick a new subject and start again at A.
Keeps your head occupied in a good way.
I do this thing recently when I think of a random 1 syllable word, then think of one that goes with it. “Yard - Sale…. Ice - Pick”. I think a similar muscle is being flexed but I don’t get into any kind of narrative.
My friend’s wife does that, but just chooses a random word for each letter (no theme).
I could see that working. I used to do the old trick of counting sheep. I imagine each sheep running then jumping a fence. Probably never made it very far past 20.
Go for a hike before bed. Allocate a few hours so you can get cleaned up after, once you get comfortable with the timing you can adjust. (My hikes are about an hour)
Ensure you’re in bed with your eyes closed a minimum of 9 hours before you need to be awake.
I find listening to music helps drown out my repetitive thoughts.
It really depends what the root cause of your wakefulness is. Like, if it’s chemical, i.e. you had too much coffee etc - you’re probably stuck.
But if it’s because of stress you can probably do some things to get relaxed.
My major tip is, NEVER look at the time. It’ll stress you out. And small periods of sleep are far more restful than you worry they will be.
Drugs
I read for an hour in bed every night. That gets me very tired and sleepy. People are just in front of screens all damn day and don’t know how to turn off.
If I wake up and can’t fall back asleep, I keep melatonin next to me. If I really want to sleep well I’ll take 10mg edible ~1 hour before bed.
