The one that has actually worked pretty well is picking a letter and naming words that start with that letter. This is weirdly way more effective than just trying to stop thinking of anything, because a lot of the time I'm just too keyed up to sleep--giving myself something very specific but also simple and boring to focus on helps a LOT. Same principle as "counting sheep" but holds my focus better.
The one that has actually worked pretty well is picking a letter and naming words that start with that letter. This is weirdly way more effective than just trying to stop thinking of anything, because a lot of the time I'm just too keyed up to sleep--giving myself something very specific but also simple and boring to focus on helps a LOT. Same principle as "counting sheep" but holds my focus better.
I often imagine relaxing things happen around me or my characters. And relax my mucles. If that's not working for me then I usually focus on my breathing and have one hand on my heart and the other one on my stomach. It helps me focus on the current
I often imagine relaxing things happen around me or my characters. And relax my mucles. If that's not working for me then I usually focus on my breathing and have one hand on my heart and the other one on my stomach. It helps me focus on the current
...badly lol
i have restless legs, so i use a weighted blanket all year. i've also found that listening to a youtube video helps, but it has to be playing quietly and it also has to be something i've seen before
...badly lol
i have restless legs, so i use a weighted blanket all year. i've also found that listening to a youtube video helps, but it has to be playing quietly and it also has to be something i've seen before
hmmm i usually just focus on breathing - i think whatever i want, i just switch my "main task" to breathing, and sleeping is the "side task", and eventually when i start to think "hey how am i breathing how does the human body work" i fall asleep
hmmm i usually just focus on breathing - i think whatever i want, i just switch my "main task" to breathing, and sleeping is the "side task", and eventually when i start to think "hey how am i breathing how does the human body work" i fall asleep
I struggled with sleep problems and insomnia for ~2 years, what helped me the most were these things + some additional things that don't apply to me but are still backed by science:
- challenge yourself to NOT fall asleep. Yes, this is backed by science. It works surprisingly well for a lot of people. (Not me, but maybe it does help you! Can't hurt to try it out.)
- have a routine. Try to always go to bed at the same time, and get up in the morning at the same time. Yes, even on the weekends. Even if that means getting up at 6AM on a Sunday. Even if you only got 3 hours of sleep, still get up anyway. Try to always do the same things before going to bed. For example, I read for ~30 mins before I lie down every evening. Eventually your body will learn that this time + activity means it's sleepy time. Routine is one of the, if not THE BEST thing to help with sleep problems.
- do something calm before going to bed. Don't go to bed immediately after watching an exciting movie or playing a video game. Don't listen to exciting music. Spend 30-60 minutes doing something calm like reading, knitting, meditating ... etc. Fun fact: reading fictional stories is one of the most effective ways to calm down. On average it takes ~6 minutes to calm down when reading fiction (specifically fiction! With non-fiction it takes longer for some reason). So reading is one of the fastest ways to calm down!
- exercise shortly before going to bed. In my case, I usually go to bed around 11 PM. I exercise from 9 PM - 10 PM. In my case I actually have to exercise because of back problems, but it has the added side effect of making me really tired and thus making it easier to fall asleep :)
- don't eat before going to bed. Avoid caffeine. Going to bed shortly after eating can make it hard to fall asleep. The last time you can consume caffeine without it interfering with your sleep is 8 HOURS before you go to bed.
- Don't bother taking melatonin (unless prescribed by a doctor). The melatonin you can buy in stores without a prescription does nothing, and it can even have the opposite effect of what you want - instead of making you sleepy, it might make you more awake.
- make sure the temperature is comfy. The ideal temperature for sleeping is ~18 °C (~ 64° F).
- Have something to hold, like a pillow or stuffed animal. Studies show that even as a teen or adult, sleeping with a stuffed animal in your arm makes you calmer and sleep better :) It definitely helps me, too!
- make sure it's dark enough in your room. In many cities, the light pollution is bonkers. Where I live, it doesn't even get really dark anymore, instead the whole night it looks like its dawn ... that signals to your body that it's not sleepy time yet, and you'll have a harder time falling asleep. Close the blinds on your window (if you have them) or get a mask for your eyes. Closing my blinds to darken the room has helped me so much. In general, minimal lighting conditions in the evening can help. I usually close my blinds around 7 PM and then only use small table lights as a source of light.
(Btw: the blue light thing has been debunked. You can absolutely look at your phone, TV, or computer before you go to bed, the blue light will not interfere with your sleep.)
- don't mull over things. Worrying about things is one of the most common reasons for not being able to sleep. In my case, it helps to remind myself that right now, while I'm lying in bed, I can't do anything about it anyway, so I might as well worry about it later (tomorrow).
- Take the pressure to fall asleep away. A lot of people struggle to fall asleep because essentially they try too hard to fall asleep, and, ironically, this makes it harder to fall asleep - because you start stressing yourself out. And stress is a sleep-killer. Instead, go to bed without any expectations, or change your expectations (this is something you have to practice, it won't work immediately, it took some weeks for me). In my case, my goal now is to just "chillax". So I went from thinking, "I have to sleep now!" to "I'm gonna chillax a bit now :)"
Also, it can help to know that just lying in bed but not sleeping is still better and more restful for your body than staying active. So just by lying down, you're already doing something good for your body, even if you don't fall asleep! :) Also, a lot of people don't even realize that they're sleeping. They feel like they've been awake, when they really haven't been. So, essentially: don't worry about it! Your body will figure it out once you take the pressure away :)
I struggled with sleep problems and insomnia for ~2 years, what helped me the most were these things + some additional things that don't apply to me but are still backed by science:
- challenge yourself to NOT fall asleep. Yes, this is backed by science. It works surprisingly well for a lot of people. (Not me, but maybe it does help you! Can't hurt to try it out.)
- have a routine. Try to always go to bed at the same time, and get up in the morning at the same time. Yes, even on the weekends. Even if that means getting up at 6AM on a Sunday. Even if you only got 3 hours of sleep, still get up anyway. Try to always do the same things before going to bed. For example, I read for ~30 mins before I lie down every evening. Eventually your body will learn that this time + activity means it's sleepy time. Routine is one of the, if not THE BEST thing to help with sleep problems.
- do something calm before going to bed. Don't go to bed immediately after watching an exciting movie or playing a video game. Don't listen to exciting music. Spend 30-60 minutes doing something calm like reading, knitting, meditating ... etc. Fun fact: reading fictional stories is one of the most effective ways to calm down. On average it takes ~6 minutes to calm down when reading fiction (specifically fiction! With non-fiction it takes longer for some reason). So reading is one of the fastest ways to calm down!
- exercise shortly before going to bed. In my case, I usually go to bed around 11 PM. I exercise from 9 PM - 10 PM. In my case I actually have to exercise because of back problems, but it has the added side effect of making me really tired and thus making it easier to fall asleep :)
- don't eat before going to bed. Avoid caffeine. Going to bed shortly after eating can make it hard to fall asleep. The last time you can consume caffeine without it interfering with your sleep is 8 HOURS before you go to bed.
- Don't bother taking melatonin (unless prescribed by a doctor). The melatonin you can buy in stores without a prescription does nothing, and it can even have the opposite effect of what you want - instead of making you sleepy, it might make you more awake.
- make sure the temperature is comfy. The ideal temperature for sleeping is ~18 °C (~ 64° F).
- Have something to hold, like a pillow or stuffed animal. Studies show that even as a teen or adult, sleeping with a stuffed animal in your arm makes you calmer and sleep better :) It definitely helps me, too!
- make sure it's dark enough in your room. In many cities, the light pollution is bonkers. Where I live, it doesn't even get really dark anymore, instead the whole night it looks like its dawn ... that signals to your body that it's not sleepy time yet, and you'll have a harder time falling asleep. Close the blinds on your window (if you have them) or get a mask for your eyes. Closing my blinds to darken the room has helped me so much. In general, minimal lighting conditions in the evening can help. I usually close my blinds around 7 PM and then only use small table lights as a source of light.
(Btw: the blue light thing has been debunked. You can absolutely look at your phone, TV, or computer before you go to bed, the blue light will not interfere with your sleep.)
- don't mull over things. Worrying about things is one of the most common reasons for not being able to sleep. In my case, it helps to remind myself that right now, while I'm lying in bed, I can't do anything about it anyway, so I might as well worry about it later (tomorrow).
- Take the pressure to fall asleep away. A lot of people struggle to fall asleep because essentially they try too hard to fall asleep, and, ironically, this makes it harder to fall asleep - because you start stressing yourself out. And stress is a sleep-killer. Instead, go to bed without any expectations, or change your expectations (this is something you have to practice, it won't work immediately, it took some weeks for me). In my case, my goal now is to just "chillax". So I went from thinking, "I have to sleep now!" to "I'm gonna chillax a bit now :)"
Also, it can help to know that just lying in bed but not sleeping is still better and more restful for your body than staying active. So just by lying down, you're already doing something good for your body, even if you don't fall asleep! :) Also, a lot of people don't even realize that they're sleeping. They feel like they've been awake, when they really haven't been. So, essentially: don't worry about it! Your body will figure it out once you take the pressure away :)
i find being in a quiet place creepy, so i usually watch youtube videos til i fall asleep. i also open the windows as wide as i can, since i literally cannot fall asleep in warm places.
i find being in a quiet place creepy, so i usually watch youtube videos til i fall asleep. i also open the windows as wide as i can, since i literally cannot fall asleep in warm places.
My main way is to listen to lofi music
I also take medicine I guess but that's prescribed so it's something I'm supposed to do
My main way is to listen to lofi music
I also take medicine I guess but that's prescribed so it's something I'm supposed to do
Depends on how I feel, but my two most common methods of falling asleep are:
Watching shows or content creators I really enjoy. I find it somewhat relaxing and especially useful on days when there is something that happens tomorrow that I do NOT want to go through cause it helps me get my mind off of whatever said thing is
Just simply laying in bed and imagining animated stories in my head. I find it super entertaining. It's like watching a show or movie in your head that you control the plot of haha
Usually when I do these things I eventually stop focusing on them and just fall asleep
Depends on how I feel, but my two most common methods of falling asleep are:
Watching shows or content creators I really enjoy. I find it somewhat relaxing and especially useful on days when there is something that happens tomorrow that I do NOT want to go through cause it helps me get my mind off of whatever said thing is
Just simply laying in bed and imagining animated stories in my head. I find it super entertaining. It's like watching a show or movie in your head that you control the plot of haha
Usually when I do these things I eventually stop focusing on them and just fall asleep
I hug my pillow while watching soothouse and/or flamingo so I forget that I’m scared of falling asleep, while my therapy dog whines for 15 minutes
I hug my pillow while watching soothouse and/or flamingo so I forget that I’m scared of falling asleep, while my therapy dog whines for 15 minutes
~friendly neighbourhood asexual
First I read a random book for a while. An hour or so before it's time for me to go to sleep, I turn off one of the lights in the bedroom. It usually helps me call asleep faster. I also turn on a random Lofi video and let it play quietly while I fall asleep. It works pretty well c:
First I read a random book for a while. An hour or so before it's time for me to go to sleep, I turn off one of the lights in the bedroom. It usually helps me call asleep faster. I also turn on a random Lofi video and let it play quietly while I fall asleep. It works pretty well c:
