What do you do when you can not sleep?

What usually works for me is lying down while looking at the ceiling. If I feel the urge to twist and turn, I calmly avoid it and stay facing up. There'll always be random thoughts that will occur so I also slowly move away from them and revert back my attention to the ceiling. After about 10 to 15 minutes I'm already asleep; works fine. You can give it a try.

I get up. Usually do something on the computer to make a bit of money. Go back to sleep if I can, and usually spend the rest of the day tired. Hoping to get some good sleep soon.

I either 1 - drink a glass of water, switch off the light and lie down. 2 - just switch off and then lie then. Either way I'll get bored in the end and sleep without noticing it. It work best if I drink a glass of water, I don't really know why.

If I can't sleep, I get up and read for awhile. After a few chapters I can usually sleep. If I don't feel like getting up then I just try to empty my mind or think of silly things and relax my body from the feet up. It usually works either way. I don't have much trouble sleeping though, so I don't do this often anymore. I used to have to get up a few times during the night to go to the bathroom and then couldn't go back to sleep. Now I am on a new bladder medication and don't get up.

when I cannot sleep than I wait for sleep, if I leave my bed to do any thing it will disturb my family member, I don't like it.

To summon sleep, I read books which I have read before. Then I will get bored and groggy until I just wake up the next day. Or I simply turn on my laptop and try to continue writing my novel which will also eventually make me sleepy. Sometimes I play angry birds until I get sleepy. Or I get up and eat what I want to eat, like cookies or sandwiches. Sometimes it's just hunger fighting off sleep. But when I'm watching my weight, I just drink milk, no cookies or sandwiches. Back then when I still have honey, I add a teaspoon or two to my glass of milk. I also used to do that to my husband since he's the one who has problems sleeping.

Hi lindaharding627, I could hardly fall asleep if taking excessive beverage which contains caffeine four hours or so before bedtime. I can't resist from temptation most of the time if going out with friends and will take a cup of coffee which is really aromatic. Oh gosh the aroma of coffee is really attractive and couldn't help to have another cup. the consequence is toss and turn the whole night. I usually will get up and swing my arms front and back relaxingly for twenty minutes or so standing facing the window. After that walk about twelve steps and then take some water and back to bed again. This works well to let me to fall asleep easily Happy posting.

It's been a while since I've had a sleeping problem...thank God!!! Back when I did, I would get up, turn on my television & sit down at my computer. Then I'd either go to myLot & respond to some discussions or I'd pull up a game I have on my computer. Usually 15-30 minutes later I was beginning to nod off once again, so I'd go back to bed & get some good sleep. When I was having a lot of trouble sleeping, I bought a bottle of Melatonin & take one every night about an hour before the time I preferred to go to bed. I would be fighting falling asleep sitting up. ONLY drawback to Melatonin is that I had a hard time waking up the next morning for the first few times I took it. My third way, I found quite by accident. I was suffering with Gout & I have a phobia when it comes to prescription meds!!! So, I started researching all natural ways to relieve my Gout. I learned that eating fresh cherries would help with the Gout. Fortunately, Cherries were in season at that time. I was having a good bit of pain with the Gout; so, I was eating a ton of cherries at a time in an attempt to get it in my system. After a few days, I began to notice that I was going to bed earlier & earlier every night. A friend on myLot did a discussion on how tired she had become since she started eating cherries for her Gout & we got into a dialogue. Then we both did our research & learned that cherries have properties that will help induce a good night's sleep!!! At the end of the cherry season, I was stressing over NOT having any cherries to help alleviate my Gout pain & I learned that GNC sells capsules of "Black Cherry Extract". I bought a bottle of the capsules & took them daily. I NEVER slept so GOOOOD!!!! The cherries not only helped my Gout, but they got me back on a regular sleep cycle & I stopped taking them & I still slept like a baby every night!!!! So, if you can't wait for cherries to come in season, check with your local GNC for their "Black Cherry Extract" capsules & start taking those. The BCE didn't leave me hungover the next morning like the Melatonin did & I found that to be an additional PLUS!!!!

I drag myself out of bed and sit at my computer for a while. This tends to make me drowsy and together with a hot drink like chocolate I can then give sleep another go so to speak. An hour of sleep isn't much and I would think that you would be pretty exhausted come morning. Still, I don't have any difficulty like that. Sometimes instead of sitting at the computer I will turn on the television and see if there is anything interesting on. Overall I think I sleep quite well and it's only when I have a problem or two swimming around in my mind that insomnia begins to creep in! I call those problematic thoughts sleep demons as they never leave you alone and always make sleep very difficult! Andrew

I just listen to the music some of the time until I get really sleepy. Most of the time I bug my bf, text him until I get to sleep. I would be awake until 2 in the morning and my bf is like already sending me message to sleep already but my eyes still wouldn't close. He can't push me sleep so he to will have to push himself to be awake, even if we are in a different timezone.

Hi lindaharding, First, I try to find out the reason why I could not sleep. Did I drink too much caffeine during the day? Is there something bothering me? If it's caffeine, I usually get out of bed and watch tv or read a book while drinking a lot of water. But when the reason for not sleeping are concerns or problems that are bothering me, I try to sort out the problem and come up with resolutions. If the problem is something that I could not resolve at once, I write it down. I read somewhere before that if problems bother a person making it difficult for the person to sleep, it may help the person get some sleep by writing the problem on a note pad. I did that sometimes and it helped me. It is as if you transfer your concerns to the paper. There are also times when I have difficulty sleeping but is lazy or too tired to rise up from the bed. When that happens, i do this exercise: Instead of "counting sheeps", I name things in a category (ex. fruits and vegetables) from A (ex. apple) to Z (ex. zucchini). This activity tires my mind, which leads me to sleep.

When I can't sleep, I keep the TV on a boring show. Not the news, but one that is the most unappealing to me. Sometimes just thumbing through the channels can put me to sleep. Just make sure you also set your sleep timer.

yes this is a great question. I often can not sleep, I wake and then wander around the house. My mind is very active and if will not slow down. I get out a journal and write what I am thinking, hoping to clear my mind so I can return to my bed for a few more hours of sleep. Sometimes I read and sometimes I get up and watch tv. Have you tried any of these solutions?

I open up my netbook and start to write anything in my mind till i got sleepy. It takes 2 - 3 hours.

When I can't sleep, I read, or listen to the BBC Workd Service until I am tired.

I usually have a book by my bed that I'll usually try to read until I'm drowsy. I used to try watching TV but I rarely fall asleep unless I'm exhausted.

If not getting sleep. I prefer to look for something that makes me sleep. Like; reading books or doing a computer jobs to make my eyes getting sleep...

Hi, I Usually Read Books Or Hear Some Soft Music.

Oh that's very annoying really. It happens to me from time to time, mainly when I'm nervous or sick, and I find really difficult to fall asleep again. I just try to change position over and over, or if the situation is critical, I just stand up and walk on my room, from one corner to the other, so when I begin to feel tired, I can sleep better.

If I can't sleep and my mind is fully awake,I will try to do productive things like reading books and surfing the internet.However if I'm sleepy and need to sleep, I would drink a glass of milk, lie in my bed and just stare into the darkness until my eyes will be tired of seeing nothing.I never force to close my eyes because it will just make my mind to wander.I also avoid food and drinks that contain caffeine like coffee,chocolates and carbonated drinks.