# Sleep and Dreams > Sleep and Health >  >  If you caN't fall asleep what do you do?

## LikesToTrip

I'm curious what methods everyone uses when you need to fall asleep, but are having trouble doing so. I've used the generic counting sheep, and breath\relaxation meditation, but neither of those seem to be successful all of the time. What do you all do to make yourself fall asleep quickly?

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## Polarity

I watch television or read a book until my eyes start to hurt or want to close anyways.

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## GrizzlyClaws

reading or meditation works for me! XD

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## Arra

A few weeks ago I started trying to let my thoughts wander. It hasn't failed yet. I let my thoughts wander to whatever they want. This happens naturally, so I don't have to force it. If I can't sleep it's usually because I'm thinking too much about trying to fall asleep, or I'm thinking about something too actively, too consciously. So if I find myself thinking about falling asleep, or thinking about a stressful issue, or just thinking too consciously about something, I just stop thinking about it and let my thoughts go again on some other track.

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## ElsiaStar

I use a really effective method that I discovered on my own.
It was originally meant to be a method of relaxation/hypnosis but I found that when I did it before going to bed it would instantly put me to sleep.
I know this might seem somewhat annoying to do, but if you force yourself to do it and really try to clear your mind and focus, it might help you fall alseep. This method has NEVER failed me. But then again, it could be different for everyone.
I usually only make it on the first round to steps 4 or 5 before falling asleep.. 

*
Here are the steps:*
1. Stare at someting for 30seconds-1min and clear your mine. Repeat 2 more times, each time staring at different objects
2. Close your eyes. Focus on a sound for 30 sec-1min. Repeat 2 more times with different sounds(if you can hear any)
3. Focus on something you feel(ex-feeling the sensation of your hand touching the pillow) for 30sec-1min. Repeat 2 more times with different senses.
4. Focus on a feeling(ex-tiredness, calmness) for 30sec-1min. Repeat 2 more times with different feelings.
5. Focus on an image in your head like a beach, each scene with a different sound(beach with sound of the waves or breeze) and repeat with a new scene and sound 2 more times, each for 30sec-1min.
6. If you aren't asleep by now, repeat steps 1-5.

Once again, this works every time for me, but it may be different for other people.

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## Armistice

I'll get up and watch TV.  Something is usually on

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## Kunal19

think about having sex ::banana::

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## Hyl3rid

well 1 hr before i fall asleep i listen music for 30 mins or so, then read a book while drinking some tea. when done i review my day and "meditate". i fall asleep quickly after that...

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## Raspberry

Visualisation. Imagine stuff. Best way to sleep ever  ::D:  I'm surprised that I haven't heard of many people doing this. It's another reason I love sleeping.

But if I'm really mentally restless I'll read for a bit and try and clear my head, then try to sleep again.

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## Hyu

> Visualisation. Imagine stuff. Best way to sleep ever  I'm surprised that I haven't heard of many people doing this. It's another reason I love sleeping.
> 
> But if I'm really mentally restless I'll read for a bit and try and clear my head, then try to sleep again.



^ this exactly.
Works every time unless I have to go to sleep after being awake for only like 8 hours.

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## riverboy

I agree with most of the above. For me, relaxation techniques don't do a thing, I stay waaay to focused. My failed attempts at WILD have made me realise that it's all about thinking of _anything_ as long as it's not the current state of your body.

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## Supernova

If it's temporary insomnia you're talking about, the solution is to clear your mind - so meditation.  If I breathe deep and slowly, nose in mouth out, and count my breath, and try to narrow my thoughts to the counting alone, that usually does it for me.  Highest I've ever gotten to was 60-something, but it usually works by 25-35.

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## Arra

Meditation has never worked for me because when I try to think about nothing, I'm _trying_ to think about nothing, focusing on thinking about nothing, paying attention to the fact that I'm thinking about nothing. This is a very conscious process for me, so it doesn't help me fall asleep.

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## omidh

I had this problem too!
Eat your diner 2 hours before you go to sleep.
Go to bed when you're body tell you, you can't sleep when you are'nt asleepy!
Do some sports to use your energy instead counting sheeps  ::D: 
You can't go to sleep when your Stomach is fully empty eat some yoghurt just before going to bed.

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## MischiefManaged

> Visualisation. Imagine stuff.



Same for me. I usually just make up a story. I imagine the scene, characters, dialogues, actions, think about details and coherently continue the story. It's not that much of the method of falling asleep to me, just something I like to do. I never get to the end of the story, always asleep in the middle  ::D: 
In spite of having mad visualization skills, I never dream about whatever I've been imagining, don't know why.

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## Hyl3rid

> In spite of having mad visualization skills, I never dream about whatever I've been imagining, don't know why.



thats like dream incubations isn't it?

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## MischiefManaged

> thats like dream incubations isn't it?



Yeah, I guess... Except, it doesn't work for me X) Maybe only sometimes during WBTB.

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## Evolventity

I use imagination/visualization too; Creating elements like MischiefManaged mentioned, a few posts above. After a couple of minutes I lose my effort and it comes natural. Sometimes I'll experience hypnagogia senses and/or odd thought processes, but I usually fall asleep unknowingly. I end up dreaming about something other than what I was imagining though. Also, no need to worry if you don't have a vivid imagination, I don't and it still works!

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## astraalipaska

I just let my mind wander. Because If Im thinking "Will I start to see HH now or enter SP or when am I going to fall asleep" I cant fall asleep....
 ::?:

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## Raspberry

I also make up a story. Mostly it's along the lines of a book I'm reading or a movie, except I'm the main character and change things up a bit. I've always done this, and it's a reason I don't do MILD often, because I can't think "I will lucid dream" and visualise at the same time. It puts me off, because to me, getting to sleep is fun  ::D: 

Except last night. It took me 6 hours to get to sleep and I have no idea why. I was almost crying with frustration. In the end I thought "Fuck it, all nighter on a school night!" But managed to sleep in the end.

School was not fun today. I'm a sick child!  :Sad:

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## apsinvo

I have had bouts of terrible insomnia in the past. Often lying in bed for 3 to 4 hours, too exhausted to even move, but mind racing and awake. Regarding your "allnighter on a school night", the only nights I ever can't sleep are those I know I have to be up at a particular time to do something. The later it's getting, the more stressed and fed up I'm getting. There are two solutions that have worked very well for me. 

1. It's stress and anxiety. Spend time each day meditating, even 2 lots of 10-15 minutes will make a HUGE, and DRAMATIC (and I mean this) effect on your sleep, and life in general.
2. That aside, when suffering from insomnia, I found the RB (Reverse Blinking) method to be very helpful. Still doesn't get you to sleep? Get out of bed and lie directly on the uncomfortable carpet/floor in a reasonably uncomfortable position. No matter how tired or uncomfortable you get, force yourself to lie there for 15 minutes. When done just get back in to bed. Your body will be so eternally grateful for that bed, that you'll fall asleep very very quickly  :smiley: 

Added:
Also, read something, why not read about OBEs/LDs in a book. Do not use PC or watch TV, it makes it worse!

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## Raspberry

I used to be great at sleeping. As soon as my head hit the pillow I'd pretty much be out of it, but last year my parents broke up, which fucked up my sleep. I was going to school like a zombie everyday, and I didn't want to take sleeping pills incase I started to rely on them.

My sleep got better, but It's not how it used to be. I still get nights where I get very little sleep. But I find that when I'm in bed I think "Shit, that's 1am. If I sleep now, that'll be 6 hours." An hour later "Shit, that's 2am, 5 hours." and that alone can make me tired the next day. So I cover up my clock now.

I'm mostly alright now though. As long as I spend a good 30 minutes reading before bed, it usually calms me down enough so my thoughts aren't all over the place. Then I just get comfy and visualise until I drift off.

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## Nilabimini

> I use a really effective method that I discovered on my own.
> It was originally meant to be a method of relaxation/hypnosis but I found that when I did it before going to bed it would instantly put me to sleep.
> I know this might seem somewhat annoying to do, but if you force yourself to do it and really try to clear your mind and focus, it might help you fall alseep. This method has NEVER failed me. But then again, it could be different for everyone.
> I usually only make it on the first round to steps 4 or 5 before falling asleep.. 
> 
> *
> Here are the steps:*
> 1. Stare at someting for 30seconds-1min and clear your mine. Repeat 2 more times, each time staring at different objects
> 2. Close your eyes. Focus on a sound for 30 sec-1min. Repeat 2 more times with different sounds(if you can hear any)
> ...



Thanks so much for posting this, and to LikesToTrip for the topic, this is exactly what I was looking for!  Every Sunday night I can not fall asleep because of having too much anxiety about going back to work after the weekend and not knowing what sort of crap I am going to be thrown at (or have thrown at me).  No matter what time I attempt to go to sleep at, it usually takes me anywhere from 1-2 hours after to actually fall asleep, and the more I toss around, the more frustrating it becomes.  I'll lay my head against the pillow and I can hear the racing thump of my heart which makes it worse.

So this is a technique I will surely have to try.  Because taking pills or anything man-made is not an option for me.

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## MischiefManaged

> Get out of bed and lie directly on the uncomfortable carpet/floor in a reasonably uncomfortable position. No matter how tired or uncomfortable you get, force yourself to lie there for 15 minutes. When done just get back in to bed. Your body will be so eternally grateful for that bed, that you'll fall asleep very very quickly



I have no idea why, but it's so much easier for me to fall asleep in  uncomfortable place and position. Much harder to do that in bed  :Uhm:

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## LikesToTrip

> Thanks so much for posting this, and to LikesToTrip for the topic, this is exactly what I was looking for!  Every Sunday night I can not fall asleep because of having too much anxiety about going back to work after the weekend and not knowing what sort of crap I am going to be thrown at (or have thrown at me).  No matter what time I attempt to go to sleep at, it usually takes me anywhere from 1-2 hours after to actually fall asleep, and the more I toss around, the more frustrating it becomes.  I'll lay my head against the pillow and I can hear the racing thump of my heart which makes it worse.
> 
> So this is a technique I will surely have to try.  Because taking pills or anything man-made is not an option for me.



Haha, no problem. I normally fall asleep alright, but I hate those nights where I get more and more frustrated that I can't fall asleep and it just makes it worse. I hoping somebody would have a method that would prevent that. But really I've found the only easy way to pass out when I can't is benadryl lol.
I was also hoping I could maybe use some of the techniques people posted to help me fall asleep faster while WILDing, but none of them have seemed to speed up the process any.

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## ooflendoodle

Get a playlist of music that you never get tired of, or try to stay awake in bed, it tires you out faster.

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## Raphael

I do reverse blinking until my eyes lids are really tired, then I forget about everything and just go to sleep. If I'm not tired enough to sleep then I'll pop in a movie or play games on my computer.

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## Mud

I tend to forget how well reading a book can work for me. I often can't read a book because it makes my eyes tired so fast.

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## Mud

> I do reverse blinking until my eyes lids are really tired, then I forget about everything and just go to sleep. If I'm not tired enough to sleep then I'll pop in a movie or play games on my computer.



reverse blinking?

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## Mud

uhg, now i'm tripple posting. 

just wantedd to add, for a while i was able to just turn myself off, like it was a switch in my brain. it seems impossible i ever had that ability, i would just image myself sanding, not lying down, and kind of just slide into a dream. it was great and really helped getting to sleep before work but it went away when i got back to civilization. Being away from society really seems to clear up my brain-noise.

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## Raphael

Reverse blinking is exactly like it sounds. Instead of having your eyes open and then quickly closing them like a normal blink, you do the opposite. Keep your eyes closed, then quickly open and close them.

This technique will tire your eyes out really quickly, making it easier to fall asleep.

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## mazillion

No joke here, try staying awake. It makes you sleepy so fast, just think "i will keep my eyes open, i will stay awake" and if you eyes don't get heavy after like 1 minute then it's not for you. :/ Also the hypnosis for sleep mp3s posted on this website just completely knocks me out, the real power behind those are the binaural beats, you could try that.

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## Nilabimini

> But really I've found the only easy way to pass out when I can't is benadryl lol.



Same here, I've taken it in the past, but don't anymore because eventually I've taken it so long it won't help me anymore.  I've since changed my whole way of life and only like to take natural things into my body, so pills and drugs are out.

Lately I've been drinking Sleepytime tea before bed, but it doesn't always help the way I wish it would.

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## Philosopher8659

> I'm curious what methods everyone uses when you need to fall asleep, but are having trouble doing so. I've used the generic counting sheep, and breath\relaxation meditation, but neither of those seem to be successful all of the time. What do you all do to make yourself fall asleep quickly?



Generally don't have that problem. I do 40 min on a stationary bike after work and before I pick up my son from school--this plant has a workout center, then when we get home, 20 more min on a stationary bike and then weight training for about 25 min--I have a rather crowded but relatively complete gym in my basement. 
However, about 1 time a month, on friday night I will simply pull an all nighter watching old tv programs. I don't even worry about going to sleep.

If you worry too much, you have to learn to let it go. Every day is just another day. Close your eyes and imagine yourself running in the dark. Running because somewhere, in the dark, up ahead, is what you are looking for.

One of the best things you can do for mental health is to start working out. I workout on weekdays even thought I have a tight schedual. In working out, you have to learn to remember how good it feels after you are done, to make that more importantant than the often dread of starting the workout.

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## every987

When I can't sleep I just listen to music with a strong beat and let my thoughts loose. Normally that helps but sometimes when I'm stressed for some thing like an exam I'll find myself staring at the clock for hours. Then I get freaked out and start thinking things like "crap only 4 hours of sleep before my sceince exam"

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## L33tsaber

I've started taking a melatonin tablet before bed, but my other secret weapon is to mentally sing "The Rattlin' Bog".  I know a rendition that goes all the way up to quark (a rare quark, a rattlin' quark, with the quark on the proton and the proton on the atom ... and the feather on the wing and the wing on the bird and the bird on the egg and the egg in the nest and the nest on the leaf and the leaf on the twig and the twig on the branch and the branch on the limb and the limb on the bough and the bough on the tree and the tree in the hole and the hole in the bog and the bog down in the valley-oh!)

"99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" works too, it's just something about long and repetitive ditties that does it.

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## Mud

yeah, reading makes my eyes tired. helps a bunch, usually. Irritating when I actually want to read a book though.

I sometimes just close my eyes and think about how tired I'm going to be in the morning and how I'm not going to want to get up, sometimes this helps.

Try to conjure closed eye visuals until they take off and take control of themselves.

Take a night time cold med or some melatonin if I really need to.

Try to envision a person or place I'd like to visit, or and object i'd like to obtain. This sometimes works, sometimes just wakes me up more.

Otherwise I'm staying awake 24+ hours until I'm tired.

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## Codename

1, Binaural beats
2. letting your wind wander or reading a book. Dont think about falling asleep

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## JussiKala

I simply stay awake until I feel very very tired.

Usually I go to sleep at 2am and wake up at 7am.

However, if I can't get sleep, I just might stay up till 5 and the try to get sleep. If I can't, big deal. Surely, I'll get slepe the next day better, since I missed a night.

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