No pharmaceutical aids preferably
I used to struggle with this. What worked for me was waking at 5am and then being active all day.
I don’t know how to fix my circadian rhythm, but when it does decide to work right, it’s a happy thing. And then it goes wonky and I’m screwed. heh
Bi-polar, so sleep disorder since I was a child. Extremely strict routine is how I manage it (along with pharma for mood regulation). Sleeping pills if I have to break routine.
Try reading a physics textbook.
Tell yourself a story in your head. A book, movie, show, game…it doesn’t matter. It just needs to be a story you’re very very familiar with, know the details inside and out. Start from the very beginning and be as detailed as possible.
You’ll be out in 5 minutes
I’ve tried that, my brain typically scares me into not sleeping even longer.
Dark Ambient
Melatonin helps me but i usually only take it to get into a pattern again
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.
Doesn’t sound silly to me, and I’m going to try it. In part because it makes sense - brain is a funny thing. But also because I’ve not had hiccups I didn’t stop almost immediately by concentrating hard on telling myself I no longer have gills. It has worked every time so far.
I have a cat or two that purr a lot. I do not care for sound machines but purr machines are great.
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 or playing with an idea within the set framework is soothing for the mind. Because it familiar.
Edit: a spelling
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.
Can confirm on the efficacy of this. I’ve never gotten to Z, I think the farthest I’ve gotten was like M or N.
Some subjects I use for the alphabet game are animals, food, and countries/cities.
My friend’s wife does that, but just chooses a random word for each letter (no theme).
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
