I used to have really bad insomnia, but through lower caffeine, extra exercise, and a consistent sleep schedule I've mostly beaten it.

But today I'm sick, which almost always means being up the entire night. Not a great combo.

When all of my usual tricks fail I usually just embrace it. Get up, watch TV, play a game, or read. No reason to be bored AND miserable.

Curious how other people handle it.

Break every good sleep habit I have. Does it help? No. Does it feel good to do so? Also no. Will I stop? Not likely

Drink heavily

DO NOT FUCKIN TAKE THAT AS ADVICE

Worry and sometimes disassociate. Also, cry.

I just lay still with my eyes closed and wait. That's how 100% of the times I've fallen asleep have begun so I trust it to work this time as well.

I saw a hack, years ago, probably on reddit since I was there at the time (so, long ago) that was like thinking “since I’m awake, let me just get up and do some chores”, like washing yesterday’s dishes you left in the sink to soak. Apparently at the prospect, you then sleep like a baby It’s a similar brain glitch to like once the alarm goes off and you hit snooze, I fall asleep in seconds. Stupid brains…

Move to the couch or sleep the opposite way (head where feet usually go). If that doesn’t work I start organizing files on my pc. Brain will relent because it loathes file organizing

https://youtu.be/oRdxUFDoQe0

Diphenhydramine, 4 bux and takes about 40 minutes to kick in. If that doesn't work I'm calling in sick if I'm working. It's an uncommon issue for me though which is good because you can't use this drug regularly.

Not sleep

You're lookin' at it.

Get up, wash my face, then read. Have to get your mind off sleep.

One of the best pieces of advice I got...tell yourself a story in your head. Pick a book, movie, show, game, whatever you're very familiar with and tell yourself that story. Start from the very beginning and be as detailed as possible. You'll be out in 5 minutes. I used to do it with KotOR but after a while I got so familiar with it that it stopped working.

Nowadays I write like Star Trek fanfic with convoluted explanations, and attempt scripting out new movies in my head

I read. I either pass out after a few minutes or at least spend the hours entertaining myself.

If I'm stuck worrying about something or reliving an event, I need to get my mind out of the fear or problem solving mode. I use the alphabet game where you pick a category then give an answer for each letter. Desserts, plants, countries, anything like that. If you can't get one, skip it and come back. If it doesn't work, a horny version tends to help one-track my kind.

Turn on pink noise and scroll Lemmy

I recently started taking 1.5mg melatonin if I feel like shit before bed, or if I'm really tired, or of for some reason I expect not to sleep well. It helps quite a bit I think, I usually fall right asleep pretty fast if I take it.

I recommend it. But don't abuse it very often. And don't buy the expensive stuff. I think I paid like 15 euro for a pack of 60 tablets of 3mg that I bite half from.

I read a book on my e-reader. Preferably something that's sufficiently engaging that I enjoy it, but not too exciting - no page-turners. Usually I will get tired again eventually, and if not, by lying still in bed you still get some amount of rest and recovery, so I don't stress out if I don't actually fall asleep again.

Slow paced docs, reading a book, listening to sounds of rain, low/no caffeine hot tea, weed

Eventually, I had to go to a doctor for a diagnosis. Apparently I can't breathe at night.

depends on energy level.

tired, low energy, can't sleep - listen to music, watch TV

not tired, high energy - exercise, go for a walk, play video games

I daydream until I sleep. It takes 60 seconds or so at most.

Recently I've been thinking about how I would make a camp if I were in a situation like in a survival show. Building stuff and such. Sometimes I'll go all sci-fi and settle on a different planet. Whatever it is, it's never about something from real life or work or real persons. That'd only keep me awake.

Zopiclone, Fedi, porn, YouTube, The Elder Scrolls soundtrack, sext with a previous fling, gym, write heartfelt messages to family members, poke myself with pocket knife without causing lacerations, spy on my pothead neighbors, writhe.

... 😏 ✋🏿

Fester in my skull

I watch Warhammer 40k lore videos on youtube and Ifall asleep within minutes.

Heard this trick on the radio a few months ago and it seems to work for me.

Think of a word, I usually do something short like "cat" or "dog". Let's use "dog" for this example.

Take the first letter and list every single word you can think of that starts with the same letter. So, for "dog", think of all words that start with the letter "d"

Once you run out of "d" words or are taking more than a few seconds between each one, go to the next letter and do the same thing. So, all words that start with "o". Continue until you're asleep or have to pick a new word.

So people will hate this but I have always been a good sleeper. Until recently in my adult life. I have no tricks to give but I will be reading over replies here.

Go for a walk usually. Works like 50% of the time.

Rot until 4AM, then ruminate in the b a d thoughts until exhaustion gives way to alarms and caffeine

Sleep With Me Podcast

To get sleepy? Yin Yoga knocks me right out. Cold and slow yoga, lots of forward folds calm the nervous system.

Otherwise I just wait until I get sleepy to go to bed.

Fap

I doomscroll Lemmy /and/or my most recent find which I found to be an excellent source for AI/LMM related news that's actually interesting, hackernews. I also keep a radio plugged in next to my bed, with one of the public service radio channel tuned in 24/7. During the night they usually do reruns of various educational shows that aired during the day, no music, no advertisements, just dull, calm voices speaking about some mildly interesting topics, like gardening tips for example. I lower the volume a bit so I have to really focus if I want to actually listen, otherwise it's just comfortable noise. It helps a bit with my usual overthinking that usually hits whenever I go to bed.

I've also dabbed my toes in some ASMR and podcasts, and while I found a couple that sort of worked. The tradeoff is that I have to use my phone speakers to listen to anything streamable, which includes me rolling and tossing during the night, and my phone either ends up under me, or has been tossed around so much that I can't find it by the next morning. Often with a drained battery too, which is just an annoying way to start your day.

Headphones, listen to calmish music

The best way to sleep when you can't is calculate a trajectory where you run, jump and hit the headboard so hard you get a concussion, works every time! /s ofc

Man, I'm tired as shit and it's only 1:38pm

I take prescribed sleeping medication that usually works. If it happens to not I'll smoke some pot and I'm sound asleep till a reasonable hour in the morning.

40k lore. Thanks fr all the Luetin

Its funny how pretending to sleep can so often turn into sleep. Fake it till you make it.

Thrash.

i watch some series

Doomscroll

If it's just one night, I meditate to try to clear my mind and keep it from racing and keeping me awake, and if that doesn't help I take diphenhydramine. If it happens over many nights, I quit drinking alcohol and caffeine, and maybe take nyquil to get me through any discomfort from quitting those.

eat a piece of cheese, listen to something not too boring and not too interesting and not loud

I put a particle physics or cosmology video on in the background, where the subject matter veers into some math, and it is just outside my range of intuitive comprehension.

It lets me find a headspace where I can selectively pay attention to things, but also drift away when the subject matter is just leaking out my other ear

Eventually I'll just be asleep

read, eventually I fall asleep. sometimes 3am, sometimes 5AM but I have no alarm clock or cummute, ao i wake up when i need a piss :)

Well, I once had chemical induced insomnia from a Pepsi I drank too late and even God himself couldn't have fixed that one, it was annoying as heck. But what I did is I lay in bed and I thought about stuff all night. Currently I'm worldbuilding a space fic so it was mostly about space. And I started imagining what the scenes would look like, what dialogue I would write. I usually do that anyway to fall asleep but the damn chemicals did keep me up. I do not recommend the chemicals.

So I guess, for real you actually do have to quit caffeine and alcohol. Also don't give up and look at the internet. That shit is wakeful asf. I actually use it to banish grogginess in the morning, it is better than coffee. Also! Don't ever look at the time. If you perceive the time going by it just stresses you out which slows down sleep. Time is an illusion. Even 1 hour of sleep will improve on how you currently feel.

I guess you can try breathing and counting and stuff, I always find that I get bored doing that. That's why I like to imagine things. But it has to specifically be unrelated to anything stressful. Godspeed my brothers.

Podcasts.

I listen to Greg Wagland reading me a Sherlock Holmes story

I play a super boring game in my head. Basically, I take each letter of someone’s name and try to think of a specific animal/fish/plant that starts with that letter. Then I go to someone elses name and do the same thing. The only rule is that I can’t reuse an animal I’ve already picked. It’s super boring but works at least 50% of the time for me.

Example: Frodo. Flamingo, Rabbit, Orangutan, Dalmatian, Ostrich

The more names you do in a row, the harder it gets to not repeat yourself.

Instead of animals, sometimes I’ll do countries, specific colours (super hard), or even last names (somewhat easier).

I found that listening to podcasts laying on the couch usually does the trick. Something interesting but not too much, ideally with s British accent. Depending on my state, it might take between 5 to 50 minutes to fall asleep, but it hardly ever fails.

I just don't. 🥲

But just like you, after trying out different positions and spending 10-15 mins trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep, I just start living. What choice do I have? I even go to the gym mostly to help with my digestive issues and insomnia but even then, more often than not, the latter remains a problem. I know eventually I will crash and get some sleep whether my brain wants it or not so 🤷‍♂️. Not ideal but hey, at least I'm really squeezing the juice out of life!

Audio book. Preferably something slightly boiring but interesting. Also there's a first generation antihistamine called Stahist-T. It sucks for sinuses but damn is it great to speed you to sleep.

Stay awake

Read a physical book. Or play solitaire on my phone with the extra dim mode on.

ASMR. If I’m really desperate, alcohol and/or weed, but you’re sick so maybe just ASMR and NyQuil. Feel better soon!