When I can’t fall asleep it’s usually because my mind is racing and worrying about things so I just put on a podcast that’s only mildly interesting enough to distract me but not get me fully engaged.

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.

Meditation, masturbation and moderation. The last one is the most important, a well habituated bedtime will help you sleep better.

Listening to recorded rain sounds.

Alternatively: Industrial Thrash Metal.

Keeping a good sleep schedule is 95% of the game. The last 5% is masturbation and maybe some audio that does not demand your attention at all.

Jerk off

As some others said get one of those "soft storm" or "sea sound" 10 hour tracks (whatever you prefer) and put it.

Then go to the bed, take a warm shower before if you want, and then start reading this book

I'll give you 10 minutes maximum, bonus points if English is not your primary language

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

I used to struggle with this. What worked for me was waking at 5am and then being active all day.

I read for an hour in bed every night. That gets me very tired and sleepy. People are just in front of screens all damn day and don't know how to turn off.

If I wake up and can't fall back asleep, I keep melatonin next to me. If I really want to sleep well I'll take 10mg edible ~1 hour before bed.

What I find really, really, helps is jumping on the bed until you hit your head on the ceiling and just pass the fuck out wherever you land.

The best thing you can do is five hours before going to bed, making sure you get enough exercise and avoid caffeine.

Other than that, I have a routine of stretching and reading before bed, so usually just doing that puts me out.

Failing that, I used to have really bad insomnia, and one thing I would remind myself is that even just laying awake in bed is a kind of rest, and even if you don't sleep you can kind of drift off into a reverie here and there.

Related, I find having something enjoyable to think about as I close my eyes is fun and distracting. For me that's creative stuff like writing stories, designing games, or making game levels in my head.

One unhealthy but guaranteed to work remedy:

One or two handles of your favorite liquor.

Warning: sleep quality will be ass. You won't feel better, but often worse. May induce vomiting, random urination, and depression. May also lead to liver failure or alcohol poisoning. Or death. May cause reliance/addiction to alcohol. Results may vary.

start day dreaming/meditation

if im restless i will go for a walk around the block.

glass of water/small snack

open the window

socks on/off

masturbate/get laid.

Have a plan for something you'll do if you can't sleep. Nothing exciting, and nothing overly interesting or complicated.. do laundry/fold clothes, organize something, etc.

And consistently hold yourself to a steady bedtime and routine.

I see all the usual advice was already given so I'll skip right to the weird things that work for me: I lie on my belly with my face resting on my palm so that the base of the thumb gently presses on one of the eyes (right hand on the left side of the face or vice versa). The pressure makes me sleepy almost immediately.

At the same time I think about some detailed but impractical project, anything I'd like to make but cannot immediately start. I think about the tiniest details until I fell tired. The goal is not to try to fall asleep and not to think of anything that would require action/attention, and also not to dwell on anything unpleasant. I usually fall asleep under 5 minutes.

Having something to listen to is key for me. It gives a racing ADHD mind something to focus on so that I kinda fall asleep without noticing.

I have a cheap random brand of sleep mask that has built in bluetooth headphones, and it is great.

1. Lifestyle change: exercise often so your body actually gets tired.
2. If it's already late: go for a night walk.

• verbena (or other) infusion
• light yoga to stretch
• shower
• listening to a podcast in the not-complete dark

Mix and match depending on situation. The last one is the most effective

White noise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfPqeZjc2c

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.

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.

If my mind is racing, I will get up and just write about it until it stops racing. Usually that's when I've made some kind of plan to address what my mind so busy processing.

If I just can't sleep for some unexplained reason, I will get up, bring my duvet to the living room and read comics for a while.

Other than that, I try not to eat too late, and I will usually read in bed. Back when I had my Fitbit it said I averaged about 7h30m sleep a night. I also have a daylight lamp that I use in the morning during the dark half of the year.

I don't know your situation specifically, but as someone with PTSD who occasionally gets insomnia because of it, my lack of sleep comes from my brain getting too active in the night and not shutting up.

If I really need to sleep, I'll distract myself by pulling up my tablet and either idly browsing my news feed or reading some digital comics. Anything to get me focused on anything besides whatever topic my brain has decided to hyperfocus on that night.

After a bit, I'll put the tablet down and attempt to sleep right away. Usually it works, but if my mind switches back to it's worrying topics, I'll go back to the tablet and distract again.

Usually it doesn't take more than an hour to fall asleep like this. Not ideal if you need to sleep ASAP, but better than getting no sleep all night.

The sleep with me podcast.

The way the host talks makes actually following along at low volume very difficult but it’s still engaging enough to keep my mind from wandering to racing sorts of places. It puts me out nearly every time I try it.

Learning to chill/meditate is quite helpful, but can take a long time.

I've found the 'military sleep method' to be very helpful as well. The version I found years ago, had you tense up each body area before relaxing it, but the links I found now mentioned none of that.

Shove my husband and tell him to stop snoring.

I pay attention to my feet and feel that they are asleep, then my calves, and so on until I feel like my whole body is asleep.

Count backwards from 100 in Spanish in my head, or think about slowly descending through the color wheel from a bright loud red then orange, down through yellow, to green, blue, sleepy deep purple.

Also - don't get in bed until you are sleepy. Exercise during the day. Yin Yoga before bed.

Melatonin helps me but i usually only take it to get into a pattern again

It really depends what the root cause of your wakefulness is. Like, if it's chemical, i.e. you had too much coffee etc - you're probably stuck.

But if it's because of stress you can probably do some things to get relaxed.

My major tip is, NEVER look at the time. It'll stress you out. And small periods of sleep are far more restful than you worry they will be.

Warm drinks, cool room, heavy blankets and no screens or bright light for ~1h before

Sometimes if my thoughts are getting loud it takes longer

First, no smartphone in your bedroom EVER. No alcohol before bedtime. Read a book with little action (Jane Austin, Jules Verne, old books do wonders …). Then turn out the light. Find a comfortable position, find the muscles that are tense and relax them. Don’t move anymore. Then count up 1,2,3,4,5… when thoughts pop into you head, start from 0 again.

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.

https://mynoise.net/ in the background, and puzzle games on the phone, like solve 50 sudokus. After one hour, I'm tired and I sleep.

We were taught on basic how a meditation technique that you concentrate on relaxing your body a bit at a time. First with your feet then legs, arms and eventually your torso. The entire platoon was out cold before we got to our hands (according to the civilian instructor).

I'm looking for the pharmaceutical aids honestly. I regular have a problem where I'll go to bed and simply lie awake the entire night. It's caused by stress at work (I'm an architect). I will go to bed at the usual time, miss my sleep window or something, and then if I haven't fallen asleep within the first 45-60 minutes then I just know that's it, I'm not sleeping that night. It happens once or twice a month when I'm really stressed and just can't stop replaying things I need to do or emails I need to send or big meetings that I have the next day.

So yes, it's time for pharmaceutical aids