What do you do when you can’t sleep?

[Jenisautistic]

I usually try to relax listen to music and color

 

[Wolfgangus Faldestolius]

I compulsively do the rounds of the forums & blogs!

 

[Giraffes]

I lay for a while, listen to music, get up and 'snack'

 

[Ezra]

Get something to eat and watch tv.

 

[Progster]

I don't get up (unless I need the loo), because that will just cause me to be more awake. Instead, I try to clear my mind of thoughts and focus on my breathing. Eventually I will get back to sleep.

 

[Thinx]

Usually I would get up and have a cup of tea and then Google stuff, or read. Also do word searches.

 

[Ezra]

I don't get up (unless I need the loo), because that will just cause me to be more awake. Instead, I try to clear my mind of thoughts and focus on my breathing. Eventually I will get back to sleep.

Actually I try the same first. If it totally fails then it's a snack and watching something teadious until I get sleepy.

 

[Sarah S]

I just just lay in bed and wait to get back to sleep again , sometimes get up for little while get online and then back to bed . (Had SEVERE sleeping disorders most of my life so im used to it )

 

[Aspychata]

Spend a little time obsessively thinking about something totally stupid. Then think l have thought to long about this with a ridiculous outcome. Then my new rumination is do l really need sleep and can l get by with less so l factor in how much sleep l had the day before and if l do or don't have work the next day, then l decide if l should get up. Then l obsessively think about any new thinking patterns. At least my rumination is lively. When l was younger, l use to choreograph ballet shows to music when l went to bed. Think l consider this time as guilt free rumination, l am allowed to do it on the basis that you can fall asleep and therefore lies the beauty of late nite rumination. Late nite is an excellent time to calculate caffeine totals, exercise totals, and if anything productive happened. So l guess looking at this post, it's safe to say, l have a late nite ritual of over-thinking. But l know nobody will expose me here.☺

 

[Creep]

I read a book. I keep whatever book I’m reading by my bed because usually I read before going to sleep.

 

[SDRSpark]

Usually I lie there ruminating on things until I fall asleep. Sometimes I realize I'm ruminating, and that it's not good, but I am not fully awake and I can't really pull myself away from it.

The other night I couldn't sleep and I thought, I need to think about something else, so it occurred to me to think of a place where I would feel safe and comfortable and relax...so I wound up envisioning a house, by a giant swimming pool...at some point I fell asleep, wound up designing the house and dreamed about buying said house. But I have no idea where during that sequence I was actually dreaming and where I was awake. But I was surprised that when I woke up, I had not only successfully gotten myself to go back to sleep fairly easily, but that I had actually had a (mostly) pleasant dream after that.

I'll have to remember that one.

 

[menander]

Valerian. Chamomile. Medical Mary. Melatonin.

 

[Barymore]

If I really cant sleep I count to 100. With rules:
1.If I start I have to finish (unless i fall asleep, obviously)
2. Each number is visualised and lasts an in and out breath
3. If I get to 100 and I am still awake I go read and say f*#% it, sleep is overrated anyway.

If I know I‘m stressed when I go to bed I will do a guided meditation for 10 minutes.