this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2025
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... I just wanna sleep

(page 3) 35 comments
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Don't use your phone at night. If you absolutely have to, enable adaptive warm light (if there's such a feature on your phone), which gradually turns the white balance to warm in the evening. This is because staring at the screen will send the signals to your brain to wake up, especially the blue-ish spectrum of light, plus whatever content you're engaging with (news, social media, texts from friends) will make your mind occupied.

But again, best is to not use your phone at all.

Read a book. Pick a topic you're interested in, buy a book and just read before you sleep. Yes, I see the contradiction - an interesting book will make your mind occupied too. Yet I find that a book relaxes me in my own world, while on your phone you'll meet many different topics, lots of quick stimuli, maybe that's why. I don't know.

These strategies work for me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

As some others have mentioned, regular workout will help a lot. Another thing you can do is cardio for 10 minutes before sleep and ending with a few minutes stretch to tire and loosen up your body. Also try to sleep at the same time daily. Your circadian rhythm will aid you too.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Body Scan meditation exercise. https://youtu.be/BlWo7sqWLNk here is an example

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Stop thinking about falling asleep. With your inner voice tell yourself you're going to stay up all night. Close your eyes, relax, lie still, and tell yourself that you're going to stay up all night; you'll pass out after a while.

Also invest in a high quality white noise generator or weighted blanket.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Yellow zzzquil. The regular one works too but the yellow one is better.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I've found that I have to keep my hands off my body, the stimulation of being touched keeps me alert.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Close your eyes. It's impossible to stay awake with your eyes closed. True fact. They're hardwaired right to your brain eventually your brain is like "aight, I'ma head out."

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

for me, i find background watching/ listening to history videos really effective. Not sure what the rationale there is, but that's how it goes.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Antiques Roadshow.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I agree with what other people have said plus:

The bed should only be used for sleeping, when you wake up get out of bed and don't go back. Don't use your laptop or phone in bed, if you still have a tv - don't watch it in bed.

This helps set the situational subconscious expectation that the bed is for sleeping.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

People ignore this. Actually do it.
No phone or books in bed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I like to think of nostalgic memories.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Noise canceling headphones plus Brownian noise.

https://archive.org/details/brownnoise_202103

In my case Sennheiser hd450bt.

Turn off phone data, so only regular texts from VIP can break through DND.

Solitaire, crosswords or codewords app to sleep. Voyager with pagination on if you really want to read but have an end page.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Exercise will control your circadian rhythm, set your metabolism on a more consistent routine, and help you sleep better. Endurance based exercises are best; cycling, swimming, running, rowing, etc. You need 1 hour every 3 days at a minimum in my experience. Don't think in terms of a week, just do it somewhere between daily and every 3 days no matter what. Even someone like me that has major chronic health problems from a broken neck and back manages to pull off this one. In fact, I fall apart and turn into a sleepless zombie if I fail to maintain my exercise routine. I'm likely one of the most sleep deprived people here. This works when nothing else does or is possible.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I have been practicing the 99 count down of breath. Each breath count down.
Slow down your breathing as you count. Your thoughts will drift off and that’s good, but come back to it as soon as you realize you stopped counting. I rarely get past 50. The more you practice the better you will get at it, as sleep likes routine.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Turn on some video without commercials and something at a more or less constant volume, like Ancient Aliens or How It's Made. Set the sleep timer for 30 min. Turn the screen off if your TV supports it. Set the volume low/moderate. Get comfortable in bed in your favorite position, close your eyes, and listen to the video. I usually don't ever hear the sleep timer turn it off.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

5mg melatonin and 200mg L-Theanine works for me. I order from Thorne. I believe they are reputable.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I used to try to count my breaths and breathe as slow as I could, but I found that my mind would wander and not in a good way.

Lately, what works for me is actually counting my pulse because it's rapid enough that I can't think about anything else. And at the same time, I try to get it as low as I can, which can have the benefit of putting you to sleep

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

History documentaries with good narrator and minimal loud music

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Don't try to fall asleep.

The effort is what's keeping you awake. Sleep when you feel tired.

If you don't feel tired at night, then you may not be doing enough mental or physically engaging activities during the day.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Two things that helped me in the past year:

  • Avoiding caffeine after 10:00AM or so. I cut coffee completely, but I noticed positive effects by just drinking all caffeine before ~10:00AM.
  • Sleep mask helped me a ton. Turns out we are super sensitive to the most minute amount of light.
  • At least for me, not eating past ~6:00PM makes falling asleep way easier.
  • Regular exercise (of any kind) allows you to fall sleep easier. Probably has to do with regulating hormones/biological subsystems.
  • NO PHONE on bed. Bed is only for sleep and sex. In my opinion anyway.

Hope this helps!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

That's a great question to not have a good answer to. I've been smoking weed and drinking vodka cause I'm bored and will inevitably pass out eventually but that's not good advice

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

I used to struggle with sleep. It turned out I’m bipolar. Thankfully, it mellows with age and I learned how to manage it. I was probably ~23 when I got diagnosed. Just sharing because it’s useful to know that sometimes there’s a very specific reason why sleep seems elusive.

You can get sleeping pills for such a situation. I also use melatonin gummies. You can get CBD gummies in a lot of places. Meditation might help.

The most important aspect of sleep management for me is keeping a solid routine. I go to bed at the same time every night and get up early even on my days off. Breaking that routine leads to issues, resuming the routine solves them quickly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

I turn the brightness on my phone as low as it goes, turn on night shift to get rid of blues, and read (white text on black background / dark mode).

Don’t read in continuous scroll; find a way to turn the page with minimum animation.

Read something you don’t find so compelling as to keep turning pages but enough that you’re happy to read.

I find history books most successful at the moment since there is often no desire by the author to build tension, suspense, etc that keeps you alert.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 days ago

A lil weed before bed has been a game changer for me

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