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Anybody have any good tips on how to fall asleep faster? Sometimes I just can't seem to. Simply laying down in the dark doesn't work for me, I always think of something that puts me in super-think mode for about an hour or so. Or sometimes I just can't stop thinking about things. I'd rather not have to go to sleeping pills, since theres a risk of dependency.

So, anybody have any suggestions? Things that work for you?

I've had insomnia for various reasons before and still suffer from it occasionally. Mostly I can't seem to get comfortable. Secondly I'm an extremely light, alert sleeper, like my dad. My brother and mother can sleep through an earthquake.

My biggest techniques for solving insomnia problems, which works for me, is firstly, getting very comfortable. Make sure you swap your mattress over every so often, (Turn it over), make your bed before you get in it, have a warm shower on sore muscles.

An hour before bed, try drinking warm milk (hot chocolate will do, but make sure it has lots of milk) and a banana. Or, put simply, some sort of carbohydrate and some sort of amino acid containing substance like milk, cheese probably works. These mixed makes a compound which goes to your brain and aids sleep.

Make sure no loud noises can interrupt. If you want to try getting used to having a fan on all night (Be aware of fire) which is what I do, or slow music, or something that hums repeditively, that's a good idea.

If you are fully comfortable, next try visualisation techniques. The best are those where you feel you are moving. Imagine yourself on a rocking boat, or in a rocking chair. Or floating. These lull me a lot. Also try letting your mind create images and try meditating to get rid of thoughts. Try focusing on a point with your eyes shut (In your minds eye) and feel as if you are on a roller coaster. Move through swirls of colour. Don't be aware of your body. Just move forward...let your mind do it. You are seeing the tunnels and tracks and swirls of tunnel colours through light. The faster you move and the more it swirls, the more lulled you get.

You can also try letting your mind form random images and these become extremely odd. Let them flow alone. Of their own accord.

This sounds like a stoner. It does happen when stoned to some, but no this isn't a stoner technique, it's a meditation one. There are a few others but these are what I usually use.

Also, you need to sleep at the correct time. Aim for 8 hours. No more, no less, or you'll be too tired. Don't force yourself to sleep when you're not tired. If you know you're only getting 5 hours sleep, don't look at your clock. Forget what time it is. That will make you panic.

I'm afraid I can't help there matey, as I think i'm genetically linked to Nagowteena, I hardly sleep at all.

I get by on about 3 hours per night. Its not that I can't sleep. I just would rather be doing stuff. When I do sleep, I sleep VERY heavily, and need 2 alarms to get me up at 5 for my 6 am shift. Kind of hard when your on here until 2 - 3 am. It catches up with me sometimes but, I think my body just thinks its the norm now.

What I would do is keep yourself busy through out the day, something that demands some physical or mental challenge, excercising, work on a problem that you are having in the house. That way by the end of the day you will be all wiped out when its time to go to sleep.

suffcation usually works . good luck on waking back up though

Kirk seems to have good suggestions here. Sex also helps, if you are of age

I do the following when I cant sleep:

1) Get up and go to the bathroom.

2) Move your pillow to the other end of the bed and sleep at the foot of the bed with your legs near the head.

3) Put on some quiet music (I put on the Wallflowers) and turn it very very low. Low enough that you can not hear it unless you stay still. This will force you to not move and it should help you fall asleep.

When my mate cant sleep...he usually wakes me up and I talk about dogs or ferrets or work until I bore him to sleep.

Fire up the XBox for a couple of hours while drinking a couple of mixed drinks usually puts me out. Vodka and grape juice does the trick. I did that last night due to insomnia. Fell asleep around 2am, woke up at 1pm. Wow, it even made me late for class. LOL

One single skinner of White widow should knock you clean out

Z wrote:well there you have it, a s*** of alcohol is the best/fastest way to fall sleep

Mmmmm Hmmm....riiiiiiight. Just make sure you're alone if you go that route. Otherwise...you'll wake up with a shaved head....markings all over your body....ETC.

Now that sounds like your talkin' from experience

lupine wrote:Now that sounds like your talkin' from experience

Nope....I don't drink.

I see a lot of that on the internet. Pics and videos.

MMMmmm. I have to admit to waking up minus an eyebrow once. We used to superglue eggs to peoples foreheads if they passed out. Proper funny and messy when they try and take them off

Answering the original question, listening to my music sometimes helps (myspace link below). Oooh I found a place to spam my music wewt!

Also, as was mentioned, sex helps, or taking care of yourself in that department *cough* *cough*. Excercise also helps. I usually run when the first two options really aren't inspiring. But, any late night runs - be smart about it.

Have no regrets.

Seriously. If you live your life, and pursue your dreams, never hurt anyone, and make the most of every day, falling asleep isn't a problem. It's been studied, that those kinds of people who have deep regrets have chrinic insomnia.

sorry, i know thats not really the question you ASKED, but hey, insomnia comes more often than not, from a mental state of mind.

Oh, and read a book.

I agree with alcohol, but only a very small amount. No more than two beers. No less than one full strength. Or one standard drink. The reason being is that you wake up early needing to pee. If you drink far too much, you wake early with a seedy stomach feeling and possibly headaches.

A book is a good idea, and what Matt said about being a good person. If you're a nasty person, and you have a conscience, then you will get no sleep. Be nice to people. Solve inner issues during the day, and solve any problems with people fast instead of waiting several days.

Also, reading and playing gameboy. And the low music. Gameboy and books makes me very, very sleepy.

Dont rely on sleeping pills. My nana, my dad and I all used antihistimenes to sleep for a few weeks and all of us woke more tired the next day. And never use with alcohol or you may go into a coma.

I Have to admit that a few years back, I was a HEAVY user of a certain herb. What I found was that although I slept like a baby, my short term memory just seemed to disappear, and my self motivation went with it.



Also, I watched a program on Sleep walkers, and the presenter (a scientist) actually set up his diet to try and cause himself to sleep walk, Alcohol was one of the things he used. Apparently, it actually makes you sleep lighter and more restlessly

Thanks guys! (Especially Kirk for his long reply and many tips!)

About the drinking...I'm waaay underage for that. 15 here.

think of your self in a field. Curled up, lying on the soft ground, paws under your chin, and let your mind wander to the forest beyond.

(i am in poet mode, if found extremely cheesey, flush head in toilet. Repeat as needed)

Z wrote:

Figarou wrote:

lupine wrote:Now that sounds like your talkin' from experience

Nope....I don't drink.

I see a lot of that on the internet. Pics and videos.

omg lol, thats like 1 in every 2 hundred or so drinking parties that that happens dude. its like saying "pit bulls are vicious" just cuz the ones that bite get airtime.

1 in every 2 hundred drinking parties?

Gee...there must be lots of parties out there cause there is lots of pics and videos of someone passed out.....covered with markings.

Figarou wrote:1 in every 2 hundred drinking parties?

Yeah, that sounds about right in my experience. I've been to quite a few boozy parties. Probably a couple of hundred at least (that's less than one a month since I got to the legal age). I have once woken up in a Situation. No shaving or tattooing or vividmarkering or anything, I just woke up one morning in Milton.

There is nothing in Milton.

Milton is a small town stuck on a straight bit of road on the Tokomairiro plain. It doesn't have any reason to exist, it just is. There is nothing to do there. I know nobody in the town. Had to hitch-hike back to Dunedin (where I was living at the time). And I still have no idea how, or why, I ended up there...

Fantastic...Like I say, It's an adventure

Z wrote: a party is anythin that involved more than 2 people to me. so im including when 2 or 3 ppl get together to chill and drink and home. and yes, there are hella parties happening all the time across the world i myself have been to countless parties in my life, and only ONCE did i witness anything like wats on youtube...all that happend was that sum guy started places cards on a dude that passed out, but it didnt last long cuz other ppl in the party got pissed and told him to quit. so yes, screwing sumone over while they are passed out drunk is an UNCOMMON event, or at least a very isolized one. the only time i ever had sumone write on me was BEFORE i passed out, and i had TOLD them they could write on me.

Oh!! Can I write on you? Puh-leeeeeze?

You told them they could write on you?

Wow where was I during that time?

spongypants23 wrote:Thanks guys! (Especially Kirk for his long reply and many tips!)

About the drinking...I'm waaay underage for that. 15 here.

Kirk is actually a girl. Right Kirk? She gets that ALOT.