We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us how they deal with not being able to sleep. Here’s what they said:
Please note that these aren't medical recommendations. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any kind of treatment.
1. Imagine that you are powering down your body, part by part.
"I think about shutting off each part of my body, starting with my feet and legs, and work my way up — I don't usually get to my head. :-)"
2. Make a mental list of every bed you've ever slept in.
"My mind races at about 100 miles an hour before bedtime. When this happens I try to make a list in my head of every bed that I've ever slept in. It sounds stupid, but it kinda works!"
3. Masturbate.
"It's nature's sleeping pill, as I've heard it been called. It's not just for guys. It helps me unwind and relax and it almost never fails me."
4. Use the app Noisli to curate the perfect soundtrack of soothing noises to fall asleep to.
"You can basically DJ your sleep soundtrack by adding and adjusting sounds (ocean, streams, wind, thunder, general white noise, etc.)."
—Bailey Ko, Facebook
5. Count glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars.
"I bought ceiling stars that little kids have in their rooms and put them up in mine. I count the stars or try to see how many big dippers I can find."
6. Keep your alarm clock out of your line of sight.
"Move your clock so you can’t see what time it is from your bed. Otherwise I’m mentally calculating how little sleep I’m going to get, then getting anxious about it, which keeps me up even longer."
7. Transform your bedroom into the perfect minimalist environment for sleep.
—Julie Harden, Facebook
8. Make your bedroom a screen-free zone.
"No screens in my bedroom — no TV, tablets, phones, or computers. I don't even read in there. I've programmed my body to associate my bedroom with sleep, so now I'm out like a light as soon as I lay down."
—Helene Støvring, Facebook
9. But if you need to work before bed, use the app f.lux to minimize the blue light coming from your screen.
"I recommend everyone that spends a lot of time, especially in the evening, on computers try it or a similar program! It literally helped so, so much."
—Puki Noot, Facebook
10. Try a structured breathing technique to help you relax.
"I have a really hard time shutting my brain off and falling asleep. One thing that always works for me is the 4-3-7 trick. You inhale for four seconds, hold it for three seconds, and exhale for seven seconds. If I do that a few times it helps my brain calm down and relaxes me enough to fall asleep easily."
—Emily Pasqua Bernstein, Facebook
11. Get warm and cozy with a heating pack and body pillow.
"I have insomnia and fibromyalgia; I use lavender oil mist and warm up a heating pack. I also bought a body pillow. It looks weird but it is awesome."
—Catherine E. Nuzzi, Facebook
13. Or just listen to Stephen Fry narrate the Harry Potter audiobooks.
"I started listening to Stephen Fry read the Harry Potter book series and now I sleep like a baby almost every night!"
14. Do something creative like doodling, coloring, or journaling.
"If I can't sleep I usually try to read to get my mind off of sleeping, or I try to do something creative. I'm a musician, and once actually wrote the lyrics to a song about the fact that I couldn't sleep. It also works to just doodle, paint, write a diary entry, or use the new popular colouring books for adults."
—Gry Svanhild Kvisterud Hole, Facebook
15. Listen to the Sleep With Me podcast.
"It's super effective and hilarious; I'm usually asleep within 15 minutes."
—Grace Lyon, Facebook
16. Or other podcasters with soothing voices.
"I listen to podcasts. It helps me shut off my brain because I can't think about whatever I'm stressing about if I'm focused on the podcast. Welcome to Night Vale and 99% Invisible have particularly soothing voices."
—Amelia Cox, Facebook
17. Take a hot bath, sip herbal tea, and cuddle up with a heated pillow.
"Hot epsom salt bath, followed by a warm Dream Time Calming Crescent Shoulder Wrap, whilst sipping Sleepytime Extra tea. A sleeping cat next to you is also very effective."
—Christine Law, Facebook
18. Keep a notepad by your bed to jot down repetitive thoughts.
"My insomnia usually happens because my brain is thinking too loud, so I keep a notepad by my bed and write down every thought or idea that my brain keeps repeating. That way I won't be obsessing over trying to remember it."
—Kat Stone, Facebook
19. Smoke weed (legally).
"I smoke marijuana. Now, I don’t smoke in the daytime or when I’m out and about. But at nighttime, smoking is the only thing that makes me sleepy enough to where I can fall asleep. I live in California so I have my doctor's recommendation. Plus, there’s a dispensary within a mile of anywhere. It’s been the best thing to happen to my nights."
20. Exercise in the evening.
"I exercise at night. Not right before bed, but three to four hours before. This leaves me exhausted for bed."
21. Make up an ongoing story and add to it every night.
"I make up stories/movies in my head. It takes my mind off of everything I'm worried about in real life. I even have an ongoing story in my head that I continue with every night. Sometimes my mind wanders and it's hard to focus on the story, but once you get really into it you'll knock out."
22. Check in with yourself to see if there are any ~feelings~ keeping you up that you can get out.
"Sometimes I just need a good cry. I can't explain it, but whenever I am wakeful I try to focus on how I am feeling. 'Am I worried about work? Am I sad, am I happy? Did I forget to lock the garage?' Sometimes I find the reason, sometimes I don't, but I eventually start to tear up and within seconds I am bawling! I get so many emotions out. I wake up feeling refreshed and happy that I got all my feelings out."
23. Mentally plan tomorrow's outfit.
"Having to think about all the details and options makes me fall asleep in, like, 10 minutes. You just have to stay thinking on that and not let your mind wander."
24. Repeat a calming mantra while you imagine yourself in a relaxing situation.
"I repeat three calming words in my head slowly, over and over like a mantra (they can be any words but they have to sound calming, like 'slow, soft, sound,' or 'cool, calm, crisp.') Sometimes it also helps to imagine myself in a calming situation, like floating on placid water in a boat. These help keep my mind from wandering and distracting me from falling asleep."
Sleep tight!
Note: Answers have been edited and condensed for length.