What do you do when you can’t make yourself fall asleep at night?

[Dat-Alpha-Lion]

[Flatmanlewis]

White noise or a sound recording of rain. Box breathing as I mentally repeat the phrase “Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think.” If I can’t sleep is usually me processing the stress of some mental burden so I need to purge the CPU and shut it down.


If I can’t sleep because i mismanaged my caffeine intake or my sleep cycle is all out of wack I read for an hour or so. It helps.

[SuziesSunshine]

I go through the routine of going to bed all over again. I’ll go lay on the couch and watch tv, or read stuff on my phone, maybe have a snack and a glass of water. I’ll brush my hair and look at myself in the bathroom mirror ( weird, I know 🤣). Then, eventually, I’ll get tired again, so I’ll change back into my pj’s and lay back in my bed. It usually works for me but I rarely have trouble falling asleep.

[dustybiker2]

I will ramble long streams of stories about my day to @sirderpsalot123 and then often delete them in the morning before he gets to read them. It's therapeutic. It works. Inevitably I will get the backwash for having deleted the amazing late-night tales tho, Derp having had received the notifications.

[slatyb]

Mostly mental arithmetic. I've gotten fairly good at it. I now understand how the "idiot savant" autistic can do math so quickly -- they practice quite a lot. The day of the week calculation turns out to be pretty simple. I learned that one night before falling asleep.

[Chazmatazz269]

When i can’t sleep it’s usually because my mind is racing. So i sit up, pop 5mg of melatonin, pull out my journal and write down every random or not so random thought bouncing around my brain. It’s almost like getting them on paper literally pulls the thoughts out of my head and i fall right to sleep.

[msc545]

This happens to me a lot. I get up, go in another room, and do work on the computer or play video games (WoW and Elden ring) or read - and when I get tired I go back in the bedroom and try to sleep again.

What I do NOT do is read or watch TV in bed since this is a sure way to get even less sleep.

[IslaTheWitch]

after a few weeks of sleep deprivation, I asked a specialist for help :D

[electromagnetic]

I close my eyes and count backwards from 500. I’ve yet to make it to zero without falling asleep. The key is to focus on the numbers and no let your mind wonder. Harder than it sounds.

[exitseven]

I lie awake and think of nice things that have happened to me. Eventually I will doze off, usually about 20 minutes before I have to get up to go to work.

[b_lova]

As a kid I would tug one out and talk right to sleep. As an adult, that's what sites like this are for.

[NathanDavis]

I don't force myself to fall asleep anymore...

I do like cats would... I just relax, and rest and move as less as possible...

[LaurenM1997]

Ugh it happens daily like I don’t even look forward to bed anymore my mind gets busy and I get pissed off cause I can’t sleep

[LaurenM1997]

Then I end up being on my phone till stupid o’ clock

[PBandJ_Nerd]

I just stay up until my body has had enough of it.

[sheikalana]

Watch a movie, read a book or simply lay in bed with my eyes closed.

[sirderpsalot123]

Bother @dustybiker2 or go back to playing video games

[dustybiker2]

I keep you entertained. Till we pass out from laughing.

[sirderpsalot123]

@dustybiker2 😎👍

[DrPepper12]

I've been for 3 sleep studies and haven't slept since puberty. If you get the answer lmk

[TheSpaceGnome]

Play video games, watch anime, read manga, draw, research, etc.

[Nikki1989]

I write whatever is on my mind at the time or read a book.

[Babygirl_S]

I make chamomile tea and read a book or check my phone.

[avery58]

I watch rainstorm sound streams on YouTube

[MsProsperity]

I watch a boring movie

[LavLavLuv]

Drink warm chamomile tea

[TheDaydreamer]

read or do something for 15 mins then try again

[Iron_Man]

Get up and eat if you really can’t sleep