Steps: (not necessarily in order)
1. Get up and walk around.
2. Move to a different spot.
3. Drink some hot tea or warm milk.
4. Use some relaxation techniques.
5. Listen to soothing music.
6. Listen to white noise or other repetitive sound.
7. Read or write.
It seems like for me, I either sleep like a rock or I don't sleep at all. I have pulled my share of all-nighters, but not necessarily by choice. I just have a lot of issues sleeping, and sometimes they have a cause and sometimes they don't. I even went through this phase when I was in second grade where every night I would wake up at 2:00 am on the nose and I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. I think my all-time record for consecutive hours awake is 38 (set shortly after the school year started), and a close second is sleeping for 11 hours over the course of 72 (set over our weekend at MBLGTACC '12) Not being able to sleep is a huge annoyance at best and a debilitating problem at worst, and most of us have issues sleeping at one point or another. It always seems to get worse for me over summer and I have quite a few friends who struggle with insomnia, so here are some of my tried and true methods for dealing with rough nights.
One suggestion I have is getting up and walking around or moving to another spot. I'll either walk around the house a few times or move to a couch, something I know my dad does as well. Usually I just hang out on the couch for a half hour or so and then move back to my bed and magically I'm able to find a comfortable spot and drift off. I think trouble sleeping has a lot to do with restlessness--either the body or mind gets stuck in one spot, so try changing it up a bit. Move to a couch or get a different pillow or something like that.
Now, I'm a huge tea fan and there are a lot of brands and types of tea marketed for their calming effects. My family swears by Sleepytime from Celestial Seasonings, and there's also Quietly Chamomile by Lipton. I think hot liquids help a lot in general as a means of relaxation. It may be a placebo, but I absolutely swear by a mug of warm milk. It works every time for me. I also recommend using some relaxation techniques, such as progressive relaxation which involves tensing and relaxing individual muscles. I usually start with my feet and work my way up, and it also works well for anxiety. Google it for more info. I also listen to music a lot, especially if I can't sleep in summer. There is some really great Native American flute music as well as acoustic guitar on Youtube which never fails to help me out. Also, listening to white noise or something repetitive. If you like to fall asleep to rain, you know what I'm talking about. I found that I could fall asleep pretty easily to the ticking of my watch or my dog's heartbeat.
Often times when I can't sleep it's due to thinking too much. I just
can't seem to turn off my mind either because I'm worried about
something or I have an idea that's bugging me. I suggest getting out a
notebook and just jotting all the stuff down to get it out of your head. I
also find writing things out, especially in a way that others would
understand them, helps me to organize and better comprehend my ideas or
the situation as a whole, instead of everything being jumbled up and
scattered. Who knows, you might even find out you wrote something
brilliant when you wake up. I keep a notebook under my bed and it has
come in handy quite a bit. Also, reading a book for a little while
might help relax you enough to fall asleep.
I hope some of these things work for you if you're having trouble sleeping, and you can always look up some techniques on your own. Good night, good luck, sweet dreams, and whatever you do, don't drink caffeine before bed!
With love and hugs,
-Megan
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