Insomnia...what cures it?

So it's 6:12AM and I haven't slept a wink. I went to bed at 2AM last night ready to sleep and then tossed and turned until about 10 minutes ago when I said 'Fuck it'. Been up since 7am yesterday and still can't sleep. This is actually pretty common for me and it sucks.
 
I've tried OTC sleeping meds and my body fights them; I will start to drift off to sleep, but it's so rapid and unnatural that I jerk awake every time. Back in my youth I'd smoke the smoke to get to sleep but those days are behind me by a good 15 years.
 
So what are your insomnia cures? And can somebody punch me in the face, please?

Is 2AM normally around the time you go to bed? Sound's like you're sleeping pattern is totally jacked up.

For me it was anti-depressants. It got rid of my anxiety which was the main reason I couldn't sleep. I've tried sleeping pills and I excercise regularly but I could never wind down my brain, no matter how tired my body was. Now I sleep like a baby! And should probably get a new user name...

Weed is a great cure for insomnia. stops you dreaming though 

So basically, drugs are the answer.

Is 2AM normally around the time you go to bed? Sound's like you're sleeping pattern is totally jacked up.

sleeping pills. masturbate. soothing music.

Despite my stupid name, I'm not a true insomniac. For years I've just been working nights and sleeping in the day.

There are days when I have trouble going to sleep and that is often days when I lay around a lot, but I go to sleep quicker when I'm working out and getting good exercise. Which is what I've been doing for about a year now and it makes life in general much better.

The worst is having chronic Restless Leg Syndrome. It's this electric-like discomfort in your thigh muscles that makes you want to pull your legs out of your sockets. And it only seems to happen when you're trying to sleep.

My mom is an insomniac and uses Melatonin pills. She gave me one-- I haven't been sleeping well lately--  and I only got four hours of sleep.

@Fajita_Jim said:

So it's 6:12AM and I haven't slept a wink. I went to bed at 2AM last night ready to sleep and then tossed and turned until about 10 minutes ago when I said 'Fuck it'. Been up since 7am yesterday and still can't sleep. This is actually pretty common for me and it sucks. I've tried OTC sleeping meds and my body fights them; I will start to drift off to sleep, but it's so rapid and unnatural that I jerk awake every time. Back in my youth I'd smoke the smoke to get to sleep but those days are behind me by a good 15 years. So what are your insomnia cures? And can somebody punch me in the face, please?

first of its not insomnia. trust me your sleep pattern is just jacked.

what you can do to help it is

do something strangious (proberly spelled wrong) exersice, jerk of or other things that make you physically tired

if you have personal problems or alot of things to think about that can ruin your sleep as well.

its it just often you have that problem you can drink 1 beer and go to sleep

when you try to sleep just relax close your eyes and try to sleep, even if you cant dont toss and turn or get up and do something for a short while and then try again that will not work

and basic common sense.

if you wanna go to the extreme or are convinced that you have ensomnia you can go to a sleep pattern doctor thing where you have to sleep in a hospital with electrodes on your head and body while being video taped trust me its not fun

 @Grillbar said:

@Fajita_Jim said:

So it's 6:12AM and I haven't slept a wink. I went to bed at 2AM last night ready to sleep and then tossed and turned until about 10 minutes ago when I said 'Fuck it'. Been up since 7am yesterday and still can't sleep. This is actually pretty common for me and it sucks. I've tried OTC sleeping meds and my body fights them; I will start to drift off to sleep, but it's so rapid and unnatural that I jerk awake every time. Back in my youth I'd smoke the smoke to get to sleep but those days are behind me by a good 15 years. So what are your insomnia cures? And can somebody punch me in the face, please?

first of its not insomnia. trust me your sleep pattern is just jacked.

what you can do to help it is

do something strangious (proberly spelled wrong) exersice, jerk of or other things that make you physically tired

if you have personal problems or alot of things to think about that can ruin your sleep as well.

its it just often you have that problem you can drink 1 beer and go to sleep

when you try to sleep just relax close your eyes and try to sleep, even if you cant dont toss and turn or get up and do something for a short while and then try again that will not work

and basic common sense.

if you wanna go to the extreme or are convinced that you have ensomnia you can go to a sleep pattern doctor thing where you have to sleep in a hospital with electrodes on your head and body while being video taped trust me its not fun

Play DNF...ahahaha....aah

The worst is having chronic Restless Leg Syndrome. It's this electric-like discomfort in your thigh muscles that makes you want to pull your legs out of your sockets. And it only seems to happen when you're trying to sleep.

I've been an insomniac on and off for most of my life, it comes and goes based on stress levels among other things.

Sex and/or masturbation are actually tremendously helpful for this if you haven't tried it already, especially sex for the added bonus of exercise in addition to the relaxing effect of having an orgasm.

A glass of wine or a beer can help - have no more than two standard drinks, and the only effect will be general relaxation...but obviously becoming dependent on this is in itself a form of alcoholism, so it can be a slippery slope if you aren't careful.

I have found that the best trick for me is to give up as soon as you start tossing and turning; get up, read a book or do something that doesn't involve looking at a screen, and then try again if you have chilled out. I'm convinced that the frustration of being unable to fall asleep is the major reason that I struggle, self-perpetuating and all that.

Finally, when all else fails, I lay on my back and imagine a yacht floating in calm, light blue tropical waters, the sun shining, and Enya's 'Sail Away' playing. It sounds stupid, but getting a sense of calm with no distraction helps, however you do it.

Really finally, when even that fails, I submerge myself in some incredibly perverse sexual fantasies. They might not get you to fall asleep, but at the very least you'll enjoy yourself!

You can't sleep if you are thinking of shit, so stop thinking of shit.

@Fajita_Jim said:

My problem is that my brain won't shut off. I was laying there last night and I couldn't stop thinking about photosynthesis of all things: that photon of light streaming down, hitting that carbon dioxide molocule, freeing the oxygen, generating a little bit of electricity that the plant uses to make sugar, and using the remaining carbon atom to build its structure.

Okay you seriously need to get laid.

Sleep. Sleep fixes insomnia.

There are things you can do over the long term like go to bed at the same time every night and use your bed for nothing other than sleep (except sex). This essentially teaches your brain that when you go to bed its time to sleep, other than that I can't say more than whats already been said, I suffer from it myself a lot.

fapping

The answer....Flower for PS3. That game puts me to sleep every time.

Put a fan next to your bed to give yourself a good chill.

@Fajita_Jim said:

My problem is that my brain won't shut off. I was laying there last night and I couldn't stop thinking about photosynthesis of all things: that photon of light streaming down, hitting that carbon dioxide molocule, freeing the oxygen, generating a little bit of electricity that the plant uses to make sugar, and using the remaining carbon atom to build its structure.

Okay you seriously need to get laid.

Regular bed routines, working out, eating regularly and healthy... try omega 3 capsules, as the brain needs omega 3 to function properly.

@Subject2Change said:

sleeping pills. masturbate. soothing music.

Words to live/sleep by.

@swoxx said:

Play DNF...ahahaha....aah

I'm disappointed with you! D:

Get a physically exhausting job.

Or get cancer and do chemo.

Exercise.

Bourbon.  The brownest of the brown liquors.

@Red12b said:

2nded or alternatively Have a wank, just don't think about lying in your own spunk

That is a revolting image. I hope you're happy with yourself.

@Red12b said:

2nded or alternatively Have a wank, just don't think about lying in your own spunk

That is a revolting image. I hope you're happy with yourself.

Jump up and down until you fall over from exhaustion. Then crawl to your bed.

The Bombcast. It usually takes me a few days to get through one as I'm prone to fall asleep after 35 minutes of listening.

One recommendation I'd add would be to restrict your gaming to stop about 2-3 hours before you go to bed and trying to stay away from a computer monitor. Having those bright lights can trick your brain into thinking it's still day time(something that is discussed on the Tested podcast) rather then having lights on at night turn them off to signal to your brain that it's time for bed. Also, I find that reading helps me sleep a whole lot. I read for about 40 minutes before I go to bed and I start feeling tired.

Other small things you can do:

• Don't exercise right before you go to bed. There's a reason after workouts you feel so good, adrenaline, and that doesn't help getting to sleep.
• Staying away from caffeinated or high sugar drinks or foods.
• Listen to some podcasts or calm music. Podcasts usually have monotone or low noise which can really help you stop thinking while also not getting your heart rate up.

@StrikeALight said:

So basically, drugs are the answer.

It really depends on why he/she has insomnia, Could be depression which he may need to see a psychologist/psychiatrist. If its just a one time thing, and not regular then it shouldn't be worried about much.

Try not to consume any caffeine.

What's the best way to get sleep? Stop trying to sleep. 
 
The more you try to sleep and get stressed when it doesn't come the longer the insomnia lasts. 
 
Stop making it a problem and it will stop being a problem. 
 
Do you know why I sleep well every night? Because I don't give sleep a second thought. It's time to give your brain something else to think about other than "I haven't slept for X hours. I really need to sleep". The more you try to sleep, the less likely it is going to happen. 
 
But hey, I'm no expert.

One recommendation I'd add would be to restrict your gaming to stop about 2-3 hours before you go to bed and trying to stay away from a computer monitor. Having those bright lights can trick your brain into thinking it's still day time(something that is discussed on the Tested podcast) rather then having lights on at night turn them off to signal to your brain that it's time for bed. Also, I find that reading helps me sleep a whole lot. I read for about 40 minutes before I go to bed and I start feeling tired.

Other small things you can do:

• Don't exercise right before you go to bed. There's a reason after workouts you feel so good, adrenaline, and that doesn't help getting to sleep.
• Staying away from caffeinated or high sugar drinks or foods.
• Listen to some podcasts or calm music. Podcasts usually have monotone or low noise which can really help you stop thinking while also not getting your heart rate up.

Not really sure but when you find out let me know bc I too have problems sleeping. 
 
@Riddell said:

What's the best way to get sleep? Stop trying to sleep.  The more you try to sleep and get stressed when it doesn't come the longer the insomnia lasts.  Stop making it a problem and it will stop being a problem.  Do you know why I sleep well every night? Because I don't give sleep a second thought. It's time to give your brain something else to think about other than "I haven't slept for X hours. I really need to sleep". The more you try to sleep, the less likely it is going to happen.  But hey, I'm no expert.

Melatonin pills work. They are mostly used to cure insomnia and sleep disorders. They are different from sleeping pills as they change your systems melatonin balance rather than just making you drowsy. You can get them in pretty much any drug store in the world.

I used to have horrible insomnia, jolting awake right before falling asleep- etc...

What fixed it? I started sleeping on the floor. I suspect it has more to do with how firm the surface im sleeping on, and less with elevation. Still- it worked; fall asleep quickly now.

Just lay back and think of all the mornings you wished to christ that you could just lay there another 10 minutes- seriously.

Introduce some white noise into the room so you don't focus your thoughts on anything.

@Stonyman65 said:

Melatonin pills work. They are mostly used to cure insomnia and sleep disorders. They are different from sleeping pills as they change your systems melatonin balance rather than just making you drowsy. You can get them in pretty much any drug store in the world.

I wouldn't do this, it throws off your brains normal chemistry by changing its melatonin levels. Sleeping pills are not good for you, the best thing to do its maybe look at natural ingredients.

I used to have the thinking too much problem when I was younger. I just started putting a tv show or something on in the background and it worked well enough. 

Watch some one else play video games, that'll put ya to sleep.

Here's a lengthy Dragon Quest 8 video with no commentary:

Opposite of what most people have said.Think seems to help me fall asleep. I usually like to picture what a awesome video game would be if I could make one. I usually start to get sleepy I then turnover and close my eyes and then its morning.

I find chloroform works well. Also, if you don't mind the memory loss, give rohypnol a try.

marijuana