What Helps You Fall Asleep at Night? Tell Us and Get a Free Book!

Usually the radio, sometimes I'll drink a mug of hot tea before bed, decaf of course, or I'll get up and do stuff that needs done around the house until sleep comes to me.

I can't sleep without my fan on! The lull of the fan works very quickly.

I often need help in this department
although at times like the lost boys Happy Thoughts help me fly away LOL

Tylenol Pm! It's my best friend. My second best friend is an over the counter Melatonin. I've never been a good sleeper and I have apparently passed that onto my son. We can both get very cranky.

I usually tell myself I'll get up and clean if I'm not asleep in ten minutes, that almost always makes me fall asleep and when it doesn't cleaning for an hour will. :)

I turn on my I-pod and listen to music. If that doesn't work then I go into medatative state. I imagine my self on the beach and then feel myself getting tired.

I have problems falling asleep at night, I am up late because I can't sleep and no, I don't take naps during the day hoping that maybe I will be in bed at a resonable hour.

I can say this, when I do get sleepy I can not have it 100% quiet, if I do I hear every little thing from the clock on the wall to the spider crawling around in some dark corner (being sarcastic with the last one)..so I have to leave the bathroom fan on and the door open so there is a buffer ...it drives my husband nuts!

I rub my 8 y.o. son's feet with lotion mixed with essential oil of lavender. This seems to relax him into sleep and the scent on my hands is also restful to me.

I also drink Chamomile tea from Traditional Medicinal as well as their Nighty-Night tea. Both work for me.

I use auto-suggestion. I think of a perfect crime (or another story idea) and then I start at the beginning, writing in my head, thinking of every little detail. This takes about ten minutes the first time.

The next night I start at the beginning again, repeating and refining. That takes about five minutes.

After that I usually fall asleep within a few minutes. As time goes on I'll move to another part of the story. This works for about six months and then I usually write the story and start on a new one.

My mind is conditioned that lying down in the dark and thinking of this story equates to sleep and I'm off to SlumberTown.

I like to watch TV and at some point, I usually drift off. My boyfriend is the one that has a lot of trouble sleeping. We think he may possibly have Restless Legs syndrome.

I have a very difficult time falling asleep and often don't go to bed until 2 or 3 AM. I find a clean orderly bedroom, a warm shower and a good book help alot. I don't drink caffeinated drinks after 4 PM, and try not to watch programs on TV that tend to get me hyper. Often falling asleep with my bedside lamp on helps. But ultimately, if sleep hasn't come by 4 AM, I get up and play a game of Pinochle on Pogo. This works to distract my mind into sheer fatigue.

These tips work well for me:

1) I never use the bedroom as a workspace. My laptop must never gain entrance to this, my place of rest! I even lock it away in a separate room, in case it exceeds the parameters of its programming and develops ambitions of its own.

2) I keep a pen and note pad next to my bed (but I don't use it to sneak any additional work in!) so that if an idea strikes me as I'm getting ready to fall asleep, I can simply jot it down and leave the extrapolating until the next day. Better this than worrying about forgetting that important chore, or those DVDs I need to return, or that great plot twist that just came to me, complete with the angelic choir in the background (perhaps that only in my head). Key words here are: brief and point form. Once it's on paper, I can free my mind from thinking about it.

3) I must be honest with myself. Did I spend too much of the day avoiding work OR (my personal favorite) doing everything else under the sun - including washing the curtains and having fun with my vacuum's tiny 'corner' accessory piece - other than what I desperately needed to get done? If so, I may have to postpone sleep for an hour in order to make a move in the right direction. Once I've pierced through my resistance, sleep will come easily.

4) Given that I am a light sleeper, some steady white noise, such as the drone of an air purifier, can be very calming. Several cats, one dog and another human share the bedroom space with me at night. The air purifier prevents me from waking at every mundane activity that has the misfortune of making more noise than a pin drop.

5) The usual assortment of warm (non-caffeinated) drinks can be effective also, but I try not to make a habit out of it lest it becomes a full-fledged ritual that I can no longer choose to abstain from.

excircise, tea, yoga..

I have some warm milk and then I close my eyes and invision painting or creating some work of art or literature. Last night I started a Roman type mural with small tiles of different colors. The work will remain unfinished of course. I have also written television shows and walked on beaches writing poetry. The visions I produce remove me from the ordinary worries of the day and I seem to fall asleep easily this way. The plus is it utilizes my creativity.

I used to have terrible insomnia and was always exhausted. Then I met my husband and felt so comfortable with him I would fall asleep if he sat next to me too long. I don't think it was the dinners, wine, 'ahem', and afterglow. I just really felt he would never let anything terrible happen to me, and he hasn't so far. (It's only been 31 years, so something could still go wrong.)

Of course, now I'll tell you what I no longer do. I don't drink coffee all day and not eat. I don't exercise after 10:00 p.m. I don't write music and sing until four in the morning knowing I have to get up for work at 8:00. I don't eat for 4 to 6 hours before I plan to fall asleep. I don't obsess over things I cannot control. I don't let my ego stand in the way of my relationships. I don't start to think of things I need to do the next day, or if I do I write a list and dismiss them from my mind. I don't allow myself to worry just before I go to bed. I don't do things during the day I know I will regret. I don't worry about what people think of me. Oh... I could go on and on... but the main thing is I make sure I have a clear conscience and then I pray for other people, world peace and whatever other problems might still be on my mind:)

I think about a book that I had just finished and try to think of alternate endings, or think about where the characters have gone or what they did since the book ended. I try to figure out why characters did what they did and how the story's ending might have been different if the characters actions achanged. This takes my mind of my own problems and I fall asleep very easily.

making love.

This really helps me to fall asleep at night - it has never failed me and I challenge all of you to do it right there at your desk. Just simply rub your earlobes - yes, rub your earlobes and you'll bring on a yawn and then sleep...try it...I can go on and on and explain why but for now just know it works.

Also, rubbing your forearms is very relaxing and it's something you can do as well as rubbing your earlobes.

My mama used to say fanning your face with a hand fan always worked for her.

Thank you for asking and I hope I'm chosen - I love books. Salud.

Wow, you all have lots of great ideas about going to sleep!

I avoid exercise and physical work before going to bed ; then take a bath. (Think bubbles and candlelight) next I heat up a bit of milk, and pop in a soothing sounds CD, then I climb into my comfortable bed with a light reading book and before you now it I am sawing some ZZZZ's

I breathe in deeply and slowly, over and over. I don't concentrate on making the breath too deep, but I just enjoy the good feeling it gives me. Another thing that works pretty well is to slowly and gently pet the back part of my thigh, from about my waist till my upper leg. I just do this slowly and enjoy the soft, message feeling, which can be very relaxing. One or both of these actions makes me feel pleasantly good, so I stop thinking about sleep and just enjoy the feeling, and then I drift off.

I have had many issues with sleep, especially while doing EMDR work. I use several techniques to help me fall asleep or go back to sleep after nightmares. I use several visualization techniques to help me relax. The most helpful for me is to transport myself to a special place in nature. It is my secret place, so I cannot share it, but I imagine the way it looks, sounds, smells and feels. Focusing on this allows me to relax and puts stressful thoughts out of my head. I soon drift to sleep.

I also use another visualization technique where I imagine a light and for me it represents God's light. I imagine that the light enters my body and see it swirl around and move the stress out. I have also tried several others, but these methods work for me.

I find that I am not only sleeping better, but feel better overall, when I am getting regular exercise. My preferred method is walking. This is like active meditation for me. I am much better at handling stress, when I am walking regularly. As a result, I am able to sleep better.

Unfortunately, I have nights when I cannot seem to turn my mind off. It just keeps on working. I am sure there are many people with this problem. A stressful day can bring some long nights.

I do find that soft, calming music and a nice hot shower will help some. I also use scent. Essential oil on the pillow is great.

Forgot to mention: it is lavendar essential oil on my pillow

I usually try to listen to soft music or making a to-do list for the next day to clear my mind.

I have problems sleeping sometimes. I get my best sleep by keeping my feet warm. Sometimes that means an extra blanket at the foot of the bed. I will have my husband massage my neck, shoulders, and back. It helps to relax me.

I like to put my I-pod on low and listen to music. It cuts the noise and helps me sleep. If I do wake up, it helps me drift off again.

When I'm really stressed or hurting really bad, I will put the heating pad on my head or back. Again, when I'm warm, I go right to sleep.

Most of the time, I don't have any problem. I am so sleepy that as soon as my head hits my pillow, I'm asleep.

I have fibromyalgia. When I was diagnosed, the doctor prescribed Naprosyn. It was the best sleep I had in years once I took it. Now if I have several nights in a row that I don't sleep, I take Aleve and I get some rest.

i calculate derivatives. It's when i let the calculations get really complicated that this strategy backfires with a vengeance as i have to get up and work the problem out on paper.

ambien cr- I wish I knew of a better way- I would love to read the book.

when I was under a doctor's care, I used Ambien. But I try not to resort to prescription or over the counter medication. I don't like to be completely knocked out.

If it's on a weekend, I usually play on the computer for a while. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

On a work night, I just toss and turn until basically it's time to get up. There are times when I am able to make up a story in my head and I usually fall asleep before I know it. But unfortunately it doesn't work all the time, last night in particular. I'm dragging my feet at work today because I wasn't able to get enough rest last night.

Someone once suggested counting numbers, but that doesn't work for me. I need a way to get a good nights rest without medication.

A few of my medical conditions that prevent me from falling asleep quickly are Fibromyalgia and Restless Legs Syndrome. I need help in that department and need to take prescription medication, but some alternative techniques I use are to spray lavender on my pillows and bedding, drink a small glass of warm milk, sit in my iJoy massage chair, do some light stretching before bed and use a pillow in between my legs to reduce back pain.

This book seems like an excellent read, so thank you for providing this opportunity to people on Gather! Have a nice day.

My husband has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. What he does, and it always works for him, is put the most boring documentary in the video player or the dvd player, turn out the lights, take off his glasses and just listen while he lays in bed. It always works for him.

I find TV (the more boring the better), reading in a dim room and going on the PC works for me. The computer tends to tire my eyes, so that's one step in the right direction to sleeping.

My husband uses warm milk with some sugar and vanilla extract to help him sleep. He tells me it does work. :)

Of course some nights none of these solutions work and I wind up just going on what sleep I can get until my body falls asleep due to exhaustion.

I use the same technique I apply to my yoga meditation. Starting with my toes and working up my body, I concentrate on each body part as I picture it relaxing and almost melting away. Usually by the time I reach my knees I am Asleep.

Sitting in my recliner with my favorite TV show on. Then I am awake until 1:00 a.m.

Thank you for the notification that I have fun a book! I am thrilled and my method really works! SAlud.

*Won a book - duh

Thank you so much for the book! It really has such great advice in there, and helps identify areas that impact sleep. I'm just so pleased to have been selected to receive it!

try to quiet yourself dim lights about half hor before bed refrain from caffine and sugar after 6 pm make yourself a checklist of things you can do to sleep. warm milk don.t do exercise to sleep just get back to a sleep rithum it takes 24 hours to get back to a regular sleep pattern.journal and workout stressors gradually make changes.

I take a nlice warm bubble bath,, I have nice knit sheets so soft to die for, I spray my pillows,l sheets etc with lavender, I turn on my noise machine to drown out hubbys snoring and sometimes resort to Ambian. I rarely have a good nights sleep maybe I need to read the book.

i usually take provigil in the morning so by the time night comes im tired, then my doc told me to take seraquel at night along with the provigil in the morning. but when thats doesn't work i read until i feel that short burst of tiredness, it doesnt last long so when i feel it i grab it and ussually get to sleep

I have trouble sleeping at night lately, i just stay up all night staring at the ceiling. At some point I give up and go downstairs to watch movies or something, i mostly only fall asleep around 5 AM. Watching tv helps a little for me though, because my eyes need to concentrate and then body notices i'm pretty tired.

For me the nicest way to fall asleep however is reading, just a little light on. It sort of gives my body rest.