I have the same problems sometimes. When that happens, I either take calcium and/or magnesium (same idea as milk, only more concentrated) if I feel fidgety, or, if it’s just my overactive mind, I just count from 1 to 20 over and over again until I drop off. Counting indefinitely gets my mind to wander and uses too much brainpower; counting from 1 to 10 is too short a repeat, so this seems to work well. Your mileage may vary!
nonannoying talk radio at low volume set on sleep timer on clock radio.
Working the graveyard shift, I’m constantly finding myself having to get to sleep at unnatural times of the day (ie between 2 & 4 PM) in order to be able to function throughout the evening. How do I do it?
Well, there’s no sure-fire way to pull it off. I’ve found that in the absence of some kind of sleep aid, there’s absolutely no way that I can get to sleep during that time of the day, no matter how many hours I’ve been awake by that point. I usually alternate between either melatonin strips or traditional sleeping pills, and to facilitate things even more I put on one of those eye masks to block out the light. Still, even with all of that in place, it’s almost guaranteed that I’ll wake up at least once throughout the afternoon and have to use the facilities or something.
All of that is moot, though, if I’m able to get to bed at a reasonable hour. During ordinary evenings, I’m typically out altogether within ten minutes of getting into bed. The best indication, to me anyway, that I’m about to fall asleep is when my mind starts jumping between thoughts and I’m incapable of keeping a single idea in mind for any length of time. Seriously, when it gets to that point, I’m gonna be out within thirty seconds.
Ambien for when it’s bad. The trick to Ambien, is that half a tab puts you to sleep for half as long. For me, about the smallest does is 1/3 a tab or it doesn’t really work.
Either occaisionally at bedtime or when I wake up in the middle of the night, just knowing I can take a fraction of an Ambien helps. I usually know when I can sleep and when it will take hours, and go to part of an Ambien in that event.
Play a movie from the DVR that I’ve seen a million times.
I have had this same problem for years, not being able to turn off my racing mind. What works for me now is Ambien and I sleep with the TV on, usually with old sitcom reruns (lately I like Golden Girls on Nick at Nite). I can just listen to the sound of the TV and drift off.
No caffeine after noon. Eat your last meal at least three hours before bedtime. Exercise. Meditation and yoga help too. And rather than rely on OTC drugs or booze, talk it over with your doctor.
I now take Trazadone. It is a drug for depression that doesn’t really work well for depression except at high doses. It helps me a lot. It’s wonderful to sleep through the night again.
This is the perfect solution, and what I use. If you live around Chicago, try WGN radio. If you don’t live around Chicago, try WGN AM radio’s website. They are guaranteed to put you to sleep. They don’t call it Wally’s Geriatric Network for nothing!
I play the alphabet game.
http://www.sleepingtricks.com/alphabet-game.php
Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t. But then I’m a raging insomniac. (that sounds bad :D).
I used to count backwards from 100 but it stopped working.
A teacher taught me a meditation like trick years ago. You’re supposed to “clear your mind and picture…” but I have a hard time clearing my mind to start out with so I just focus on picturing a completely blank white room to start out with. When you have that room built, start picturing details. You can build on the room or build an object, like a teacup. Start with a simple form like a plain white teacup, then add details like gold chasing on blue white fine porcelain, with steaming hot delicious tea pouring slowly … etc. Change it up each time so your mind doesn’t get bored and too used to the trick.
Another thing that sometimes works is remembering a dream I had in the past. Specifically how the dream felt, not just the plot.
I used to count backwards from 100 but it stopped working.
A teacher taught me a meditation like trick years ago. You’re supposed to “clear your mind and picture…” but I have a hard time clearing my mind to start out with so I just focus on picturing a completely blank white room to start out with. When you have that room built, start picturing details. You can build on the room or build an object, like a teacup. Start with a simple form like a plain white teacup, then add details like gold chasing on blue white fine porcelain, with steaming hot delicious tea pouring slowly … etc. Change it up each time so your mind doesn’t get bored and too used to the trick.
Another thing that sometimes works is remembering a dream I had in the past. Specifically how the dream felt, not just the plot.
20 to 40 minutes of Zen meditation. Don’t be spooked, it’s basically sitting on a comfortable cushion, staring at the wall, and emptying out your mind by focusing intently on your breathing as if nothing else exists. It helps me fall asleep easier, and my sleep is of better quality.
Is Tylenol Nighttime the same or equivalent to Tylenol PM?
How long do Nyquil and Tylenol take to make you feel sleepy?
1: Get rid of ALL possible sources of light, heavy curtains, tape over the lights on your modem etc.
2: Ensure you have gone to the dunny!
3: Listen to a meditative pod cast [I use deep sleep a free app]
that’s it, I am out like a light.
Similar to the meditation technique mentioned, I focus on a specific thought that is relaxing and pleasant, and it’s a fantasy. I think of a former lover and the great times we had, and about how I wanted to go down on her but never asked her, so in my fantasy I am driving her wild while doing that.
This works very well for me!
That Nyquil is effective stuff. I woke up with a headache. Any way to reduce that side effect?
Isn’t that mostly alcohol? Maybe it’s a hangover headache?
Masturbation to orgasm? Most of us know that one already. 
If google’s right, 25% alcohol, 15 mL dose. If you get a hangover from that, Guinness has a “freakishly lightweight” award.
Ditto. I have to have the TV on (tuned to something interesting but not fascinating - the Discovery Channel / Animal Planet types of shows work well), or my iPod - similarly tuned to something interesting enough to keep my mind from racing, but not so fascinating that I force myself lto stay alert.
Refrain from doing jumpy activities before bed like web surfing, channel surfing, or anything else where you are jumping from one thing to another. For me, those activities get my brain into a mode where it jumps from subject to subject and it’s hard to fall asleep.
If my thoughts are jumpy, one thing that helps me relax is to slowly count down from some high number like 324 by 3’s (324… 321… 318…) and take a deep breath each time. If my mind wanders and I lose track, then I start back at the beginning number. If you use this trick, don’t pick the same starting number each time or else your mind will begin to remember the pattern and may start to rush through. Counting backwards by 1 never worked for me since my mind found it too easy to come up with the next lower number.