# Why is it so hard to get to sleep **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276 "2010-05-13T05:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/1 "2010-05-13T05:41:14Z")
What do I do to get to sleep. And why is it that if I am watching a movie and I am tired, I can barely keep my eyes open and I seems to faze out for a few seconds at a time, but I press on until the end of the movie. And then when I get to bed and try to sleep I can not do it ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/2 "2010-05-13T05:50:37Z")
God I wish I knew. I’ve been fighting the insomnia thing for years. I am on several medications to try to help and at this point I can actually sleep once I get there (that is, I do not wake up every 20 minutes like I used to) but falling asleep in the first place is still a battle I fight every night. ☹ I can watch TV or read until my eyes are drooping, then I turn over to try to sleep and POP! My eyes are open again and my brain is zooming around at a million miles a minute. ARG. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/3 "2010-05-13T05:53:35Z")
Try sleeping with your hands above the covers… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/4 "2010-05-13T18:09:39Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > What do I do to get to sleep. > > And why is it that if I am watching a movie and I am tired, I can barely keep my eyes open and I seems to faze out for a few seconds at a time, but I press on until the end of the movie. And then when I get to bed and try to sleep I can not do it Dunno if there’s any truth to this but I really think our sleepiness comes in cycles. Many’s the time where I’ve been practically passing out before I turn the lights out, then lights out and BING!, wide awake. I’ve also had this happen at “sleep” studies where I’ve been practically tilting to one side, then they finish wiring me up and I’m as awake as if I’d just gotten IV caffeine. So… I don’t know the answer but I do sympathize. I suppose you could try to develop a bunch of sleep disorders that trash your sleep quality and leave you exhausted all the time - then you’ll be able to sleep any time, anywhere, but I don’t actually recommend this approach :p. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/5 "2010-05-13T18:46:29Z")
I use a trick on myself that works sometimes…if I’m lying there wide awake, I give myself permission to get up and do some housework. Just thinking of actually getting up and scrubbing something makes me suddenly so tired I almost pass out. And if it still fails to put me to sleep, at least I get a cleaner house! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/6 "2010-05-13T19:43:37Z")
As Stephen King wrote in _Insomnia_ “There is a difference berween being tired and being sleepy.” ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/7 "2010-05-13T20:34:54Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Try sleeping with your hands above the covers… 😃 Funny you should say that, as I’ve found a fairly reliable insomnia cure. Which requires my hands under the covers for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/8 "2010-05-13T20:51:50Z")
1. Look at your caffeine intake. It can wreak havoc with your ability to actually fall asleep, regardless of whether you feel sleepy or not. 2. Do you snore? If so, get yourself checked for sleep apnea. Why that would keep you from falling asleep I don’t know, but it seems to be implicated in a lot of sleep issues. 3. Maybe something in your sleep environment or something about your bed is keeping you up. I’d suggest reading Sleep Thieves by Stanley Koren. It has some good ideas in it and is an interesting read besides. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/9 "2010-05-14T05:17:41Z")
I’ve struggled with insomnia for years, but it’s not too bad lately. One thing: Do you do enough during the day to stimulate your mind and body? That energy has got to go somewhere or it just keeps me awake, unspent. Do you have a wind-down routine? That helps a lot. And make sure it isn’t too stimulating. No video games. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/10 "2010-05-14T15:47:25Z")
As a lifelong insomniac, I feel your pain. In fact, I’m operating on about 1 hour of sleep today. Do you ever have trouble turning off the music in your head? I get that all the time where no matter what I do, the same few earworms just keep repeating in my head. Drives me crazy! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/11 "2010-05-14T15:57:55Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > As a lifelong insomniac, I feel your pain. In fact, I’m operating on about 1 hour of sleep today. Do you ever have trouble turning off the music in your head? I get that all the time where no matter what I do, the same few earworms just keep repeating in my head. Drives me crazy! That was one thing that kept me from sleeping at all, the first time I was in a hospital. ARGH!!! I recommend investing in an MP3 player / iPod to provide _alternate_ auditory input. As someone posted in a recent thread about Ambien, it can be excellent distraction. I personally can’t fall asleep well at all unless I have some sound in the background - TV on something like Science Channel, or a podcast on the iPod. It has to be something interesting (to chase away earworms and stressful thoughts) but not fascinating (so it doesn’t make me stay awake). ---
**Author:** ![StrangeBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@StrangeBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrangeBird)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/12 "2010-05-16T04:27:25Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > What do I do to get to sleep. > > And why is it that if I am watching a movie and I am tired, I can barely keep my eyes open and I seems to faze out for a few seconds at a time, but I press on until the end of the movie. And then when I get to bed and try to sleep I can not do it What you’re describing is fairly common. The simplest behavioural strategy for this type of insomnia is to stop pushing yourself to stay awake when you begin to feel sleepy. If you are lying awake in bed for more than 20 mins, get and do something (pref. something boring) until you again begin to feel drowsy. Having aregular ‘bed-time’ should also help. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/13 "2010-05-16T04:51:15Z")
As above, check your caffeine intake. And my advice is to think about how much exercise you’re getting. If you’re sitting around for most of the day and not getting a decent amount of exercise, it will be harder to go to sleep. At the very least, you should be getting some good brisk walking in, working outside, or something. ETA: my husband cut all caffeine out of his life a couple of months ago. He sleeps much better now and rarely has the insomnia problems he had before. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/14 "2010-05-16T06:50:50Z")
I sometimes take a couple of Benadryl about two hours before I’m going to bed; it doesn’t work if I’m wide awake but it seems to help the transition between “tired” and “actually sleepy enough to go to sleep.” Once I’m asleep I can usually stay that way; it’s actually turning my brain off and falling asleep that screw with me. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/15 "2010-05-16T07:15:04Z")
Depends on the reason. I had OCD-like symptoms causing my insomnia. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/16 "2010-05-16T23:20:14Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > God I wish I knew. I’ve been fighting the insomnia thing for years. I am on several medications to try to help and at this point I can actually sleep once I get there (that is, I do not wake up every 20 minutes like I used to) but falling asleep in the first place is still a battle I fight every night. ☹ > > I can watch TV or read until my eyes are drooping, then I turn over to try to sleep and POP! My eyes are open again and my brain is zooming around at a million miles a minute. ARG. Same here! I usually have some drinks (which is not a great idea…and some sort of diphenhydramine, which usually gives me the “jimmy” legs, which I HATE!) I’ve had pretty severe insomnia since the age of 15, following the death of my grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![pretend\_my\_name\_is\_witty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@pretend\_my\_name\_is\_witty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pretend_my_name_is_witty)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/17 "2010-05-17T07:42:23Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > As above, check your caffeine intake. And my advice is to think about **how much exercise you’re getting**. If you’re sitting around for most of the day and not getting a decent amount of exercise, it will be harder to go to sleep. At the very least, you should be getting some good brisk walking in, working outside, or something. (Bolding mine). This is certainly true - I’ve been finishing my Master’s Thesis in the last couple of months and the last few weeks I’ve not had the chance to get out running or do any real exercise. I would lay awake in bed and couldn’t get to sleep. Now that the tough part’s finished, the stress is still there, but I can exercise again. Been sleeping like a baby the last few nights. (By which I mean I’ve slept soundly, not that I’ve been waking up crying and soiled myself or anything.) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/18 "2010-05-17T07:44:20Z")
Still awake here. Took all the nightly drugs over 4 hours ago. I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/19 "2010-05-17T07:53:04Z")
I feel lucky that I have the ability to fall asleep almost at will. I hope I never develop insomnia. Being able to sleep easily is useful in boring situations. Long layover at the airport? Wad up a shirt to place behind my head and i’m out until boarding. I agree with the background noise thing, though. I run a fan in my bedroom. Once the lights are out and I hear the whir of the fan I feel sleepy even if i were wide awake just a few minutes before. A conditioned response I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276/20 "2010-05-17T08:23:50Z")
I agree with everyone who recommends exercise during the day, might not be a good idea though within a few hours of bedtime but everyone’s different, you can experiment a bit. I also find that reading helps, find a book you cannot put down and see if that helps relax you. Try to avoid eating before bedtime, and also any activities that hype you up. The key is to relax, and it’s easier said than done, I fully realize since it’s past 4am here as I write this. Try melatonin, you can get it over the counter. I recommend this over benadryl/diphenhydramine since that will have a major dehydrating effect on you, and side effects that the melatonin does not have. I find I do need to take a bit more than the listed recommended amount… but it’s better than the diphenhydramine I used to regularly take - feel a lot better after quitting that stuff. My eyes used to be red all the time from all the diphenhydramine that I was taking in the evenings. So switching to melatonin has been much better for me. It’s also supposed to be safe, several respected clinical studies have been conducted to support it. Good luck, young man! 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-to-sleep/539276.md?page=2)