I am physically, and mentally exhausted, and I can't sleep. Can somebody please help me with some ideas to help me?

I can never sleep when my head is too busy. Sometimes I get the loop tape going in there and sleep just can’t happen. So I listen to books or pod casts on my iPod. Just immerse yourself in the words or soft music if you prefer, and in no time your head will forget the tape and you will be asleep.

Trust me, it works.

Usually reading helps, but not when the story gets too exciting, but if you are exhausted i am sure if you read a few pages of a story you will definitely get drowsy and fall asleep.Sweet Dreams

@Roory I will try that one. I just need to find a really boring book. unlike many I could be falling asleep, and if I discover that the book is good, then I wake up and read it.

<3

If you’re desperate, a benadryl (or house brand) will help you fall asleep. (You must be ready to sleep, though—it’s somewhat easy to shrug off the sleepiness it causes if you’re up and about.)

I’ve heard good things about melatonin, but it can take a while before it starts working correctly.

Warm milk? (It works for some people.) So does chamomile tea, or really, any non-caffeinated warm beverage.

A shower before bed will help you sleep, too—something about body temperature, I’m not sure.

A routine will also help you sleep better, but like with the melatonin—you need to do it for a week or so before it starts paying dividends.

If you’re like @rooeytoo and have a “loop” going in your head, try writing everything in your head down on a piece of paper. It may or may not help.

Something that works really well for me: tell yourself a story. It can be about anything, really, just start telling yourself a story—make it involved and interesting, and before you know it, you’ll be falling asleep.

You can also try just clearing your head of everything—the best way I’ve found to do this is to have a set number (i.e. 50) and count backwards from that, breathing in and out for each number. This forces your brain to focus on nothing but the counting, and can often “pave the way” to sleepy-time. (Try to do this when you’re in a comfortable position: it works best when you’re not moving around too much.)

Good luck!

@uberbatman: ????

Try Pzizz. It works great. I use the Sleep mode on my mac to generate pzizz tracks that I can put on my iPod. I listen to it and follow the I structions… I guess this takes your mind off all those thoughts. There are some science behind it as well which you can read up on their site.

What’s on your mind? Is something troubling you that is keeping you awake? It’s hard to relax if your mind is still actively working on some problem or issue. I would suggest writing what you think it might be down. If you don’t know, just start writing anyway, and see what’s if anything surprising comes out in what you write down.

It is 3:30AM Pacific Daylight Savings Time. Are you still awake?

I guess not. My job here is done, before I even started. Pretty damn effective, huh? Hey you, over there…..answer me! Did I put you to sleep, too? Damn, I’m good. And with that, I bid you all a good evening. See ya….Gary/wtf

@whatthefluther – Didn’t work for me, I am still awake, course it’s only 8:19 pm here!

If possible you should stop working or studying for at least 2 weeks. Take a serious break. You need rest. Moderate exercise for at least 1 hour a day. Take extended walks in nature far away from a city or larger town. Take sunbaths. Listen to slow music. Talk to people who have nothing to do with the people related to your physical and mental exhaustion. Very little alcohol or no alcohol as it does affect sleep patterns. Leave your home. Visit someone far away from your home. If it doesn’t get better talk to a doctor.

@evegrimm, a shower would wake me up! If I am warm & cozy, & watching something on TV, preferably almost boring, I conk out almost every time.

Try reading one of Dalepetrie’s posts.

Heroin? Or if that is a little too hard then try valerian root (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerian_%28herb%29), it’s not for everyone but it’s a solid natural substitute to OTC sleep aids.

Sounds like you need to get laid. It works for me.

Apparently after orgasms your body releases hormones or somewhat which will make you feel sleepy. With this in mind you might just want to consider masturbation.

But you didn’t hear it from me

Wow! @evegrimm I took benadryl, I took a shower, and then I had a cup of tea. I fell asleep finally, at 215 mountain time. but then I woke up at 6, but that little bit of sleep helped. Thanks.

or have someone you know hook you up with a doobie. You will sleep.

I think there have been a couple good answers on here. You really do need to specifically take some time to rest.

One method that helps when you can’t sleep, or when your head is too busy as it seems to be, is to write lists. Write down everything that needs done. Alternatively write a list of everything that is bothering you. Put it all on paper. Then put the paper aside and sleep. You don’t have to continually go through all the issues in your head because once you are rested you can read the paper and pick it all back up.

First, take care of things that you have absolute control over:

Eliminate light in the room
Avoid in the hour before bedtime: exercise tv, computer
Avoid in the four hours before bedtime: sugary or starchy foods, alcohol
Avoid in the eight hours before bedtime: caffeine
Establish a bedtime routine- something quiet like reading, journaling or sketching for 20 minutes before you turn out the light works for a lot of people.

If you’re already done these standard things, and you don’t want to try more drugs, you might consider brainwave entrainment. It’s a scientific technique using either video or audio queues to aid your brain to get into a restful state.

Here’s a link:http://youcansleeptonight.com/

@6rant6 Thanks, I will try those ideas too.

Try heavy exercise during the day. I started exercising daily eighteen years ago, basically out of frustration since I was such an insomniac. Some nights I wouldn’t sleep at all. Now I exercise 2–3 hours a day, six days a week, and I regularly sleep 7–8 hours every night.

I know 2–3 hours a day sounds like a lot, but remember that I’ve worked up to it over an 18-year period. I have a recumbent bike which I sit and pedal while I watch TV, and I do other exercises like Heavyhands when I’m watching TV as well.

If you do this I would recommend that you stop exercising for the day at least four hours before you go to bed. I find that if I exercise too close to my usual bedtime, it makes me more alert and it’s counterproductive. The key is to tire yourself out early in the day, then sleep like a rock at night.