What do you do when you can't sleep?

I’m doing it right now. I don’t recommend it. It’s no help at all. I keep refreshing Fluther.

If you have an iPod/iPhone there is an app called binaural beats, it works great!

Nope, no Ipod, or phone.

some prefer the “left hand suzuki method”...

You might try a sex machine as described in the question that just preceded yours. They are quite expensive but should exhaust you nicely. See ya…Gary/wtf

Yahtzee!

lol…......done that, still wide awake

long hot shower.
glass of warm milk.
Sting’s “Living Sea” album.

Give up and submit to the fact you’re not going to fall asleep. I usually get on the computer for an hour or two, then give it another go.

see if you can jump down an entire flight of stairs

throw pens from a moving vehicle

try to nail shit to the wall

see how many cigarettes you can cram in your mouth and light them on fire

light yourself on fire

draw penises on your neighbor’s doors

Sounds dumb, but it’s worked for me before: Pretend to be asleep. I don’t just mean lay in bed with your eyes closed… I mean act like you’re in a play or something, and your character is supposed to be asleep, and you’re trying to be as convincing as you can. Close your eyes, try to empty your mind, make your breathing slow and steady, etc. Just try to be a method actor acting like you’re asleep. A lot of times, if you mimic the physical behavior of sleep well enough, the brain will soon follow, and you’ll wind up actually being asleep…

@Grisaille….Hell, I’ve done all that and am eager for more. What else you got? See ya….Gary/wtf

Not sure if you can do this in a portable-in-the-bed kind of way, but playing games like mahjong or solitaire can be a little mind-numbing and sleep inducing in my experience..

@whatthefluther Have you tried actually trying to fall asleep yet?

@Grisaille….and kick the meth? No, sorry. See ya….Gary/wtf

good call. wouldn’t wanna waste that now

Buy baby clothes from Ebay, check Fluther, read news headlines. If I didn’t have my laptop available I’d read part of a book until I got sleepy.

Okay, let’s get this down once and for all: SEX is best for putting you to sleep. Call me.

@Zen….But I’ve lost you number again! See ya….Gary/wtf

@whatthefluther I’ll PM you, luv.

Fluther (it doesn’t help me sleep but it keeps me from being bored)

Read a boring book, but one that isn’t too thick. I don’t want it to break my nose when it falls on my face as I eventually drift off.

Watch TV but with the sound low so I don’t really know what is going on.

Lie down and get comfortable, close my eyes, and then day dream. Before I know it I’m dreaming for real and sawing logs.

Take a warm bath, boost the AC to make it cooler in the house and then lie down in the quiet and the dark.

Take some benedryl. It has the advantage of keeping things from itching.

Give up and go sit on the porch in the recliner out there and wait for the sunrise. I generally miss it though, when I start checking my eyelids for light leaks.

I’m probably much to late to help you out now, but for future reference, perhaps:

Computer/Television screens tend to throw off your circadian rhythm, so if you have trouble getting to sleep you should try to avoid as much late night computing and TV watching as possible.

Try not to ever do anything in your bed except sleep. (And maybe sex). If you save your bed for just sleep, your body will naturally feel like it SHOULD be asleep when you’re in bed. That will help, whether you’re actually tired or not.

I, personally, tend to read anywhere from 15–45 minutes before I actually go to sleep. My biggest problem is usually that I have too much going on in my mind, so having something specific to focus on helps.

I’ve heard that if you tend to think about all the stuff you need to do the following day, you should keep a notepad and pen by your bed and write down all the stuff you need to remember before trying to sleep.

One of the worst things to do when you need to sleep is get on the internet, or even just your computer in general.