What do you do when you just can't get to sleep?

[Houseplanter]

So tired but can't nod offs and if I do I'll be wide awake about 2-4.

So what do you do? Read? Mumsnet? I'm honestly so bloody bored lying awake trying to nod off!

I try for up to about an hour. If I can’t get to sleep then I will get up and start doing something gentle like watching a bit of tv or reading. Once I feel sleepy I will go to bed again. Then the next morning I get up at a normal time, and then I’m normally very tired the next evening and fall asleep easily.

@EsmesRedPetticoat thank you for the boring books podcast recommendation - that looks great

First step is always warm milk and a biscuit, sitting up while reading my Kindle (I like Miss Read and Bill Bryson for this).

I already have white noise on in the form of (currently) an air purifier, but step two is another layer of noise- one airpod in, listening to a book (again, Bill Bryson read by a male American reader- I find his voice the most soothing.)

If neither of those work (very rare) I prop myself up in bed with all the pillows (I do sleep alone which helps) and say to myself 'Ok, I'm not sleeping tonight. That's ok, it's only one night and I can cope.' Without fail will be asleep within an hour.

I feel for you. Insomnia sucks.

Pop in an ear buds and listen to old TV shows on streaming that I'm familiar with. I do shut the tablet cover so there's no light showing

and say to myself 'Ok, I'm not sleeping tonight. That's ok, it's only one night and I can cope.' Without fail will be asleep within an hour
Genius @Shodan 😎
Living alone is also helpful!

Get up
Have a wee
Make toast
Listen to LBC whilst eating said toast
Drink of water
Turn pillow over
Spray lavender sleep spray
Light off
Concentrate on the breath

Always works

If I see 4.30am, I just get up, especially if I have a work day ahead. Coffee, yoga, shower. Powering through can break the cycle.
Prior to that, when I had insomnia, I liked meditation music on headphones. I also enjoyed guided meditation and audiobooks.

Put my ear bones on and listen to something on YouTube with my iPad.

Go on Mumsnet! 😂😂😂

the same here, the trouble is that I’ve mastered the skill over the years so go trough them too quickly.
I read MN as well, something relaxing like Style and beauty.

Sometimes I can't drift off and isn't till about 4 am or 5am I finally get some sleep usually music,reading,twitter and mumsnet but I find mumsnet completely drops off completely after 1am and mostly those who are online are working nights,up doing night feeds or the occasional spam posts

If I just need to briefly distract myself I say the alphabet backwards in my head, but generally I listen to podcasts on a Snoozeband.
When I was younger living on my own I'd go into the living room and lie on the sofa under a blanket and it was like magic, never failed.

"Ripple" through my body muscles; especially making sure my shoulders are relaxed.

Turn on one of about 6 audiobooks that I have gotten used to; I know they are the right kind of interesting/boring ratio with the right tone of narrator. No loud shouts or anything. Long enough to do the trick. Exactly the right volume.

It's got to the stage where Dh listens to his stuff and I listen to mine.

Sometimes, say if it's 5a.m, I make a cup of tea and drink it. Then I'm often sleepy again.

Ooh yes that's true - if I'm trying to get back off to sleep I often lie at the other end of the bed and sometimes go to sleep on the sofa. Strange that it works!

Sleep cove on spotify..he reads stories in a very soothing tone..i've never heard more than about 10-15 minutes of any..

Scrolling on here or reading a book or listening to podcasts. I tried magnesium salts in the bath and it seems to help but now the weather's getting warmer I find myself too hot if I have a bath before bed.

Going to try some of the tips on this thread.

Count from 10 down to 1 very slowly,repeat,works every time.I never have to do it more than twice.

Get up and write whatever it is that's on my mind. Sometimes I don't finish because as soon as my eyes get heavy I go back to bed and usually fall asleep quite quickly then.

Dh says to blink your eyes really fast for all long as you can; this makes your eyes and eyelids tired so you can't help but close them and then end up falling asleep.

Here I am....I usually end up here around 1-2am! After reading a few threads I usually fall asleep but wake myself up again when I drop the phone on the floor beside the bed 🤣
Maybe we could have a stress free/good news section for us who want no dream and some nice news to get to sleep with 😘🤣

i listen to sleep stories or podcasts

Read forums/the news, or watch something

Open the window and stick my head out, take a few deep breaths.

Get back into bed, tell myself what my DM always said, that even if I can't sleep I'm resting.

It always works. And I'm about to do it now.

Make a cup of tea and drink it with two chocolate biscuits.

Mumsnet for a while.

Usually get back to sleep eventually.

Eat!