I’ve been awake for 23hrs

[isitmytime]

And I’m no closer sleep. I’ve tried reading, I was getting too engrossed in the story.
I got up to put the tv on for a bit but the house is cold so I came back to bed.
I turned the lights off and lay in the dark for an hour but nothing, not even a yawn.
my mind is exhausted but absolutely nothing is working to get me to sleep and I need to be up in 3 hours! HELP!

Screens don't help. I'm sure it's something to do with the light triggering our body clock. Only thing that gives me consistent sleep is hitting the gym regularly. Having fairly bad ADHD I'm defo familiar with the 'mind awake despite being exhausted' thing. I didn't have time to train this week hence I'm still awake since yesterday morn, despite working two 14 hr shifts and a 13 hr shift last week and being up early every day.

This is no help right now, but buy an incredibly boring book with small type and read it in these situations. Your eyes get tired really quickly. Try a biography of someone political from two hundred years ago.
Right now give up and concentrate on staying awake.

Audiobook of something you've heard/read 30000 times already

I hope you're well in the land of nod by now but if not my usuals are....

Hot bath/shower - initially brings your blood to the skin, lowers your blood pressure and then as your body returns to normal your core temp drops a bit and this can help with initiating sleep

And eating. Something like weetabox or toast for me normally, this makes your blood divert to your stomach, blood pressure reduces slightly and kicks off your parasympathetic nervous system - ie rest and digest

Long sleep meditations can be effective.

Left of field but I like a Youtube ASMR video- something like someone having their hair brushed sends me right off!

Phenergan tablets from the chemist, can make you feel a little drugged the next day so take half a tablet about 12 hours before you need to get up.
Hot bath and eating definitely, sets your body up to sleep

Any of the Diary of a CEO podcasts. Most are 3 hours of navel gazing on some pseudo health bollocks.

Try a sleep story on YouTube. I like Sleep and Sorcery. Or listen to a film on low volume, I like classic British comedy like What A Carve Up and The Runaway Bus. Silly, cosy, comforting.
If you're peri age, it might be a symptom. I had dreadful insomnia with it. Thank christ for HRT!

Not for this time but tonight try a mug of chamomile tea in bed before sleep. (Not too big a mug or you will wake to need the loo).
The other thing i do when I can't sleep is to embrace it rather than struggle against it. Use the time to catch up on a series you enjoy. I actually watch old location location and usually drift off during it!!
The more I try to go to sleep the less I can.
The final thing i say to myself - if one night without sleep makes me tired but is not the end of the world. I can get through the next day. (Then I head to bed that night before I miss my sleep window so I can drop off when needed. E.g 8:30 if required. - I am lucky that my kids are old enough to put themselves to bed and I have no dog needing a late night walk so I appreciate we can't all do this.)

Hope that you are now asleep op. Fellow sufferer, of a certain age, and almost certainly ADHD too.

Lots of good advice here. I would add a glass of milk, or a kiwi at bedtime (kiwis apparently have the same hormone in, which helps sleep. )

I also have a stock of gentle audiobooks to listen to, or the world service on radio 4 can help. You have to have something interesting enough to stop your mind whirring, but gentle enough to not keep you awake. The tone of voice of the speaker is important.

I also have a spare single duvet by the settee and I record certain programmes. 'Repair Shop' can get me off to sleep really well! (Sorry presenters! I do go back and watch the ending the next night but I find it like a warm bath, lovely slow comfort telly ). Escape to the Country's not bad either, depending on whether I like the houses too much!

Best of luck.

Thanks for all the recommendations I’ll give some a try the next time I can’t sleep, which I k ow will be soon! I eventually nodded off about 0530, well that’s the last time I remember seeing and got up at 8. I’m nightshift tonight so it’s going to be a struggle to stay away until tomorrow morning and I don’t sleep well between night shifts.
im keeping busy despite a banging headache and I’m
juat wishing away the day/night so I can get back to bed

Do try listening to the podcast Nothing Much Happens. It works brilliantly for me. The stories are gentle and soothing, with just enough detail to stop you thinking about anything else, but not enough to keep you awake. Kathryn Nicolai's voice makes you feel like everything will be alright. It might take a few weeks to work consistently, but it will help

Oh bless you. Shift work is so tricky.

Much of the advice above applies - the podcast from @Romancingthestones sounds perfect.

The other thing is to take the stress out of it. Tell your brain you are going to bed to be warm and comfy and to rest, with your eyes closed, listening to a podcast . . . Sleep - or otherwise - is up to your body. Your job is to make sure you are fed, watered, warm, comfy and resting, with something gentle to listen to.

Best of luck.