Can't sleep

[Biiviz]

So, yeah. I haven't slept an entire night for about a month now.

I've tried the following so far:
-warm drink just before bed
-an hour or so before going to bed I've stayed away from 'exciting' things like movies
-hard exercise a couple of hours beforehand
-"meditation"
-eating; both light and heavy meals a couple of hours before bedtime

The only thing that's worked so far is drinking all night. As soon as I get home and my head touches the pillow I'm gone. However, I can't do this every day and it isn't exactly a refreshing kind of sleep.


Any tips that have helped you or that you've heard could help?

[flyboy_fx]

WIN at FH2 then I sleep like a baby

[Fuchs]

I've had this for a long time, sometimes I can't sleep for about a month and then it's alright again. I have never found a cure either.. Though taking vacation helped, relax yourself. Do something you really want to do and then you can go to bed with statisfaction and a relaxed mind. Thats what helped the best but it never solved it. I haven't had for a long time now. Luckily.

[DLFReporter]

Do sports! Go out and run till you drop. Works like a charm when your subconscious is rampant and won't let you sleep.

[Cory the Otter]

regular doses of Dark Chocolate and warm milk, which excretes a natural chemical that the body usually produces when sleep is nessessary.

[VonMudra]

Sleeping pills.

[Ionizer]

Roast and eat an entire turkey.  All that Tryptophan should work eventually.

Realistically:  Count sheep, etc other cliches.

When I was little, I used to create a story in my mind (kinda like "pre-dreaming"), and keep adding to it until my mind just drifted off.  I usually never noticed falling asleep, just transitioning from telling my self my story to living the story in my dreams.  I haven't been able to do that recently, however, other thoughts keep intruding on my made up story, and I eventually fall asleep by trying to piece my fantasy about dragons and knights and wizards back together after a few dozen random naked cheerleaders started stampeding through Camelot...

[Die Happy]

get yourself some weed

[flyboy_fx]

Do sports! Go out and run till you drop. Works like a charm when your subconscious is rampant and won't let you sleep.

LOL thats me!

[THeTA0123]

regular doses of Dark Chocolate and warm milk, which excretes a natural chemical that the body usually produces when sleep is nessessary.

This indeed works. The darker the chocolate, the better. Not sure how it is in other countries, but in Belgium, Holland and France, we got Noir de Noire and bitter chocolate. Both are 70% cacao. They work well to get you doozed and keeping you it

[Fuchs]

Sleeping pills.

..are for the weak.

Seriously, using sleeping pills is the worst thing to do in such a situation..

[sheikyerbouti]

 If you have recurrent insomnia, I would suggest...
1. routine, go to sleep at the same time and definitely wake up at the same time everyday.
2. no tv, video, PC stimulation for at least 1 hour before sleep. The mental stimulation from the moving images can keep you up much later than you can imagine.
3. Die Happy's suggestion works
4. get laid, it will put you right out
5. I know you live in a northern latitude so I would also suggest you try getting some more sunlight (artificial or otherwise) in order to keep your circadian system "tricked" into a daily routine. One of those Lightbook products might be exactly what you need.

Biiviz,
 i have had insomnia since I was like 14 years old and while it does come in handy sometimes, it can really bite you in the ass if you don't try to manage it well. I would recommend that you stop resorting to alcohol and if it is truly your only solution, go see your physician and make things right before you get yourself in trouble.
 If this Insomnia only happens to you from time to time, then I would hazard that you have other issues that are causing stress and keeping you awake at night. If that is the case, "talk it out", "hug it out" or go see a therapist.

good luck man,

[sheikyerbouti]

Sleeping pills.

..are for the weak.

Seriously, using sleeping pills is the worst thing to do in such a situation..

 Not if they have been medically prescribed, Sleeping pills are a viable option for treating insomnia. They don't necessarily work for me but they certainly do for others.

[Eat Uranium]

When I was little, I used to create a story in my mind (kinda like "pre-dreaming"), and keep adding to it until my mind just drifted off.  I usually never noticed falling asleep, just transitioning from telling my self my story to living the story in my dreams.  I haven't been able to do that recently, however, other thoughts keep intruding on my made up story, and I eventually fall asleep by trying to piece my fantasy about dragons and knights and wizards back together after a few dozen random naked cheerleaders started stampeding through Camelot...

My method there: I just dream up some story, but its hard to stop yourself going off at a tangent.  It seems like only seconds later that the shrill alarm shatters you awake again to face the real world.

[VonMudra]

Sleeping pills.

..are for the weak.

Seriously, using sleeping pills is the worst thing to do in such a situation..

I know