Eagle Eye
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@turtledove I used to tell myself bedtime stories too when i was younger but then I’d get too wrapped up in some silly narrative and keep myself awake that way :-/ but that sounds like a good idea to try (and I’ll make the stories more boring)
The visualization technique could be useful too, anything to just turn off my mind long enough to let it go to sleep.
Its also about allowing my mind to turn off, since one of my biggest issues is when I’m just about to finally nod off and my body jerks me back awake again because my bf moved in his sleep, the heating system turned on, the fridge started making noises…
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Alena
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I have spent a LOT of time in sleep doctors’ offices (the M.D. kind, not the mattress stores), and I’ve read a lot of pamphlets with that time.
Most of the things people have suggested so far are right on the mark of what sleep specialists suggest. Things to know:
-The bed is for sleep and sexy times ONLY.
-Avoid exercising within an hour or two of bedtime.
-Avoid eating for a few hours before bedtime.
-Stop using electronics within an hour or so of bedtime. No computers, no TV. If you need music to fall asleep, that’s a bit of an exception (just make sure it’s soothing, not hyper stuff). (I understand that people are going to argue with the TV one. Sometimes TV helps you fall asleep, but often it stimulates you a bit too much, and if you do fall asleep, you may not get as good quality of sleep.)
-Relaxing baths can be helpful.
-Cut out caffeine after the afternoon.
-Exercise more (just make sure it’s not close to bedtime).
-Could your boyfriend’s sleep habits be keeping you awake? Some people can’t fall asleep by themselves, some people can’t fall asleep if someone is so much as touching them in the slightest. Pay attention to these things. Perhaps he snores and that little bit of noise keeps you awake.
Two HUGE things that you mentioned that need to be addressed:
-If you’re laying awake thinking about a million things because you haven’t had time to stop and do so during the day, you NEED to make time to sit and think about those things before bedtime.
-Do NOT lay awake, in bed, for three hours! If you can’t sleep after 20-30 minutes, get up, and get out of bed. Go in another room, turn on a small light (a small lamp is better than a large overhead light), and do something relaxing like reading or working on a craft. If you start to feel a bit tired, or after roughly an hour, go lay back down and try to sleep again. If necessary, repeat. Forcing yourself to just lay in bed and try to sleep does not work effectively.
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AllegroFox
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@Turtledove: I do the same thing! Which is why I no longer watch horror movies. 
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Treegirl
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Getting out of bed after 20-30 minutes of not sleeping is a great suggestion. I meant to ask, you mention worrying about decorating decisions and people you need to get in touch with. Have you moved recently? Sometimes new stresses and changes can trigger stuff like this is, and (at least for me) it calms down when life calms down.
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GatorGirl
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Have you tried writing the stuff going through your head down? I get mental blocks in other areas of my life (sex mostly) and have been known to drop everything I’m doing and write a to do list or put a reminder into my phone. Getting the stuff out of your head might help.
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CattyGoLightly
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Oh yes! Along with melatonin and hot feet, EAR PLUGS. Maybe not feasible during the week, unless your boyfriend can make sure you wake up to your alarm. I’ve had problems sleeping due to noise (i.e. the fridge, the heater, the boyfriend..) as well, and ear plugs are the best.
It’s hard when your mind races to get to sleep, but I found that those three things help me calm down. Another thing is making sure your surroundings are organized, because when there’s clutter going on around you, you’ll have clutter in your mind too. And painting your bedroom a calm color (like gray!) should help too.
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PFG-SCR
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I quickly scanned the replies, and didn’t see this – orgasm(s). It’s difficult to think in a post-orgasmic fog, and if your body is tired, it should fall asleep afterwards.
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Treegirl
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PFG-SCR: That hasn’t worked for me…but I still keep trying;P
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mllryjo
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Hi! I used to have terrible insomnia, and someone suggested listening to guided imagery before bed. I thought they were crazy because I’m not usually into that, but I bought the MP3 and it has literally changed everything! This is the one that I used, and I really believe that it works: http://www.healthjourneys.com/product_detail.aspx?id=411.
I got the one for OCD type thoughts because my mind just races at night, but she has a few different ones. It’s a little expensive for one MP3, but I swear by it. My roommate didn’t believe me, and I left her in our room with it on, came back 10 minutes later and she was out!
Another thing I would suggest doing, is buying a room or pillow mist (I like the lavender vanilla from bath and body works) and spray it every night before you get into bed. Your body will start associating the smell with sleep, and it will help you relax whenever you smell it.
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Anna
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Well, my schedule is quite the opposite of that of a normal person because I work 3rd shift, but there are only two things I do that help me sleep. One is to turn off all the lights. Because I have to sleep during the day, Ialso use a sleep mask to block out the natural light of daytime on particularly insomniatic days. But the main thing I do to turn my mind off for sleep is to have an orgasm. Seriously. Stimulating your body properly will turn your mind off, and after you get off it is much easier to just relax and fall asleep. If your boyfriend is home, tell him you need his help to get to sleep  Or if he’s not there, do it yourself. Maybe I have a vivid imagination, but when I fantasize it really gets me going.
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Cleopatra_30
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i have had this problem too, i find if i watch a video or something on my laptop before i go to bed its really hard to fall asleep. So instead i spend 20-30 minutes reading, this really helps me to get in a comfortable position in bed, and then also something to make me more sleepy. See if this helps. Also…stress could be a factor, is there something going on with work or your social life that is occupying your mind?
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Eagle Eye
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Thanks so much for all of the help! I actually managed a normal night’s sleep last night so yay!
I tried some visualizations to keep my mind focused (or at least to give my mind something to circle back to whenever I started obsessing about something), it seemed to work, that, along with running more seriously should hopefully knock me out enough to get me to fall asleep.
To answer some questions, I moved in mid-Sept months ago, and while it wasn’t far, for many reasons it was incredibly stressful and the fall out of moving in mid Fall was that it was in the middle of my first semester of grad school, so much of the settling happened during a rather stressful time and we really didn’t make the house into a home until Christmas and there are still quite of few odds and ends that need to be dealt with along with paychecks that need to be stretched.
The rest is just day to day stresses in life – and its just allowing myself to turn them off so that I can deal with them tomorrow morning (not at 2am)
Thanks so much for the advice! I’m definitely going to keep this list in mind!
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