Getting back to sleep!

[Grandad Gaz]

Hi, I'm fortunate in being wide awake as soon as I open my eyes in the morning. very useful for getting up early!

However, the same thing applies when I wake up in the middle of the night and it's a PITA getting back to sleep. I can't stop my mind wandering onto things I will, or hope to be doing the next day. I can easily be awake an hour or so before finally getting back to sleep.

I have no problem getting to sleep when I go to bed at night, by the way.

I'm just after some tips on how to get back to sleep quickly.

and yes, I know the more I think about it the worse it is, but I can't help it!

[Stuart70]

nytol, not the herbal one

[Hoofy]

Need to focus the mind (ie control it so it doesn't wander), hence counting sheep. I find visualising is useful for blocking out thoughts - since this is a car site, imagine you're in your favourite car, going for a nice relaxing drive in the countryside, the sound of the exhaust echoing off trees, the summer sun warming your face. See how you get on. (Funnily, it's not my usual visualisation method when working with clients.)

[steveT350C]

I listen to talk based radio. LBC or Talksport. The continual conversations stops me thinking about stuff and I always fall back to sleep quickly. I became a father for the first time 3 months ago and so am waking up a lot.

Good luck!

[steve_bmw]

Yes LBC radio is great, can get quite heated depending on the topic.
Try BBC world service, that is very boring and will get you to sleep in no time.

its your mind that starts to work overtime and you just start thinking over and over winding yourself up so you cant sleep, very annoying.

[Grandad Gaz]

Many thanks for the input.

I'll give some a try. Music is out of the question without headphones, though. Don't want to disturb the wife!

[Hoofy]

Wow. I could never listen to LBC as a way of getting to sleep. Would either get me thinking even more or start my blood boiling.

Re music, try this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Sleep-Inducement/d...

Designed to help you sleep as it has various frequencies that encourage you to sleep. Or something. Works for me, anyway.

[0a]

I always do the following, and it usually works. It's like counting sheep, but for the petrolhead.

Think of the money-no-object car you would have currently produced beginning with A (Audi RS6)
Think of the money-no-object car you would have currently produced beginning with B (Bugatti Veyron SS)
Think of the money-no-object car you would have currently produced beginning with C (Citroen C6 V6)........

Then when you get to the end start again, but you can't have what you've 'got in the garage' already

Think of the money-no-object car you would have currently produced beginning with A (Aston V12 Vantage)
Think of the money-no-object car you would have currently produced beginning with B (BMW M5)
Think of the money-no-object car you would have currently produced beginning with C (Chevvy Corvette c6 coupe)........

Keep going around and around, you have to have a good think about ones that are difficult (D for example).

Variations include specifying colours, classic cars and so on.

[King Herald]

As stated, the best method is to try and control your thoughts, channel them into one boring little direction, so your brain relaxes. Something I try is to think of something mundane, the bottom of my coffee cup, and just keep thinking about that and not let my thoughts sidetrack or stray. Not sure if it works, as I always fall asleep.....eventually.

Seriously, I have hellish problems as I commute across the world every five weeks, 12 hours time difference. I hit the sack at ten pm, dog tired, then wake up at midnight, wide awake, and lay there for hours. Takes about a week or ten days to get fully converted, then a few weeks later I fly back home, 12 hours time difference again.....

[Wacky Racer]

Try putting a relaxation video on to listen to till you drop off, plenty on YouTube....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvRIUR3tPHY