Chixe

Haha, Jen, we have a new kitten in the household too! Same problems. I've found that playing with the kitten for about a half-hour before bed by intrigueing him with chasing a string and tiring him out has helped. He's slept through the night the past couple of nights!

I totally know what you mean, though. Talk about getting woken up by him pouncing on my body at odd hours of the night... ;)

You may have the well known blogging disease. After reading all these replies you will probably sleep for a week. So turn the computer off, make a cuppa then jump into bed with a good book. Turn the lights down low & stop thinking you can not get to sleep.

When my cats were kittens I made a bed for them close to mine. In the bed I would put an old shirt or scarf in there - something with my scent on it. Sometimes I would lay so my hand would be right by them. I would also talk to them for a few minutes in a nurturing voice (hahaha) after I turned off the lights. I didn't have to do it for more than a week. They soon found their own territories to sleep, sometimes in my room someplace (not on my bed), sometimes not.

Even if they woke up in the middle of the night, I almost never had the problem of them getting into things and waking me up.

I'm insomniac like 90% of the people who are using the internet.. and working too much.

I find it easier to fall asleep in front of the TV when I get home from work than I do when I go to bed at night. Something about early evening TV, just after dinner knocks me out completely.

Like the rest of you, I go to bed straight after blogging/screwing around on my computer for a few hours, so my head is filled with nonsense at bedtime. Bit of easy music on the iPod solves that though...

Also - recently discovered that focusing on your breathing works. Sounds a bit hippyish, I realise, but honestly worth a try...

Failing that, sleeping pills.

I agree with Tyme, performing tedious or redundant actions tend to bore me to sleep. I'd also recommend drinking some red wine its quite healthy, just don't go overboard. Getting drunk tends to lead to oversleeping.

I've found that lately when I'm in the insomniac mode, I just browse 9rules for a few minutes and I usually pass out(I have my laptop right beside my bed).

Here's what works for me, seriously:

1. Close your eyes. Force your entire body to relax (sounds oxymoronic I know). Consciously make your feet, then legs, torso, arms, neck and face relax.

2. Picture a chalkboard or a piece of paper.

3. Then picture yourself writing a '100' on the board.

4. Erase it, then write '99'.

Repeat until you get to 1.

I'm a practiced insomniac but this works more often than not...

crash around 3am after studying and working on freelance projects then wake up @ 7am to do it all again. it's crazy! been like that since college.

Sometimes watching TV with the heater on and just vegging out works for me.

All it takes for me is a long day of work and something on TV -- I don't bother trying to go to bed until I'm tired.

i have a friend who suffer like this too. he lay down on bed at 12 and sleeps at 5 in the morning then he gotta wake up at 5.3o or maybe 6. so not sleeping sucks.

usually reading some textbook about the subject u detest kinda works. but if u're like my friend who have problems and keep thinking about them then that most probably ur main problem so deal with it. or else, it could be a non permanent part of ur life. =D

Well ususally I fall in sleep while playing games in my mobile Nokia 6630!

But If i dont get sleep I try to do nothing and certainly .. various thoughts will come in my mind.. I will try not to think.. and will keep trying... I know mind is like a monkey! thoughts will come for sure and I will fight.. this way I will be tired and will fall in sleep!

I just lay down and fall deep asleep within a minute. My wife hates me for it.

I'll drink some milk then read a book till I feel sleepy. I'll do some yoga too.

A scientist gives the advice to think twice a day for 15 minutes.

Writing down is a way to get a grip on my thinking. Writing a book. Writing an article. Reading more difficult texts than I'm used too. You're understimulated, maybe. Mathematics? Biology? Problem solving? Creativity? Thinking Puzzles? Philosophy?

If it's overstimulation though, relaxation, bodily workout, music and/or quiet should indeed help. Especially the workout.

I like it when I have it. I get amazing ideas.

There's some evidence linking internet use/computer game playing/tv watching to sleep disorders: http://www.cababstractsplus.org/google/abstract.asp?AcNo=20043166590

I quit the coffee at 6pm, get daily exercise and get into quieter activities just before bed. Seems to work for me.

Well I work late shift and graveyard shift on different days so I have to kick my internal clock from one schedule to the next and I have various ways of doing it.

Props to whoever posted this first. I have a subscription to 24hour fitness and it's within ten minutes walk of my house so I've been known to stop by there and after my work out go home to that peaceful oblivion known as sleep. Unfortunately sometimes it'll backfire and I'll be at the gym for three or four hours that I could of used to sleep. Oops...

Try listening to music and thinking of a music video to go with every song you hear. Try and imagine every little detail of the music video and before you know it you'll be off in la la land. Try and find a volume level that works for you.

If I'm desperate and I don't have to do anything for the next eight hours or so I brush my teeth and then once the taste is out of my mouth I drink a 12oz vodka and tonic. It works wonders but I try not to rely on any drugs to get to sleep and I consider alcohol to be a drug.

Hope that helps.

One little white pill and the world goes away.......for the night.

Lately it's been a glass of cider, Sigur Ros on the laptop singing quietly away and a fan blowing on low has put me right out.

I'll throw in a dvd with the commentary track on. While i find it interesting if I just close my eyes and sleep will take over. The same thing works for books.

Also watch your sugar and caffeine intake a few hours before bed. You may not think you are sensitive to it while you are.

Working out at night helps me fall asleep right away

I love your sleeping hours.

I fall asleep in two methods, one used on certain conditions, one on a daily basis.

1. Certain conditions - When it involves jet lag, I force myself awake for exactly 27 hours. By this time, my body can't help but blink and fall asleep. Jet lag fixed within the first two days of arrival.
2. Daily - Since I sleep on a normal schedule (just about), I will hop into bed at around 10:30 and wake at around 4:10 to go swim, come back at around 6:30, sleep for another hour, and go to school at 8:00. When the body is on a schedule, it will expect sleep at that time.

Oh, that's easy. By closing my eyes.

@jensized
Fill your room with kiwi plants... the Actinidia species plants will keep your cat in a perpetual state of euphoria... :)

@scrivs
watch an epic anime, particularly Dragonball Z. I just can't stand that one. Or maybe lie down, tie yourself to the bed and let your mind run at full speed thinking about what you gonna do with those ideas and thoughts. I sleep off almost every time I am in thinking mode AND lying down.

Sleeping very rare these days
i take just 4 hrs /day sleep.
My mind is just thinking a lot than doing things.

Don't sleep much - 3 to 4 hours - tops.

Couple things I've tried, and seem to be working:

Stop working earlier
Eat & workout earlier
Shut down the computer by 8pm
Watch the tele for an hour or 2
Go to bed and use eye covers
Use a sound player, play's soothing sounds (rainforest, waterfall, etc.)
Sleep on my side with a pillow in between my legs

It's helping.

I have to draw myself to sleep because I have too many ideas floating around. That's really the reason why I have just started accumulating such a large flickr gallery of doodles: http://www.flickr.com/photos/darkmotion/2333417536/in/set-72157600091461557/

Try reading one of the 'Daniel Goleman' authored books on 'Emotional Intelligence'. Those can put anyone to sleep! :-)

Every now and then I have problems sleeping, but for the most part, it's never been a problem for me. However, my mind is its own little busy body at times, and I can easily let a number of things creep right into my mind that only pop up and refuse to leave right as I'm trying to rest my eyes for the day. lol It's irritating.To take care of the problem organically, try music on for size. Some people are not into certain types of music no matter what, but what I do every night is put on some nice ambient/new age music. Enigma, Album Leaf, Enya, etc to bring me down from the day a little bit. I listen to it right before bed or put it on real low while I sleep. Using ear buds to listen to your music makes you feel more involved in the sounds of the music and can relax you better. If you're into trance, the beautiful sounds and rhythms that come out of the sub genre can really make you feel more relaxed.
Lighting always helps me too. When I get home from work, I like to shut my blinds, pretend like the outside world doesn't exist. I keep all the lights in the house dim lit. Candles with lavendar scents or just candles in general as a substitute for extra light are good for calming down your mind so you can focus more on relaxing.
A lot of people I know take showers in the morning to help wake them up. That's cool and I understand the need for motivation to get up on a work day, but I like to take my showers just before bed. I take steaming hot showers and I use shower gels that give off scents that I really love and that give off a calming feel.
Not that I'm encouraging use of alcohol to fall asleep, but I'm the kind of gal that likes to have atleast a beer or two after work. Even just one budlight right before bed will do just enough to tire you a little bit.
If all else fails, I always use t.v. to help me. Whether it be my old favorite shows on Nick At Nite, or something on a subject that either completely bores me or I understand nothing about, tv does the final trick come hell or high water.
On a good day, I get to do all of these things. :)

Long dead thread, but the answer is simple:

1) get an intelligent todo application like THINGS.

2) put all your ideas and should do's into single items into THINGS. don't worry about organizing, you just want them out of your head.

3) go take a walk for about 15 minutes - stop THINKING but ENJOY the walk and watch your environment...

4) returning from the walk you will feel your exhaution - now, go to bed. if you still resist it, DON'T put the TV on but instead warm yourself a glass of milk, drink it and go to bed - NO TV in the bedroom.

sleep well.

its pretty much not trying to force it. for me, forcing it will just give you a hard night. try watching tv, or reading a book, or seomthing, but do it in a sitting position. that way, once you get tired, you body will seek the comforts of your bed. that works for me at least.

I wait till I get completely exhausted, then I'm usually asleep about 30 seconds to a minute after my head hits the pillow.

Apparently the only way I go to sleep is when I take some cold medicine with an antihistamine in it. Otherwise I'm up like I am now surfing the deserted web and working on nonsense.