Everyone laughs like this is obvious, but I really struggle to do this. I'm not sure if it's an ADHD thing, but I just can't make myself go to bed at night. Extremely tired? Nah, I'd better wait until I hit a second wind. There's unimportant stuff I'd rather do.
I envy those that can just fall asleep whenever they want. It usually takes me an hour or more of laying there to finally bore myself enough to pass out.
Yeah i WISH i could control when i sleep, but I have lifelong serious problems falling asleep. I've tried all the things people talk about - counting sheep, no screen right before bed, melatonin, meditation, exercise early in the day, etc etc. Some of them help somewhat sometimes, but so far there's no fix. Actually there was one thing that totally fixed it, which was taking zoloft. Taking it at noon everyday completely fixed my lifelong sleeping problems even though it did little to help the depression i had back then. Now that i say it, i think i should start taking it again just because it fixed my sleep so completely.
This is me. I met someone who once had a psychotic attack and told me she has weaned of to a micro-dose that helps calm her internal voice so she can fall asleep.
I convinced my doctor to try that medicine (after i underwent sleep trials) and it works really well. It's no sleeping pill, it just shuts up you internal monologue for long enough to get to sleep. It's great, it got me off my alcohol self medication. It doesn't make me feel sleepy, though, I need to remember to get to bed. But then it works.
Anyway the medicine is this one, of course check with your doctor, as I'm just a guy from the internet.
Shout-out to all my homies who are tired all day, avoid screens before bed, read for a bit, journal, do mindful meditation, and take melatonin, but nonetheless lie in bed staring at their eyelids for 2 hours before slipping into a kind of restless unconsciousness that's too long and groggy to be a nap but too short to be a refreshing night of sleep.
I invested in my sleep this year. Bought a white noise machine, comfy percal cotton sheets, ear plugs, eye mask, mouth tape, try to go running consistently, implemented basic sleep hygiene stuff like no phone in the room, and… I still have trouble. I went on a 50km bike ride over the weekend and still had trouble. But… the reality is that it has gotten better on average after implementing all of this and fuck it, I’ll take it.
I drink a cup of coffee only once a day. It’s extra strong though. Maybe that has something to do with it. But I really love that one strong ass coffee in the morning.
I can't enjoy a good night's sleep unless I have to force my consciousness into submission with a cocktail of 1937 Glenfiddich, Nyquil, and whatever I managed to steal from the hooker I just kicked out. Waiting until you're tired is for pussies.
No, I'm really bad at falling asleep at that point. I'm much better at falling asleep when I'm sorta awake and still have things I need to do before I fall asleep.
You'll find waking up on your own time instead of using an alarm clock to be better. Good luck reconfiguring your sleep schedule to allow it and still be up in time for work or whatever.
There's a school of thought that says going to bed early and waking up early to do your things has several advantages (and disadvantages ofc). There are people that wake up 2 hours early to do their homework, write their reports, play games, whatever. Doing so improves information retention, and performance as you're doing any work fully refreshed having slept on the problem(s) the night before.
It also allows for the strategy I mentioned before. Go to bed at 8, wake up at 4 and have the house to yourself without being groggy (which is almost always caused by being interrupted prior to a REM stage of sleep cycle instead of right afterwards). The issue is changing your sleep schedule. Melatonin could help with this.
It's an artform, like perfectly baking a poo. If you time it right you can basically fall straight asleep without your brain going "hey, I just thought of something!"
I messed up last night when I hit the wall after 9 days solidly on the go - I thought the bed looked nice and a little lie on it wouldn't hurt but I still had shit to do before bed. So I dropped off but my brain kept prodding me back to near consciousness and I kept on having weird sleep paralysis/false awakening dreams - including one in which I heard a woman murder a friend outside my bedroom door but I couldn't force myself off the bed to intervene.
Oh yes, so nice. I try to wait until I am physically sleepy to go to bed. And if it's late I send a text to my husband that says: Let me sleep until I wake up.
Yes it sounds like a stupid question, but it is an indulgence that not everyone gets to do. Many people have to work at a time that doesn't match their natural daily rhythm. My work schedule is flexible-ish, so sleeping later if I have to is no big deal.