Tylenol PM is just Tylenol with Benedryl. I'm serious; read the ingredients. Benedryl's main ingredient is also a narcotic and makes you drowsy. So if you're already used to Benedryl from allergy problems, Tylenol PM will do absolutely nothing to get you to sleep. Trust me, I'm in this boat currently.

- Hot, decaffeinated tea starting after supper. You may think that caffeine doesn't have that much of an effect on you, like I did, but there's more of an effect than you think. And honestly, tea HAS to be better than warm milk. Just the thought of warm milk makes me gag.
- Don't try that hot shower idea. That just gets blood moving faster.
- I've found that a constant noise helps. Sort of like a meditation tape. Whether this is music that you know extremely well or even just running a fan, having that to focus on helps deviate your mind from other things, and that's usually why I can't sleep.

Does "warm milk" actually work? That sounds just plain nasty...

What's with the big bruhaha over warm milk? I don't understand. In winter, sometimes I like to make an ordinary bowl of cereal, like cornflakes, and then just nuke it in the microwave for a couple minutes to make it hot... That would be warm milk (with warm cornflakes) and I find it a great breakfast for cold mornings (or afternoons, depending on how late I sleep in)... Don't you people drink milk or something ?

Back on topic... insomnia sux... my question to the original poster is, is it true insomnia (ie. no matter how tired you are you wake up after only a few hours sleep, even if you spend the whole day being physically active and you're exhausted but you still wake up shortly after going to bed) or is it when you can't sleep until 5am and then wake up at noon?

I usually pass out when I watch reruns on TV, or try to study something boring and useless like math.

Chloroform, in case nobody mentioned it, Ether works alright too.

If you want some hardcore sleeping action going on I suggest mixing Bleach and Ammonia in a poorly ventilated area.

I've heard making a routine before bed can help tell your body it's time for bed.
maybe try not to think so much while on the bed or think of something relax(bashin jack thompsons head in with a hammer)
I've heard excercise works.
or you take a hammer and...
but you know, the nightlife is kindsa fun(not where i am though, everything closes at midnight)

Hot milk should help, since it releases some chemicals that help put your body to sleep (serotonin is the chemical that pops into mind, though I'm probably wrong).

Your body goes to sleep when your body temperature reduces by ~.3C (or so I've heard), so I suggest keeping well ventilated, and I personally can't sleep well in socks (unless of course I'm camping, where it's bloody cold!), so I suggest not wearing socks as well.

Also, don't drink alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol messes with brain functions, so it's not advisable if you want to go to sleep. Try and keep the stimuli away, like music (noises in general), other people and lights (if you're like me).

Exercise will also help, tiring out your body and making it require sleep to recuperate. Sorry to break the immature bush beating, but sex, if I remember my Yr 7 PE class, is like running a marathon in terms of physical exercise, so itshould theorteically help to have a 'lady friend' (or guy if you roll that way) to 'assist' you in sleeping.

What happened that your about to be homeless? I know I wouldn't be able to snooze if I was about to wind up on the street. Maybe thats your stress right there. Maybe on a subconscious level.

Y'now those people who tell you not to drink caffeine after 12? They're only halfway right. If bedtime is 12, load up on caffeine at around 9:30. The crash will hit you just when you need to sleep. If your problem is getting to sleep, rather than staying asleep, this should help. I've taken to drinking tea in the evenings - a cup or two gives you less of a jangly buzz than coffee while still allowing you to drift pleasantly off when you need to.

If not that, nightcap! A single, stiff drink about half an hour before bed will chill you down just enough to make sleeping easier. This is especially nice in wintertime when you can get yourself some cognac and watch the world bury itself outside.

stompy:

Exercise will also help, tiring out your body and making it require sleep to recuperate.

I don't know about you, but exercise gets me pumped up and full of energy - at first. If you desperately need to go to sleep this second my god I have to be up in three hours, don't start doing jumping jacks, it'll work opposite to what you intend. If you work out an hour to two hours before you sleep, though, that'll give your body a chance to settle down and realize it's tired.

Mnemophage:

stompy:

Exercise will also help, tiring out your body and making it require sleep to recuperate.

I don't know about you, but exercise gets me pumped up and full of energy - at first. If you desperately need to go to sleep this second my god I have to be up in three hours, don't start doing jumping jacks, it'll work opposite to what you intend. If you work out an hour to two hours before you sleep, though, that'll give your body a chance to settle down and realize it's tired.

Yes, sorry, I should've elaborated on that. Thanks.

Take a train to NY, go into a dark alley and ask for 'The Stuff' Go home and proceed to use said stuff, sit back, relax, and wait.

Soycopter:
Take a train to NY, go into a dark alley and ask for 'The Stuff' Go home and proceed to use said stuff, sit back, relax, and wait.

...Pfft, why go to Ny when you can just drink the bottle of drain cleaner under your sink, it has the same effect.

I had a sleeping problem for a few weeks once, I eventually had to go to the doctors and get pills to send me to fairy land, they were low dosage and knowing me, I used to take 3 or 4 when you were only supposed to take 2.

Either way, I found it best to just be active during the day, wake up at 6am and be on your feet until 9pm, if you're not tired by running around doing stuff all day then you've got to see a doctor, keep yourself busy during the day and your body will be exhausted by nightfall.

WolfMage:
I have one, but, erm, I've never been banned, and now's not a time to start.
Just gotta figure it out for yourself.

Heh heh, I was going to say that as well.

GenHellspawn:

WolfMage:
I have one, but, erm, I've never been banned, and now's not a time to start.
Just gotta figure it out for yourself.

Heh heh, I was going to say that as well.

Oddly enough the forum is pretty open to a more adult concept, if you don't be a dick or a jerk about it.

At least i hope were thinking about the same thing.

Rubix cube right?

Just watch TV, put on the sleep timer, eventually something will give

Khedive Rex:
My advice is to live with it. Just don't sleep. Too many people think of insomnia as a condition; it's not. It's a f#cking life style. Right now it's 5 in the morning where I am. I woke up at 3 in the morning. After going to sleep at 2:30 in the afternoon yesterday. I'll probably be up until 2 in the morning today.

It keeps my enemies guessing.

Alternately, if you work or have to be somewhere or just don't want to become a weird nocturnal subhuman abomination like myself (trust me, it's worth it) than I suggest valerium root. It works, its natural and it actually tastes pretty good.

I'm with you all the way, if its a lifestyle you find that hinders you change it, if not Enjoy the ride and remember you'll get enough sleep when your dead!

Yeah, doing something during the day usually helps. I usually cant get to sleep until 1 or 2 because I sit at my computer/xbox all day. Also, breathing air that hasn't gone through an AC system first helps.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film For Theaters. Buddy of mine loaned it to me and I can't make it past twenty minutes of that shit before I'm out.

2 beers and a shot of Tussin

Yeah as someone says watching reruns or a dvd you've seen a million times before really helps, i find the simpsons makes me fall asleep if i've seen it before. And if you have really slow or even boring music you don't like much on your ipod, go for it, gets me tired every night.

As a fellow sufferer, the option I would recommend is listening to a book on cd, one you've heard several times, at a barely audible volume. i find it keeps my mind occupied enough to stop it worrying about various things, but not so occupied it keeps me awake. (s)Exercise is also good, if its strenous enough. i find a stiff brandy or 2 helps as a night cap, but i can't recommend that, as I don't know how old you are. if you try it, don't drink too much. If you get drunk, you won't sleep deeply and you'll wake up early feeling tired.

Well you know how when you "exercise" you sometimes feel that unclenching of muscles in your cheek bones and back of your skull. If I dont relax and force those to unclench I cant sleep.

I personally just read before bed. Nothing like a good book.

Read Jane Eyre.

The most boring I have ever read. I swear by it's ability to put even the worst insomniac to bed.

Sex.

Weed and NyQuil cocktail

Diazepam helps too.

Try going to bed at a set time each night, like 10 or 11pm. It helps.

Watch Youtube videos of the Irate Gamer. They're bound to cure your insomnia

Churchman:
Well, my bed is a couch in the living room so I play games and watch TV on it too.

I really need to get a mattress...

You arn't the only one. I have been sleeping on a de-formed bed for two years now getting my room fixed. And yeah my back hurts all fucking day long and I have boughts of not being able to sleep. If its impossible to go to sleep just stay awake and run on energy drinks and shit you'll be able to go right to sleep the next day. Also try not to think when you try to sleep that shit'll keep you awake too.

I had the same problem, just like tomorrow, just do a bunch of stuff, like I went down to Venice, swam, ran, was so tired at like 11 then just keep going like that, so then wake up early next day so at like 11or 12 your tired from not sleep or staying up like before then after a while your internal clock will readjust.

BBC radio makies you feel rested, but might make it worse if you don't stop listening to it after a hour or so.

Esquire did a feature on sleep a little while ago.

http://www.esquire.com/features/sleep-better

Turkey.

Seriously, when I can't go to sleep I just make myself a little turkey and lettuce on sourdough and that puts me right out.

Alternatively, I bump the aforementioned idea of reading a mellow book. What I usually do is read a humor or "interesting facts" book and within half an hour I'm falling asleep.

For exercise, I'm not sure if it works on fit people, but personally, I'm kind of weak, so usually doing push-ups or sit-ups in bed until I'm exhausted works as well. Plus, you can do them in bed so you can just stop and fall into exhausted sleep (which soon turns to protracted deep sleep).

try to sleep? I try to avoid it