So you’ve tried everything to cure your insomnia. And nothing seems to work. It sucks.
Even though I wrote one of the most popular ‘How To Cure Insomnia‘ posts on the face of Google…
I still struggle with not sleeping from time to time.
Sometimes you just have to face facts:
You ain’t getting any sleep tonight.
So what do you do when you have insomnia that just won’t quit?
10 Things To Do When You Have Insomnia
Before we get into all the awesome things you should do when you can’t sleep…
There’s one thing you absolutely should not do when you have insomnia.
Here’s an iron-cast rule for insomniacs:
DON’T JUST LIE THERE!
If you haven’t dropped off within 15-20 minutes…
Get up!
Switch your environment, go to another room, and try one of these suggestions until your start to feel a little sleepier.
Then go back to bed and try again.
Still can’t drop off within 15 minutes?
Up you get and start engaging in something else.
The worst thing about insomnia isn’t the not sleeping, it’s not the tiredness you feel the next day…
The worst thing about insomnia is the feeling of going insane as you stare at the clock in the darkness for hours on end.
Don’t do it to yourself.
Try some of these things instead:
1 – Study time!
One of my worst bouts of insomnia was during my early teenage years.
I just couldn’t fall asleep.
What I did instead of getting frustrated was read Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Travelled cover to cover several times, along with a shit ton of poetry, and then spent the nights writing my own poems.
I learnt so much about metre and could throw out long scary-sounding Greek terminologies like it was nothing.
The result?
- 100% scores on my English exams.
- Getting an interview for Oxford University.
- And, more importantly, a love of reading and writing that will last a lifetime.
Sometimes insomnia can be a blessing.
While everyone else is sleeping, will you just continue to toss and turn?
Or will you dust off the textbooks and make a heaven out of a hell?
2 – Bone up on literature guilt-free
Maybe you don’t have anything to study for.
You can still put those sleepless hours into something fun and productive by going to a comfy corner in the house (not your bed) with a stack of books you’ve always been meaning to read.
I love a good book as much as the next person.
But unless I’m on holiday, I always feel a little guilty reading a book while the sun’s still up because I feel like there’s something else I could be doing.
When I can’t sleep, however, there’s no one else around to distract me and nothing’s open…
So I love cracking open a good book.
A benefit of choosing to read when you can’t sleep is eventually you will feel tired!
It might take an hour.
It might take two hours.
But eventually your eyes will feel very heavy from looking at the printed page.
3 – Move environments!
Simply move around from place to place.
A walk is a good option.
Or if you want to stay in the house, spend some time in the kitchen with some food and a book.
Then move into your study and recline for a bit, maybe listen to some music.
Then chill out on the couch.
Just move around a bit.
Maybe that’s why you’re not sleeping.
Give the body a bit of movement and it might settle down.
4 – Hot milk + honey + star-gazing
Sipping hot milk and honey is incredibly relaxing.
There’s something about the warmth and the sugars and fats in the milk and honey that works on a biological and psychological level to make us feel more at ease.
It’s even better if you can enjoy this drink outside.
Sometimes you’ll feel sleepier if your body temperature drops a bit.
That’s why an ice-cold shower before bed is better than a hot bath.
Cool down, enjoy the breeze, relish the quiet, and gaze up at the night sky with a good drink.
Again, much better than tossing and turning and you might actually fall asleep when you return to bed!
5 – Learn a new skill
What skill have you always wanted to learn but never had time for during waking hours?
Be as crazy as you like.
No one else is awake.
Pick what you want to learn and just dive in.
Here are a few random skills I pulled out my ass (that I’d love to learn):
- Drawing (manga style)
- Jazz appreciation
- Ice sculpting
- Parkour
- DJ-ing
6 – Pranayama meditation
My personal favourite flavour of meditation is Wim Hof breathing.
You could try that.
Or you could try a style of breathing meditation called Pranayama.
There’s a specific rhythm that helps with relaxation and promoting sleep.
I think it goes like this:
- Inhale 4 seconds
- Hold 2 seconds
- Exhale 8 seconds
- Hold 2 seconds
Something like that.
Takes experimentation.
But it’s not hard to learn and the App Store has a pretty good Pranayama App.
7 – Stretch while listening to comedy
Stretching is a great way to get out of your mind and into your body.
Stretching relaxes and releases dopamine and serotonin – happy chemicals that tell your body: “Go the f*ck to sleep!”
Any stretching involving your legs is perfect for making your more relaxed and sleepy.
While you’re stretching, find some funny stuff to listen to.
You’ll be in a good mood, it will take your mind off the whole insomnia bullshit, and you’ll probably become relaxed enough to eventually fall asleep.
Here are a few comedians that never fail to make me laugh:
- Ricky Gervais (specifically with Karl Pilkington and Stephen Merchant)
- Patrice O’Neal (try the Black Phillip Show)
- Ownage Pranks (if you like prank calls)
8 – Clock more side-hustle time
If you’re not sleeping, you might as well be paid for it, right?
- Put another hour into your consulting business.
- Draft a bunch of ideas for niche sites as an Amazon Affiliate.
- Write a self-help book based on an area of your expertise and self-publish it.
There are tons of options here.
Instead of being pissed off you can’t sleep, you can now be happy that you growing your bank account.
9 – Watch black-and-white TV shows/movies
There’s something incredibly relaxing about old cinema and TV.
The stories move at a slower pace.
There aren’t any fancy CGI effects or flashing colours to make your mind overstimulated.
And you’re often treated to masterpieces of film and TV – stuff most people can’t be bothered to watch!
Stick on TCM late at night and chances are you’ll get some old forgotten movie that will be entertaining and soothing at the same time.
I personally love watching episodes of The Twilight Zone.
Quite fitting for an insomniac, no?
10 – Do something nice for someone else
This might just be the best suggestion on this list.
Insomnia makes us very self-centred.
It’s all “Me! Me! Me!”
You focus completely on how you can’t get to sleep and how it’s so bad for you…
But how about shifting the focus to someone else?
- It could be your spouse. Maybe you research a nice gift to surprise them with.
- It could be your parents. Would they appreciate a letter in the mail?
- It could be someone you’ve never even met. There are charities to suit every inclination.
If you find yourself playing the victim card, try and think of something nice you can do for someone else.
What do you do when you have insomnia?
That’s my list. What about you? Are there any go-to activities you do when you can’t sleep?