It’s been an hour or two since you turned off the lights and crawled into bed. You’ve been lying there for so long now that the birds are starting to chirp outside your window, which is way too bright because the gaps in your blinds don’t make your life any easier. You can practically hear yourself going insane; you toss and turn and roll into the fetal position, but no position feels comfortable enough. Eventually, you do fall asleep, but the hours leading up to well-deserved rest feel like an eternity. Being unable to sleep even though you’re tired might be the worst feeling ever, but luckily, there are a number of methods you can attempt, and hopefully, at least one of them will lull you to sleep.
Your environment can be the biggest determining factor in whether or not you fall asleep at night. If it’s too cold, you’ll be shivering all night long, and if it’s too hot, you’ll feel too uncomfortable to get any rest. Therefore, make sure your room is at a comfortable temperature before getting in bed. If your windows have blinds that don’t close fully, perhaps invest in something that keeps the light out of your room at night, whether that be better blinds or curtains.
If it’s been hours since you last ate and your stomach begins to rumble, consider eating a light snack before sleeping. If you try to wait it out until the morning, it’ll only hurt more when you try to fall asleep to the sounds of your growling stomach. If you’re not that hungry but would like to have something nice before resting, try chamomile tea; it’s supposed to help you relax.
This might sound like an impossible task (and it is, for those of us who have been consumed by social media), but try to spend some time phone-free before sleeping. Can you remember how many times you’ve been sleepy but became completely awake after a few minutes of scrolling on TikTok? The phone screen is beneficial neither for your sleep schedule nor your eyesight, so try your best to cut down your screen time.
Everyone’s experience is unique, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to fix insomnia, but we’re all in this fight together. Good luck on your journey, and sweet dreams.