I am used to thinking a bunch, its the way I’ve developed my philosophy (getting to know myself, who I want to be based on what I think is important and what I expect from life, understanding social interactions, creating my personal rulebook of morals I follow, etc..).

When I was younger, say around 12, something that worked ok (because I also had a bunch of paranoia’s at that age) was to open my eyes slightly, and fixate something, it would become exhausting in a matter of minutes, and then I would close my eyes and fall asleep. But I think I slept with my light on, so I don’t know what that would give in the dark.

Then I would read of course, during high school and college, always had some dull material to read which would just knock me out. You read until your eyes are swore and you end up re reading the same page for about 5minutes, then I’d just drop the book.

Honestly, my favorite method that I did for about 2 years (half of the time on unemployment) which hasn’t been mentioned (and which has been my father’s technique for the past 30 years) is drinking and smoking (pot that is). I never slept as well after an evening out, drinking and smoking, playing some music, getting home at around 1 am, falling in bed, and you literally can’t think. It’s amazing, you can try all you want, but you can’t (then again you couldn’t think the rest of the evening, I do believe that is why I enjoyed the time out from thinking). I would not get the same effect only smoking or only drinking. Drinking would also give me wild dreams which I loved, and I was lucky to never been afflicted with hangovers (but for sure, I had diarrhea every morning). Of course, this is NOT the way to go. Or you end up like my dad who needs 4 espressos in the morning to wake up and 2 bottles of wine in the evening to go to sleep. But I just wanted to point out, it is very affective, and I have heard that drinking a small dose of alcohol 30min before going to bed will help.

Currently, I am incredibly lucky, and I am with someone I love dearly and I don’t care how long I stay up. Either we are stuck together and I am great full for the felling which I hope would never last. Or if we are on either side of the bed I just think of how lucky I am. But the fact is, I don’t know if I am awake 30min, 1h, 2h, I know I fall asleep before here every night but I enjoy every minute I am awake. I hope this will be a permanent solution for me and that other people may find the same.

Not lame at all! We all have things we’ve found that work to get us back to sleep. Sometimes they’ll work for a long time then we go to something else later.