Insomnia remedies you've probably already tried but are still worth trying again.

1. See a Doctor
   Insomnia can be a symptom of physical disorders, although for most of us it's the result of tension, stress and anxiety—and of course the more anxious we get about our insomnia, the worse it gets. If your doctor pronounces you a "healthy" insomniac, he might suggest some of the techniques provided here. Or she might prescribe drugs to help you get to sleep. We suggest you try all these methods first, and use drugs only as a last resort. The decision, of course, is yours.
2. Take a Warm Bath
   It's a great way to relax your body. Don't overdo it, however. You merely want to relax your body, not exhaust it. Too long in hot water and your body is drained of vitality. Use bath salts, or throw in Epsom salts and baking soda—one cup of each. These will relax you and also help remove toxins from your body.
3. Get a Massage
   Have your spouse (or whoever) give you a massage just before going to sleep. If you can convince them to give you a full body massage, great. If not, even a short backrub and/or a face and scalp massage can be a big help. Have them make the massage strokes slow, gentle, yet firm, to work the tension out of your muscles and soothe you to sleep.
4. Listen to Music or Other Audio
   Play some soft, soothing music that will lull you to sleep. There are many CDs designed for that very purpose. Some are specially composed music, others simply have sounds of waves rhythmically breaking, or the steady pattern of a heartbeat. Some will lead you to sleep with a combination of music, voice and other soothing sounds.
5. Enjoy this five minute relaxation audio 
   Headphones recommended
6. Drink Warm Milk
   A glass of warm milk 15 minutes before going to bed will soothe your nervous system. Milk contains calcium, which works directly on jagged nerves to make them (and you) relax.
7. Drink Herb Tea
   If you don't like milk—or are avoiding dairy products—try a cup of hot camomile, catnip, anise or fennel tea. All contain natural ingredients which will help you sleep. Most health food stores will also have special blends of herb tea designed to soothe you and help you get to sleep.
8. Eat a Bedtime Snack
   A small, low protein, high carbohydrate bedtime snack, such as juice and cookies, eaten about an hour before bedtime, can help you fall asleep sooner. (Pizza does not qualify.)
9. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco
   It should be obvious, but some people forget that coffee is not the only drink containing caffeine. Tea (black, not herbal), chocolate and cola drinks are also high in caffeine. Alcohol may feel like it's soothing you, but all it's doing is stupefying you. Research has shown that alcohol upsets sleep, preventing a deep rest. Same with tobacco. Avoid them all.
10. Sleep in a Well-Ventilated Room
    Fresh air (we know - it's hard in the wintertime) and a room temperature between 60-65 degrees will give you the best sleeping conditions. Any warmer and you'll toss and turn from the discomfort of being too warm. Keep the thermostat down and do your temperature-adjusting inside the bed -- with more or fewer blankets.
11. Sleep on a Good Firm Bed
    A firm bed will give your entire body the support it needs to really relax. It's better for your spine, too.
12. Sleep on Your Back
    It's the best position for relaxing, and allows all your internal organs to rest properly. If you must sleep on your side, do it on your right side, not your left. Sleeping on the left side causes your lungs, stomach and liver to press against your heart, causing stress on an organ that most of us find quite useful. Never -- ever -- sleep on your stomach. It causes pressure on all your internal organs -- including your lungs, which results in shallow breathing. It can also, as you've no doubt discovered, cause a stiff neck and upper back problems.
13. Get Some Physical Exercise During the Day
    People with "mental" jobs, like office workers, have far more trouble with insomnia than do people who work physically hard all day. Even 15 minutes a day of exercise (at least half an hour before going to bed so your body will have a chance to slow down) will give your body the activity and oxygen it needs to help you relax more and sleep better.
14. Keep Regular Bedtime Hours
    Your body likes regular routines, whether you do or not. It likes to know that it's going to get up at the same time each day, eat at the same times, and go to bed at the same time. Not very exciting, maybe, but comfortable. So pick a reasonable and regular time to go to bed each night. And stick to it. Even if you don't think you're tired when the time comes. Your body will appreciate it. And after a while when it feels it can rely on the routine, it will begin to repay the favor by letting you get to sleep when you want.
15. If You Can't Sleep, Get Up
    Don't lie awake trying to get to sleep any longer than 30 minutes. If it goes that long, get up. Do something quiet and non-stimulating. When you feel tired again, go back to bed.
16. Don't Sleep In
    Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays. Once you've awakened, get up. Don't lie in bed awake, thinking about getting up. Just do it.
17. Get Up Earlier in the Morning
    At least try this when you're trying to set up your new regular bedtime routine. As much as you may hate getting up one-half hour earlier (or even more) than you really have to, you'll be that much more tired at night and more apt to get to sleep. Once you and your body have the confidence that you can get to sleep when you want at night, you can go back to your preferred wake-up-in-the-morning time.
18. Keep Your Bed a Place for Sleep
    Okay, and maybe for one other thing. But not for working, reading, watching television, doing crossword puzzles, or whatever else occupies you in the evening. Let your mind and body identify bed with sleeping.
19. Avoid Naps
    Sure, they're nice to do during the day, and if you couldn't sleep at night, you're grateful for any chance to sleep. But if you're really having trouble sleeping at night--and you're not a senior citizen who sleeps for small periods of time, skip naps. You'll be more tired at bedtime and more able to fall asleep.
20. Avoid Illuminated Bedroom Clocks
    Try to keep your bedroom as dark as possible. An illuminated bedroom clock is a source of light that can be extremely annoying if you're having a hard time getting to sleep. If you can't replace the clock, at least block its light with something.
21. Counting Sheep
    Of course, there's the standard insomnia remedy that everyone knows (although it's never worked for us, so we've got a better version. We finally figured out why it never worked for us. The old wives' cure for insomnia is to count bouncy little sheep leaping over a fence. No wonder it doesn't work. Bouncy sheep are hyperactive and wide awake. They're the last thing you need to dwell on when you want to go to sleep. So try the variation that worked for us. Count sleeping sheep. Imagine a beautiful green meadow stretching to infinity. Every ten feet or so, right in a row, lies a peaceful, sleeping sheep. Imagine that you're just gliding by, almost floating. And that you pass by a sheep every 3 or 4 seconds (experiment to find which time interval works best for you -- it varies from person to person). Count the sheep and glide on to the next, and the next, and so on.
     Some insomnia cures you probably haven't seen before: 
22. Sleep with the Top of Your Head Facing North
    And, obviously -- unless you have a particularly unusual body -- your feet facing south. This aligns your body with the magnetic field of the planet, bringing your own energies into harmony with those of the Earth. Sound like a pretty bizarre theory? Try it. You'll see what a difference it makes.
23. Don't Watch TV or Read Before Going to Bed
    Wait at least one-half hour (preferably longer) before going to bed after reading or watching television. We know; some people say that reading a detective story or some such escapist book helps put them to sleep. If it works for them, great. But it seldom worked for us. And it probably hasn't worked for you either.
    
    The reason is that no matter how passively we watch television, or how innocuous the book we read is, our minds are still being stimulated. And an overstimulated mind -- along with anxiety and stress -- is what keeps us awake. It's all those thoughts in our head we have to get rid of before we can get to sleep. The last thing we need is more input into our heads from television or books.
24. Toe Wiggling
    A relaxed body is essential for a sound sleep. This may sound like we're contradicting what we just said about our minds keeping us awake, but it's no contradiction. Eastern sciences (such as yoga) have known for thousands of years that the mind and body are connected (actually they're not just connected, they're one, but the idea that they're connected is sufficient for our purposes here.) So if the mind is not relaxed, the body is not relaxed. Conversely, the body has to be relaxed for the mind to be relaxed. It's a package deal.
    So how do you relax your body? We've already mentioned milk, herbal teas, exercise, and avoiding caffeine. But there are techniques you can do directly with your body. Toe Wiggling is one of them.
    Lie on your back (where you should be in the first place) and wiggle your toes up and down 12 times, wiggling the toes of both feet at the same time. This will relax your entire body, inside and out.
    How does it work? According to the science of Reflexology -- which has been around in other cultures for thousands of years -- your feet are a kind of master control panel for the rest of your body. "Meridians" in the body -- which are those channels of energy treated by acupuncture -- end up in the feet. So the ends of those meridians in your feet connect with every organ and every part of your entire body.
    When you wiggle your toes, you are stimulating -- and thus relaxing -- your entire body. (Incidentally, this is a good place to mention that you can be energized and relaxed at the same time. It's a matter of the quality of that energy. If it flows freely and smoothly, you will be relaxed. If the energy flow in your body is restricted or blocked, you will be tense. And toe wiggling helps to bring about a relaxing, free-flowing energy.)
    Note: This same exercise is also great first thing in the morning before getting out of bed in order to energize the body.
25. Stomach Rubs
    This soothes down the digestive system and helps to bring about a deeper relaxation. An extra benefit is that it will help you to lose weight by improving the functioning of the digestive system.
    Simply lie on your back and place your hand on your navel. Begin to make small circles in a clockwise direction as you gently glide your hand over your stomach. Let your circles gradually become bigger and bigger. When your circles reach the outside of your stomach, gradually reduce their size until you are back at your navel again. Then reverse the direction (to counter-clockwise) and do the same thing again. Repeat this whole series with your other hand. Do this several times.
    Note: Food material moves through the colon in a clockwise direction. If you have trouble with constipation, make all your circles clockwise. If troubled by diarrhea, make all your circles counter-clockwise. Clockwise circles will alleviate the blockage, counter-clockwise circles will help solidify fecal material.
26. Progressive Relaxation
    This soothes down the digestive system and helps to bring about a deeper This exercise is most effective when you tape record the instructions in advance, preferably in your own voice. This way you don't have to concentrate on remembering the instructions.
    
    We recommend using the instructions to record your own voice. But if you'd like, you can listen to, or download, this pre-recorded version. Headphones recommended. (You can also download it at no charge. Just click on the "Download" button.)
27. Deep Breathing
    One of the main reasons many of us are tense is our breathing. Most people breathe very shallowly, using only the top part of their lungs. Deep Breathing allows us to use our entire lungs, providing more oxygen to our bodies, and energizing and rejuvenating every organ and cell in our bodies. It is probably the most effective and beneficial method of relaxation we've seen.
    
    Lie on your back.
    Slowly relax your body, starting with your feet and moving through every part of your body until you have reached -- and relaxed -- your face and scalp.
    Do a quick check to see if you've missed any place. If so, relax it.
    Slowly begin to inhale, first filling your lower belly, then your stomach area, and then your chest and the top of your lungs almost up to your shoulders. Hold for a second or two, then begin to exhale. Empty the very bottom of your lungs first, then the middle, then finally the top.
    Continue this breathing for 4 or 5 minutes. Don't force your breathing; it's not a contest to see how much air you can take in. Just do it in a relaxed, peaceful manner.
    After a while, imagine that you are resting on a warm, gentle ocean. The sun is shining peacefully on your body. Imagine that you rise on the gentle swells of the water as you inhale, and that you slowly descend as you exhale.
    Continue this relaxing breathing as long as you wish (hopefully until you fall asleep).
    Note: This is particularly effective when you do it after Progressive Relaxation -- if you haven't already fallen asleep!
28. Visualize Something Peaceful
    At least try this when you're trying to set up your new regular bedtime Just lie there with your eyes closed and imagine you're in your very favorite, most peaceful place. It may be on a sunny beach, swinging in a hammock in the mountains or your back yard, or all alone in a cave in the Himalayas.
    
    Wherever it is, imagine you are there. You can see your surroundings, hear the peaceful sounds, smell the fragrance of the flowers, and feel the warmth of the sun or whatever sensations are there. Just relax and enjoy it -- and drift off to sleep.
    
    Once you've found a place that's especially peaceful and effective, you'll find that the more you use it, the more you can count on it to help you relax and get to sleep. Its comfort and familiarity will make it more and more effective.
29. Visualize Something Boring
    We like this one in particular. The beauty of it is you can turn a negative into a positive. Just visualize that you are someplace that you have always found extremely boring. It could be listening to a particular teacher who was so boring that he or she almost always put you to sleep. Perhaps it's some friend or acquaintance whose incessant talk and theories put you to sleep. Maybe it's your work, maybe it's your commute each day.
    
    Whatever it is, visualize it. And recapture that bored, tired, heavy, sleepy feeling that you always experience. Let that feeling spread through your mind and all through your body till you're filled with complete tiredness and sleepiness. It works.
30. Imagine It's Time to Get Up
    This is a neat one too. Kind of a variation on the previous technique. Imagine that you're not allowed to go to sleep. Imagine that your morning alarm has gone off and it's time to get up and go to work. You know how delicious that feeling is in the morning when it's time to get up but you're so tired and your eyes are very heavy and you shouldn't do it but you just want to fall right back to sleep for a few minutes more?
    
    Well, we find you can often bring that about just by imagining as fully and realistically as possible that it's morning, that you have to get up, put your feet on a cold floor, stagger around the house, take a cold shower, and do whatever unpleasant things you associate with getting up in the morning. The more unpleasantly you can imagine it, the more you won't want to do it. And the more you'll just want to stay in bed and sleep. Try it. You'll be surprised how tired and sleepy your mind can make your body.
31. This technique is an ancient Eastern meditation as well as a great way to fall asleep.
    
    Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, fingers interlocked, and your palms cupping the back of your head. Get as relaxed as possible (This position make take a little while to get used to).
    Place your thumbs in your ears so that you are pressing the outer flap of your ear and blocking the entrance to the ear canal.
    Lie quietly and listen for a high-pitched sound that you will gradually hear inside your head.
    Lie there for 10 to 15 minutes and concentrate on that sound. Then put your arms to your sides and go to sleep. (Don't worry about all the stories of people who have ringing in their ears. This is different -- and natural.)
     And some new suggestions from readers who have found these remedies useful for their own insomnia 
32. Not Thinking
    "I have one method that never fails to put me to sleep. As long as I'm 'decently' tired, i.e., not trying to overdo it, it's bedtime, etc., I just lie down, close my eyes, and concentrate on 'not thinking'. This often becomes a competition of my strength of will versus my instinct to think. Occasionally a pinprick of an idea strikes you, but you just have to ignore it, and it always puts me to sleep in about two minutes. It's better then just lying there. "- Lance
33. Smoke Yourself to Sleep
    "I've found the best thing to get me asleep is cannabis—and all the people I know who smoke it agree." - Anonymous
34. Yawning
    "Force yourself to yawn two or three times. This followed by the relaxation exercises you discuss will help signal your mind that it is time for sleep. Thanks for the good advice." - Joaquin
35. Sex—Alone or with Other(s)
    "My husband and I have another solution: sex or masturbation. That usually helps you fall asleep." -Jennifer
36. Backwards Counting / Mental Computer
    "Even though I am only a kid, I still have problems falling asleep sometimes. Usually, all I have to do is count backwards from 1,000, taking a deep breath in between each number, as far as it takes to get to sleep."
    
    Another mental exercise to use is to mentally 'type' in your worries onto a mental computer, such as 'fear', 'stress', and 'anxiety'. Then hit the delete key until the entire "screen" is blank."
    
    I know many adults often say, 'I wish I was as carefree as a kid,' but it really isn't that easy to be a kid! Thank you so much for the suggestions!" - Anonymous
37. South, Not North
    "I suggest you amend the tip on "sleeping with the head pointing North". It has long been known in India that sleeping this way is damaging to mind and body, and that burying the dead with the head pointing northward makes the body decay more quickly. The premise is that the body can be seen as a large magnet, with the head as the north pole and the feet as the south pole. Since unlike poles attract, it is best to have the feet (south pole) facing North. This results in minimal blood circulation and low activity in the brain, and therefore more restful sleep."- Ron
38. Earplugs
    "How about plain old-fashioned earplugs? I finally figured out that the reason I couldn't relax into sleep was that I was being kept irritated and awake by the crickets chirping outside my window. Earplugs work! And they're inexpensive, too." - Vanessa
39. Secure Place
    "A technique that I have found most useful is to envision myself in some ideal spot: a house, say, that is perfectly secure and warm while a blizzard rages outside. I picture a window next to my bed, with snow striking against it. Then I work out the layout of the house, the heating system, the surroundings; and I make them all ideal so that the idea of security and no disturbing thoughts can intrude."- Edward
40. Bedtime Routine
    "It helps to develop a bedtime routine. Have a series of things that you always do when going to sleep. For example, before going to bed, feed the dog, fold laundry, check the locks. Humans are creatures of habit.
    
    Remember the guy with the dogs? He rang a bell and they knew it was dinnertime. It's the same theory. Doing this will 'program' your body to know that it's bedtime." - Erinn
41. Hot Water Bottle
    "To help you sleep after a high stress day, lie down with a hot water bottle on your stomach, close your eyes and breath deeply, so the bottle rises and falls. We carry a lot of tension there and the weighted heat releases it." - Elaine
42. Green Cows—and Other Animals of Color
    "Actually, I feel a little silly passing this along since I'm up right now with, well, insomnia. But, a technique I've generally had good success with is to visualize animals in the wrong colors. For example, blue cat, green cow, red elephant, and so on. After coming up with a color/animal combination I try to actually visualize it and then I move on to the next one. Coming up with the combinations and then trying to picture the animal seems to keep my mind occupied and distracted from whatever stressful thoughts were keeping me awake and it gets boring enough that I can generally fall asleep pretty quickly. I've shared this with two coworkers with insomnia and they've reported that it helped them as well." - Candace
43. Short Walk Before Bed
    Reader R.G. suggests taking a short walk before bed—assuming you live in an area where that's perfectly safe. He finds the light exercise often helps him get to sleep.

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