TIGSource Forums

Lately i've been having trouble sleeping. Whenever I go to bed and close my eyes, I get all sorts of ideas for my game, future game(s), design problems etc etc. It sucks, i just wanna fall asleep :( I try not to program or play games before going to bed, but it's not working. Even alcohol isnt working (or i should get really drunk  :toastR:). Sometimes i can't sleep for hours. I was wondering if anyone has the same problem and/or has an idea what to do against it.

I had the same issue. When I laid down to sleep, game ideas and design issues would come flooding into my brain. That pretty much disappeared when I started jogging. There's nothing like a tired body to help you fall asleep.

work out more

playing games and programming won't help, in fact they make things worse.

A while back I started taking tai chi/qi gong lessons, after a month of practice I noticed I wasn't having trouble falling asleep. anywhere. passing out after a few minutes of resting my head [it would take me a few hours before].  I somewhat subscribe now to the body having energy channels, becoming blocked with stress over time, resulting in an uncomfortable body and unnecessary thoughts.

I've also read acupuncture and yoga complement this.  I would look into them if you have the means.

Physical activities are a good way to comfort your brain and tire your body. They should help a lot as been already suggested.

I don't know if it will be of any help to you but altering my screen colors at night (with this free software (http://stereopsis.com/flux/)) was very useful for me.

dance

dance all night

Exercise is probably not the issue, I go for daily bike rides and play tennis regularly. Especially during the competition season, I play a lot more. Can't say I slept any better.

This seems very useful. Thanks.

make something (game related) that makes you satisfied of yourself before you go to sleep.
If you are satisfied of what you've done, you'll sleep well.
If all you do is think about the game or the preparation thereof and don't actually accomplish anything satisfying you won't sleep well.

That's true as well. I sleep better if I feel I've accomplished a good day's worth of work.

Get smashed. You'll get to sleep easily, and as a bonus, you'll get more waking hours the next day.

Thinking deeply about my old sleeping habits, I used to read more books and slept a lot better back then. Maybe I should try stop fucking around on the internet and read some books again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcXoP4TKsEs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcXoP4TKsEs)

doing this any night always satisfies the body allowing for an easy sleep

I started having this problem recently. I stopped going to the rec center to work out (business) and I think that's why.

I'm a hardcore insomniac and benadryl (diphenhydramine) is the cheapest and easiest solution I've found. over the counter and completely legal, a bottle of 100 pills is around 4 dollars.

though if you take it and can't sleep more than 6 hours, you'll wake up feeling like shit. otherwise I've never experienced any negative side effects from the use of this drug.

Normal breathing helped me a bit: http://www.normalbreathing.com/how-to/how-to-fall-asleep-fast.php

also, just a simple psychological thing: don't try to force yourself to sleep. i find i sleep best when i just hop into bed and turn off the light without thinking too much about it.

sleep less.  If I get a lot of sleep I always have trouble falling asleep the next night.

Don't interact with computers before bed. I read of some research that indicated links between late night computer usage and trouble falling asleep. Spend the last 30 minutes of the day reading, writing, drawing, knitting, whatever.

Try to "download" your ideas to a notebook. Keep the notebook and a pen by your bed, and every time you think of something new, write it down -- get it out of your brain and onto the paper. If you keep thinking of new things, then keep writing them down until you run out and you can fall asleep.

Yeah, I've heard the same. You need some time to unwind before bed.

Reading really helps, in my experience, especially if it's a book without pictures. I don't know why, but comics and magazines tend to keep me up. I guess there's something calming/rhythmic about reading line after line of text.

A good cold bath might help too, by bringing down the temperature of the brain you are more likely to sleep.

HAHA. Good one buddy. The boos won't help though and would probably just make it worse. :'( I like to keep a pad of paper and a pen on my night stand just in case any ideas pop into my head so I can write them down and then just forget about it and go to sleep. As it has been suggested, exercise is also a very good option. If you need to, go to the health foods store and get some melatonin or somethin'. I use a product called Semper Sleep, it works well for me. Good luck.
www.sempersleep.com (http://www.sempersleep.com)

Put a notepad and pencil by your bed.  When you get a good idea, write it down and then you can go to bed without worrying about losing a million-dollar idea.

Masturbate.

Seriously, do it. Apparently masturbation before bed is associated with restful sleeping?

I'm having the same problems now because of final exams. I always seem to get partial insomnia during final exams. I haven't found a good solution yet but I know what to advise against: Don't drink yourself to sleep, you won't get legitimate healthy sleep. Plus, there's always the chance of a hangover.