This document provides over 100 suggestions for things people can think about or do when having trouble falling asleep. Some of the suggestions include thinking about past vacations or parties, reading, playing games on a smartphone, drinking tea, calling a friend in a different time zone, listening to relaxing music, taking a warm bath, going for a walk, meditating, or coming up with a bedtime ritual. The list aims to provide distracting or calming activities to occupy the mind and help one fall asleep.

1. Stanford University
Creativity Crash Course by Tina Seelig
Final Dream Team
Diana Knodel, Diana Sauerwein, Ruth Konter and
Carsten Weerth
More than 100 ideas to fall asleep when your mind is
troubled…
Think about Snowboarding
Read the newspaper
Play a Game with your smartphone
Call a friend who Lives in a different timezone
Have some tea
Have a milk with honey
Watch a Short Film
Think about your Last Party
Think about your Last vacation
Look at picture Albums
Draw a picture in your mind
Write a Poem
Write a Post Card for a friend
Set the table for breakfast in the morning
Sit in a comfortable chair in the living room doing nothing
Move to another room to sleep there
Play Chatroulette
Think about which presents you Need for Christmas
Plan your next vacation
Imagine you are being massaged
Imagine you are in a Spa
Think about the Last Movie you watched in the Theater
Think about the Last Play you saw in the Theater
count sheep
watch mindless movies
write a journal
think about good feelings
try self suggestion
go to a sauna
try to swim and be happy afterwards
be ensured that you can not change the big ways of life
anyway
think about good thinks done already
stop worrying because it would not change things any way
treat yourself well by help of a great meal and/or wine
try to use smelling candles/sticks
try to use nice and warm lights
use your favorite underwear/sleeping dress
talk to friends even when it is late
use your netbook/computer to write to friends/email them
make a good workout/sport (and are exhausted)
have good sex before falling asleep (and be happy)
try not to think ahead too much because your brain will chew
on it later
think about the day spent
go out for a drink
go out for dinner

2. go out for cinema
go out for a concert
go out and see friends
invite friends for dinner,
invite friends for a TV night
invite friends for talking long
invite friends for listening to music
invite friends for watching sports on TV
go out for a bowling night
go out for a snooker night
talk to friends about your worries so that you can fall asleep
without worries
watch your personal X-movie
play online in the internet
write a letter to your baby...
write a scientific paper...
watch your favorite DVD-sequel
read an (un/interesting) book
ask your twitter timeline for help
take a warm bath/shower
a walk in the fresh air
address your pet
drinks for relaxing: red wine
check out the best to-bed-time for you
make a short meditation
yoga exercises to calm down
listen to relaxing music
listen to your favourite song and dance around
cuddly pet (from the childhood) to get calm
do some origami models
create and celebrate your personel “good night” ritual
create a healthy and pleasant room atmosphere by various
scents
look for special “feelgood” bed linen
bed furniture (with cradle technique, waterbed)
paint the ceiling of the room in nice colours/pictures
darkening the room
sound insulation by earplugs
recite a poem
make a to-do list for the next day/week/projects
write diary
write your thoughts/ideas down and put it in a box for later
paint your thoughts on paper, give them a colour
look for a positive affirmation and use it before sleeping
remember a positive experience of the day
think about 10 things you are grateful for
listen to a good night story based on hypotherapy
tell yourself a good night story
do an imaginary voyage to change your thoughts
write your thoughts down so you don't need to keep them in
mind
have post-its and pens at hand
or a dictaphone
some phones have a voice memory
make it comfortable for yourself
right temperature
have it dark enough
use curtains or sleeping masks

3. count from 100 backwards
if you struggle, start again
fix that sink / that bike / other broken things
think about a new business plan
download (beforehand!) sounds of the sea and listen to the
or the whales