Having an active and creative imagination is a great gift. However, at night it is sometimes not so great; it can be quite miserable. However, do not despair, as there are ways of dealing with this problem.
In other cases, you may lie awake because you cannot stop thinking about a personal problem, such as trouble at work or an argument you had with a good friend etc..
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The most traditional way of dealing with an over-active mind late at night is to count something. Sheep are very popular for this purpose, but most things will do. The logic behind this approach is that it bores you into falling asleep. Thus boring things (such as sheep) are better.
A second method is to focus on one, boring thing, with the purpose of stopping your mind from running so fast. This requires more practice, as your imagination may not be pleased with this. It is particularly useful to focus on something that is far away from your head, such as the tiniest toe on your left foot. Try to feel your toe, and think only about the toe. If you slip up, return to the toe.
Another thing to focus on, is to imagine you are riding a bike. Imagine a particular route in your neighbourhood that you frequently walk, drive, or bike (for example from your house to your work or the city center). Imagine you are biking along this road, and imagine it in exacly the same pace as it would take if you were actually on a bike. While you are "biking", have a look around and imagine all the streets, houses, shops, and other things that you pass along the road. This is a very tiring thing to do for your mind, and you may not get further than a hundred meters the first times you try (because you start thinking about other things or fall asleep). With some practice, you will be able to cover greater distances.
Another great way is to imagine you've won a million dollars, then imagine you're spending it. Calculating how much you'd need to get that boat, dream house, charitable contributions, new wardrobe, etc., can be fun.
It is also possible to try to calm down your mind before going to sleep. Doing a crossword puzzle, sudoku, or reading a little may calm your mind down so that you fall easily asleep. Note: for some people this has the opposite effect, making them more awake, especially if you are reading an extremely exciting book. One of the best choices for this type of bedtime reading is an exciting book that you've read before where you know the ending. The cliff hangers have less impact but the story is just as engaging and just as far from your own worries as it ever was. Trust yourself to know which genre keeps you awake and which one puts you to sleep. Some people read Stephen King to get to sleep well - but it's still often better to enjoy a King reread than to dive into a new one where you don't know how it comes out yet.
Instead of focusing on your mind, you may wish to focus on your body. Doing some exercises (such as running) earlier in the evening, or some yoga right before you go to bed will make your body sleepier. Some people have problems sleeping after running, however.
Take up meditation, and practice before you go to sleep. Meditation calms the mind, and some types of meditation teach you how to clear your mind completely.
Try creating a very detailed story to yourself, something that interests you. You will fall asleep far before you come to the end of the story.
Concentrate on each breath you take. Breathe more slowly, and enjoy each breath, concentrating on how good it feels to be able to breathe. When you slow your breathing, this tends to slow your heart rate as well, which ultimately calms you down.
Clear your head of all thoughts, focus on how good it feels to have your mind completely empty. if a thought comes into your mind, refocus, and just relax
Clear your head by 'throwing away' the thoughts that keep you awake. Imagine a garbage bag. Lift up the predominant thought that keeps you awake from your head, and imagine you put it in the bag. Now that this thought is out of your head, you can notice a previous thought popping up in your head. Throw this in the bag as well. Keep doing this until your head feels clear of thoughts. Then, tie up the bag and throw the bag as far away as you can imagine. You have now let go of the things that keep you awake, and you are ready to start falling asleep.
Eat a small snack and drink some warm milk. Having some food in your stomach can help to keep you from thinking about hunger. This doesn't mean that you should pig out, but eat a banana or some warm bread, but nothing salty. This will make you thirsty and keep you awake.
Keep a water bottle by your bed, and take a sip whenever you are thirsty.
Concentrate on your favorite activity (baseball, a cartoon, eg.) and put yourself "in the game".
Some people have the strange but amazing ability to use a 'backup dream.' What is that? It's a dream that has been repeatedly tested and proven to lull them into sleep. What's yours? Try imagining something like that, where you change one of your flaws using magical powers or something. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Imagine being able to change anything about you (eyes, superpowers, hair etc...) Imagine what you would do if you could do anything.
Go through the alphabet and think of items in a single category, a to z. Animals, Aardvark, Bumble Bee, Crayfish, Dog, etc.
Slowly paralyze yourself starting from your toes, working slowly until you are all the way up to your head. Usually you will be asleep by then. If not, try it again and go slower. If you have an itch, try to ignore it or just start over.
