The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Excitable people: How do you sleep?

Anything related to matters of the mind

DennisD

Mini Media Mogul
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
216%
Jun 16, 2012
1,488
3,207
36
Bali, Indonesia
My problem is I'm just easily excited by business... I'm always ITCHING to do the next thing, and as I lay down for bed, it's all I think about.

Last night, for instance, instead of sleeping, I laid in bed for hours editing a promovideo in my head. I only got 4 hours of sleep. The night before I only got 3. I'd like to get at least 5.

I know if I DID get up and work, I'd regret it and get NO SLEEP and not be as focused as I need to be,

Are you like me? How do you cope?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

SirTristram

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
115%
Jul 24, 2014
48
55
28
When I can't sleep I focus on my breathing. Inhale as long as I can, exhale as long as I can. After a while it's all you tune into and the body starts shutting off.
 

FionaS

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
200%
Sep 12, 2011
513
1,028
32
Anchorage, AK
Meditation helps me a lot. Also - affirmations. Different ones to wind me down at night from the ones that get me excited for the day in the morning. And visualizing how I want the night to go and how I want to wake up in the morning.

No caffeine past noon. Magnesium/melatonin as needed.

Not gonna lie, it's a hit or miss for me, but I tend to be pretty tired by the time I go to sleep - I try to spend the last couple hours of my day being very active (ie chase the kids around the house).
 

Mattie

Platinum Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
129%
May 28, 2014
3,485
4,490
53
U.S.
I put on meditation music, self-guided meditation, or listen to an audio book and it usually if your minds focused on that, you just naturally go to sleep.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

FastNAwesome

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
117%
May 23, 2011
1,116
1,301
I've found that audiobooks/podcasts put me to sleep, I rarely manage to listen to it till the end.

Thinking about tough math problem works even faster:)
 

DennisD

Mini Media Mogul
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
216%
Jun 16, 2012
1,488
3,207
36
Bali, Indonesia
Thinking about tough math problem works even faster:)
I think these particular examples would do the opposite for me. The way my brain is wired, problem-solving invigorates me, even if it's just math.
Audiobooks have worked for me before, so long as they're purely fiction. Anything nonfiction reenergizes me and pumps me up to work.
 

DennisD

Mini Media Mogul
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
216%
Jun 16, 2012
1,488
3,207
36
Bali, Indonesia
kQGlLWf.png

Alcohol gets me to sleep pretty much 100% of the time without fail. But I always feel groggy in the AM and don't feel like working.
 

johnp

Platinum Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
157%
Aug 29, 2011
1,707
2,675
Philly
Are you working hard enough?

Really, that's what it came down to for me. If I wasn't working hard enough then I wouldn't be tired by night.

Alcohol, pills, and other stuff......They are only going to slow you down and make you a little less unproductive the next day. I tried that stuff too at one point and it never worked.

Hard work cures insomnia, just like sales cures a failing business.

So try this:

- Wake up at 5am
- Start working on shit.
- Workout
- Then work hard until 9-11pm...

You might just fall asleep standing up.

Work so hard during the day that you have to fight your body to keep going.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

DennisD

Mini Media Mogul
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
216%
Jun 16, 2012
1,488
3,207
36
Bali, Indonesia
Work so hard during the day that you have to fight your body to keep going.

I'll give working harder a shot. I haven't been working DIRECTLY before bed, either, so I'll give that a shot too. Thx.
 

randomnumber314

speed of a drunk camel
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
227%
Jan 7, 2014
1,003
2,279
Minnesoooota,USA
Alcohol gets me to sleep pretty much 100% of the time without fail. But I always feel groggy in the AM and don't feel like working.

Haha, yes I'm serious. I don't mean to tell people to get loaded every night, because that's no bueno for your liver. But there are nights when I just can't sleep so I'll have a night cap. It's by no means the healthiest thing.

It's probably a matter of sitting in front of bright lights until midnight--your body still thinks it's day time.
 

DennisD

Mini Media Mogul
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
216%
Jun 16, 2012
1,488
3,207
36
Bali, Indonesia
It's probably a matter of sitting in front of bright lights until midnight--your body still thinks it's day time.
Maybe. I generally DO get tired, very tired... and I lay down in bed, thinking I'm going to sleep.

and then BOOM! I'm struck with a great idea that solves problems I was having on my project... my mind starts racing: "Will this work? If it does that opens up so many doors! What are my next steps..." etc... which re energizes me. The problems usually only start once I'm settled down in bed.

Perhaps I need to change my pre-sleep ritual to avoid even thinking shop while I try to sleep, but it's tough.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

DennisD

Mini Media Mogul
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
216%
Jun 16, 2012
1,488
3,207
36
Bali, Indonesia
I GOT SLEEP LAST NIGHT!

My problem is thinking too much about work... getting excited, and wanting to wake up and act on these ideas. The solution is to stop thinking about work. How did I accomplish this?
  1. Write up a to-do list for the next day. With a to-do list, I can feel confident in my abillity to get to work 1st thing upon waking. I get everything on paper and out of my head. I relieve myself of the burden of thinking about the next day with a formal list.
  2. Read fiction. This takes my mind off of the real world (the world I wish to make changes to) and puts me into a fantasy world (where my actions don't matter).
the combination removes my nightly impulses to 'get shit done' and replaces them with a clear head.
 

pickeringmt

Gold Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
364%
Apr 24, 2014
562
2,044
39
Man, if I am ever having problems falling asleep I use this tip I heard here on the forum (it was actually from some system, but it puts me straight to sleep):
Begin counting each breath as you inhale, and relaxing as much as you can on the exhale.
relax more with each exhale
count to 100 doing this
stay focused on counting each breath and relaxing every time you breath out
I am almost always asleep by 35-40 - I have never made it to 100
 

Marc B.

Silver Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
204%
Sep 23, 2012
290
593
Oklahoma
My problem is thinking too much about work... getting excited, and wanting to wake up and act on these ideas. The solution is to stop thinking about work. How did I accomplish this?
  1. Write up a to-do list for the next day. With a to-do list, I can feel confident in my abillity to get to work 1st thing upon waking. I get everything on paper and out of my head. I relieve myself of the burden of thinking about the next day with a formal list.
The less I have on my mind, the better. Insomnia has become a new problem for me in the last month, so I understand your frustration. I keep a notebook beside my bed. I write down anything that I think I "must do A.S.A.P." to eliminate the fear of forgetting it the next day. That fear is enough to keep me awake.

I also suggest exercising daily. Nothing puts you to bed like physical exhaustion. Lift heavy, and as an added benefit, you will become physically fit.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Marc B.

Silver Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
204%
Sep 23, 2012
290
593
Oklahoma
edit: removed double post
 
G

Guest3722A

Guest
I GOT SLEEP LAST NIGHT!

My problem is thinking too much about work... getting excited, and wanting to wake up and act on these ideas. The solution is to stop thinking about work. How did I accomplish this?
  1. Write up a to-do list for the next day. With a to-do list, I can feel confident in my abillity to get to work 1st thing upon waking. I get everything on paper and out of my head. I relieve myself of the burden of thinking about the next day with a formal list.
  2. Read fiction. This takes my mind off of the real world (the world I wish to make changes to) and puts me into a fantasy world (where my actions don't matter).
the combination removes my nightly impulses to 'get shit done' and replaces them with a clear head.


Ever hear of brain-dumping? It's been compared to defragmenting a computer, but for us. Every night pull out a piece of paper and write everything that is on your mind. Doesn't need to be organized or in a nice notebook or even something you'll read again. The theory behind this is it's satisfying to get everything out. For me it brings a feeling of completeness.

Also, light has an affect on hormones. The body wants to wake up when there is light whether artificial or not. Putting the computer and cell away an hour before sleep and winding down in pitch black for an hour has also had positive results with my sleeping patterns.

Last, completely organizing every hour of your day the night before and getting used to the consistency of this routine has also helped. I believe the daily planner sheets that MJ has posted around the forum are to be used with this part.

Hope this jogs up some research in ya and ultimately helps.
 

Peta of JamRock

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
63%
Feb 10, 2015
38
24
40
Kingston, Jamaica
I had the opposite problem last night - an encounter with an obnoxious blow-hard left me very upset and having panic attacks when I went to bed. I didn't sleep a wink. If I were in my early 20s, I would have been dead on my feet today.

I'm grateful to see this thread and for all these tips. I'm currently trying to mellow out to sounds of rain via mynoise.net, and I'll be trying @pickeringmt's suggestion tonight. Here's hoping it will work.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Andy Black

Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
370%
May 20, 2014
18,566
68,699
Ireland
Lol. Can't sleep? Have kids and you'll get used to falling asleep when your head hits your pillow. You can "practice" falling asleep every few hours. :)
 
Last edited:

Alche

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
41%
Mar 18, 2015
17
7
33
Meditation, sex or working on the idea/project for a few hours all usually work for me

And if not sex you have another option :)
 

Humble man

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
123%
Mar 21, 2015
13
16
In The Present
You really have to look at sleep like a recharge and think of the person with less sleep than you as less charged. If I put a smile on my face and think of sleep ending with a fantastic waking up...you know like a kid on Christmas eve then sleep is enjoyable. Take those long deep breaths.....long inhale and longer exhale you can even add the in the the good and out with the baddddddddddd.

Also if you can master lucid dreams OMG do you know how much fun you can be having? Flying....sex with anyone you see at the drop of a dime...and the details...wow the brain is magnificent!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

ZeroExile

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
158%
Sep 10, 2014
38
60
Florida
They say intelligent people have trouble sleeping. Thoughts are racing at night when the mind should be peacefully watching sheep jump over fences. It makes sense. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with "intelligence" but sleep is still important and you must go through all the cycles nonetheless or your brain will be deprived. Sadly there is no way to bypass this without changing your sleep schedule entirely. There are many variations of sleep schedules that you could try.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Gaudeamus

Three yards and a cloud of dust
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
168%
Mar 21, 2015
44
74
Japan
Man, if I am ever having problems falling asleep I use this tip I heard here on the forum (it was actually from some system, but it puts me straight to sleep):
Begin counting each breath as you inhale, and relaxing as much as you can on the exhale.
relax more with each exhale
count to 100 doing this
stay focused on counting each breath and relaxing every time you breath out
I am almost always asleep by 35-40 - I have never made it to 100

I have not so much trouble falling asleep when I go to bed, the bigger problem for me are thoughts racing and worries turining up when I awake at 3 or 4am in the morning (for whatever reason - having to take a pee, or the wife having talking in her dreams). But your tip sounds great for my probem also - I will try it next time I wake up in the night. It gives the mind something to do, and induces mental relaxation, which should do the trick. Thanks a lot for sharing this!!
 

Peta of JamRock

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
63%
Feb 10, 2015
38
24
40
Kingston, Jamaica
Oh yea, another thing - if I'm not in bed and drawing snores before 1 a.m., then it's no sleep for me.

Try to be in bed by the absolute latest midnight, especially if you have to (or aim to) be an early-riser. Let my pain be your lesson.
 

Damage Inc.

There's no return from 86
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
154%
Dec 30, 2014
182
280
Pennsylvania
As a single, no kids, no 9-5 guy if I hit a wave of excitement a lot of the time I'll just ride it. I'll pull an occasional all nighter when I'm excited about something new going on with my business. I catch up on sleep later and take advantage of the motivation when it's strong.

There's also times when want to get to sleep but have racing thoughts. Sometimes I do more constructive things like work out, or write a to do list for the next day. And sometimes I use less constructive methods like tv or alcohol to wind down a bit.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Gaudeamus

Three yards and a cloud of dust
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
168%
Mar 21, 2015
44
74
Japan
Man, if I am ever having problems falling asleep I use this tip I heard here on the forum (it was actually from some system, but it puts me straight to sleep):
Begin counting each breath as you inhale, and relaxing as much as you can on the exhale.
relax more with each exhale
count to 100 doing this
stay focused on counting each breath and relaxing every time you breath out
I am almost always asleep by 35-40 - I have never made it to 100

I tried this tip when I woke up at 3:00am last night, but it didn't work.... Recurring thoughts and worries were too strong...:nailbiting:
 

Vigilante

Legendary Contributor
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
596%
Oct 31, 2011
11,116
66,265
Gulf Coast
Woodford reserve. Technically a bourbon, but I just call them all whiskey.

I have always been a Jim Beam drinker, but bought a bottle of Macallan scotch for a friend who was coming over. He was a no-show, the scotch helped me sleep that night, and the rest of our blossoming relationship is a beautiful love affair. That's an expensive habit though.

Has anyone tried a "MyPillow?" I have been meaning to buy one (they actually have a BOGO special going on).

http://www.mypillow.com/
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top