Whether you struggle to fall asleep at night or just cannot seem to stay in that slumber, you have experienced at least one time in your life, the dreaded insomnia. You know how terrible it is. Tossing and turning, checking the clock, flipping the pillow, piling blankets, removing your socks, cracking the window, removing the blankets, throwing on the socks, staring at the ceiling...ugh.
You've been trying for hours, but there is just no more sleep left in you. So, what do you do? It's two...three...four in the morning, what is there to do? Welp, here is a list of oodles of ideas of what to do when the boredom that comes with insomnia hits!
(DISCLAIMER: many/all of these activities are not guaranteed to assist in falling asleep)
...actually don't do these if you're seeking sleep.
Watch the clock!
Just kidding, don't do that. Laying in bed and looking as the minutes pass is boring as heck!
Brew some coffee.
Caffeine seems to always taste best at the times that are probably the worst, no?
Doodle.
Doodling is always fun. If you don't know what to draw, do some self-portraiture. Make a self-portrait at different phases of over-exhaustion: you'll have fun in the process and be entertained by the results!
Do homework.
I mean, if you're into the whole "being productive" thing.
Clean.
Again...if you're into that kind of thing...at least your roommates/mother will appreciate you.
N E T F L I X .
If you haven't thought of this one yet, are you even from this century? Some good middle-of-the-night binge-streaming series are "Dexter", "American Horror Story", "Grey's Anatomy"...or if you're not so into either crying your eyes out or covering them in fear...season one of "Fuller House" is now available!
Indulge.
Cook yourself a three-course meal, because why not? Or bake that ooey-gooey-triple-chocolate-peanut-butter-caramel-hazelnut-pretzel-crunch-brownie you saw online the other day. If not now, when?
Or... make a diet plan.
If experimenting to make the fattiest, most sugary, delicious indulgence to ever put in mouth is not your thing...make yourself a diet plan or a list of healthy changes you can commit to, like drinking eight glasses of water every day or taking the stairs over the elevator.
Exercise.
While you're on a role... do some crunches and push-ups. If you don't have THAT much energy right now, strike a few yoga poses.
Online shop.
Nothing like scrolling through endless pages of e v e r y t h i n g on Amazon. However, this one can be dangerous, so WARNING: DO NOT punch in those card numbers until morning. Sleepy "browsing" can easily lead to a shopping cart full of who knows what.
Organize.
Why does 3 a.m. always feel like the best time to go through your sock drawer? Or move your bed over there and your dresser here or your fridge to your room...
Call Sweden.
Apparently you can now call Sweden and be hooked up to a random resident. Sounds like entertainment to me! There is a six-hour time difference between the east coast and Sweden so what's 4 a.m. insomniac time for you is well into the morning for those on the other end the hotline. You can reach Sweden as 46-771-793-336, or 46-771-SWEDEN.
Take a walk/ride.
You know the best time for a 7-11 Slurpee?
Fashion Show.
Put a fashion show on for yourself, or for all of your well-rested friends to see on all social media in the AM. You. are. fabulous.
Paint your nails.
Might as well make sure your fingertips and little piggies are fabulous, while you're at it! Pick your favorite color, or if you simply can't decide, call/text every one of your friends until someone wakes up and ask their opinion. They'll love it, trust me. (This one goes to all males, as well. Stay trendy!)
Watch animals.
You know how fast time passes when viewing funny cat videos. Or you can watch SO many cute animals live streaming just doing their lil' animal things here.
Diagnose that mole.
Now is the time to look up that mole you've had for a few days. Or that itch that is suddenly really bothering you...because it always leads to a life-threatening condition! Or cancer! Or the measles! Or rabies! Might as well figure it out yourself now.
Plan the rest of your life.
For some reason, it's this time of night where googling different careers and life paths and travels and options just seem so important. You'll go from being a passionate journalism major to goals of becoming a dog trainer to brain surgeon to surfer to computer analyst to painter to nanny to superhero to free-spirited traveler to cake decorator to missionary volunteer to insect collector to chef to being the next OPRAH WINFREY... all in a matter of a couple of hours.
Or...
you can make yourself a cup of tea, light a candle, put your phone down, turn off the lights, lay your head on the pillow, relax your muscles, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Perhaps you should try some meditative sleep remedies instead...
But for those of us who simply CANNOT...
