It can be very helpful to get things out of your mind and in to somewhere that you trust you'll see them later, so you can forget about it now. For me, that means keeping a pad and pencil next to the bed, and writing down anything that I keep thinking about instead of sleeping. The next morning, I take that list and transfer the notes to wherever I'll find them most useful in the future, whether that's a calendar, a to do list, or somewhere else. It takes a little time to learn to trust your system, but it does work.

Black. When you are trying to sleep: Simply think all the time about the color black.

If any other thing than the color black pops up - think about black again.

If you're imagining a black object - think about the color black again.

That's my trick. This is so boring you will fall asleep in no time. Every other thought has no chance.

Start reading book.. nothing else is required.

First off, coffee is definitely not a solution (well, technically it is, but...never mind) - it makes it difficult to sleep by stimulating various areas of the brain.

So a couple of viewpoints:

1. When I am working, and am in the groove, I don't go to bed. I keep working until my body tells me it wants to sleep. This can have its up and downs, but generally it helps me deliver high output for long hours.
2. If I do want to go to bed at a particular time, I set some goals which I aim to attain before that time, and I then have a mental self-satisfaction which helps with relaxation.
3. When I really have to get to sleep I count. A bit like Michael, I count my heartbeat and breaths - because this takes a little concentration, but is not too difficult to do at the same time I find it excludes all other thought and I drift off.

Try simple meditation like focusing on your breathing. Whenever you wander away from focusing on your breathing, gently push away the thoughts and focus on your breathing again. Rinse and repeat.

Look into the source of your endless thoughts. If you are trying to remember everything you have to do tomorrow, capture it all on paper or other media (like someone already suggested). If there are other reasons why you can't stop thinking, try to figure out what they are and how you can alleviate the problem (may be go see a mental health professional, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness).

Exercise/regular sleep/healthier diet usually helps.

Here's the best technique I know when I have trouble falling asleep, because I keep thinking about the day's events, or tomorrow's plans.

STOP thinking with your left brain, and switch to your right hemisphere!

For example, I'm a computer programmer, and usually code or design right up to the point I go to bed. But I keep thinking about new ideas or solutions to problems I am having. This can go on for more than an hour. And even if I'm actually very tired.

Once I realize this, I start thinking more emotionally, not logically. I think about what I plan to do tomorrow or the weekend (but not about programming!). Or, what I just did last weekend. Or, anything that involves simply 'being' in the situation without thinking about details. Try remembering a nice experience you had. It usually only takes a few minutes then I'm fast asleep.

Or try clearing your mind of the usual 'clutter'. (that voice that just wont shut up! Or is that just me? :) ) Start your mental training by either counting (as others have suggested), or concentrating on your breathing (my favorite!). Ideally you should be able to train yourself to think of 'nothing' (except maybe an occasional 'hey! I just thought of nothing for 10 seconds!' Dang inner voice!) All of this is to attempt to calm your inner dialog.

Good luck, and good night!

Avoid reading Office emails before sleeping.

Otherwise you will keep thinking about stuff.

Read THE PROMISE OF SLEEP by William Dement (prominent sleep researcher). His advice: at 7:00 pm (no later) take 30 minutes to write down every worry, every fear, every agitative thought. Then, go to bed. Very similar to David Allen's trusted system when the brain lets go once it understands that the ideas have been written down. I have a friend who got into GTD and wrote all the open loops on 3"x5" cards. After 3 weeks she emailed me and said "I'm dreaming again!"

The rest of the story was before she wrote her open loops on 3"x5" cards, the last thing she would do before falling asleep was review everything that she could not afford to forget. Then she fell asleep, then she dreamt about her open loops. Once her open loops were out of her head via 3"x5" cards, she started having "Normal person dreams" again.

If this is not enough to get you to sleep, try another of William Dement's recommendations which is to talk to your doctor, ask for 30 days of a non-habit forming sleeping pill that you won't refill without re-talking with the doctor. My doctor gave me Trazadone which s/he (first it was a she, currently it is a he) is not worried will be a problem. When the boss is too invasive, take a pill, sleep when you have the time to sleep.

Dement also explains in his book that the stereotype of habit forming sleeping pills comes from the 1960s when sleeping pills were habit forming. Today's pills are completely different and much safer.

Hope this helps!

The hardest part for me was committing, and absolutely committing, to not having any electronics in the room. No phone, no iPad, no computer. It sounds silly but it took me about a week of this to be able to easily go to sleep without any distraction. Now it's very easy for me....but that first week was brutal!

I want to describe what I'm doing in such case:

1. Run before sleep.
2. Visit any kind of event (presentation, exhibition, concert so on) after work hours.

First let's feel me fresh and guarantee that immediately fall in sleep when reach a bed. Second doesn't allow me to forget about beautiful things in this my life and bring motivation for work.

One way to induce sleep is with Melatonin supplements. It is a chemical naturally released by your brain when it is dark out, but can be inhibited by caffeine, stress, etc. It is a cheap drug you can get in the vitamins section of a grocery store.

I personally find listening to the radio helps me get to sleep.

I don't find music helps but listening to BBC Radio 4, 4extra, or BBC World Service has enough voice that helps me drop off.

I think it moves my heads focus away from thinking about the day to listening to the programme, and with it not being particularly engaging (like counting) it just helps you drop off.

A piece of advice: If you often have difficulty to sleep, I would stop consuming caffeine. Even if you are pretty sure it is not the reason why your sleep is bad, you should understand that caffeine stimulate the brain for a varying period of time. Therefore, you can become very tired but still your brain stay very active.

First thing today...giving up my evening cup of coffee. Second, take my bible, read a chapter or two, and pray...giving all my worries & concerns to God, who, in my convictions of my faith is big & powerful enough to handle it.

I believe in white noise also, in prior times, the humming sound of a fan helped.

Lately, I've taken Melatonin, it hasn't kicked in. If I'm not asleep after a certain time I will take a rx sleeping pill, which does the job...but, don't want to depend on them.

I want to emphasize the "global" solutions too in the sense of "how do I make my day so that I have a clear mind before I go to sleep".

• (mentioned many times) To have a fully productive day so that you will be tired by the time you want to sleep.
• (given by Rory Aslop - emphasis mine) "I set some goals which I aim to attain before that [sleep] time, and I then have a mental self-satisfaction which helps with relaxation."
• To address the worries during the day, decide on the actions to take and start these actions.
• To have a clear agenda for the next day clear and concrete.
• To prepare all the "logistics" for the next day well before sleep e.g. what to take to work, what to wear etc.
• To stop demanding or stressful activities, TV, internet at least an hour before sleep.

I thought that meditation was all about suppressing all external thoughts. After reading a bit more about the different types of meditation, I found that you can also do the following:

1. When a thought arises, acknowledge it.
2. Visualize your hand pushing the thought away . My visualization of choice is imagining the thought like an app on the iPad and the pushing away like when you push apps up to close them on an iPad.
3. Keep pushing the thoughts aside. This exercise always puts me to sleep without me really realizing it and I wake up very refreshed.

I've found counting works.

It's a variant on the old counting sheep.

I change it by counting down from 100 or 200 in 3's or in 4's. Maybe down from 300 in 6's. I'm always surprised that it works but it often does. I guess it is:

• Something that is easy to do without thinking hard...

• but not too easy, so 'soaks up' your extra thoughts (so 1,2,3 isn't good).

• repetitive, like a rocking motion.

Try it!

(Good thread is helpful. Here is my mantra.) When I was little and would complain to my parents that I could not sleep my mother would simply say: "If you can't sleep, you're not tied." By the time I had thought about it for a while it was usually morning.

Obviously as an adult we are slightly more complex beings, but for me the truth is usually a lack of exercises. If I can't sleep I get up, do some gardening and/or some taichi and then sleep is usually much easier.

If television or Interneting is part of your evening then you could try replacing part/all of it with any type of physical exercise.

Sweet dreams.

Do not go to sleep with your laptop. That's all. Or, alternatively find a good wife a let her to decide when to go to sleep and how to sleep.

What helps me to sleep and feel healty:

• do physical activity, so I get tired and I sleep deeply
• use coffee and sugar only in the morning
• don't eat heavy at dinner

In some cases, when my regular habits are not enough:

• drink a bit of alcohol, like one or two beers, it relaxes me
• use some "valeriana" extracts 1-2 hours before going to sleep

Workout everyday. (At least 30-40) mins

You can also do do normal Exercise or play outdoor sport.

You can also do some stretching exercises just before getting into bed. Also,

Take almonds and milk.

Follow the 4-5-7 rule.

4 seconds inhale.

5 seconds hold.

7 secs, let go.

This seriously gonna work. Have a good night's sleep buddy.