so, what are folks up to tonight

@kara failing to sleep. :| and having to be up extra early in the morning, so... no time to go back to sleep. wheeeee

@green ew

yeah, I've never been much good at powering on through the night

@green er, I guess "day" in my case

@kara I have recurrent insomnia; I have some tricks to deal with it, but sometimes they just don't work, and there's no use lying in bed failing to sleep. :|

@green @kara please share?

@Leucrotta @kara what works for me:

1. nightly NyQuil nightcap. one of the little cap-cups, once a night. multiple doctors have told me this is acceptable "off-label" use.
2. white noise--box fan, air conditioner/purifier, CPU fan--in a pinch I can use the "white noise" alarm clock noises, but most of them don't work well for me.
3. dream meditation. not quite sure how to explain this one... (cont)

@kara @Leucrotta

3. (cont) remembering dreams seems to put my mind in a similar "dream state," which makes falling asleep *much* easier. it doesn't have to be one coherent dream; just remembering disconnected, random dream scenes will do the trick, though it's easier if I have a shred of narrative to follow.
4. sleep hygiene; if I *can't* get to sleep, I *get up* and go do something else. I give myself an hour of attempting sleep before getting up, ymmv.

@green @kara thanks!

@Leucrotta @green let me add that I've found valerian supplements to be a moderately effective mild sedative, if you find NyQuil and other OTC sedatives (most of which contain rather "dirty" antihistaminic / anticholinergic drugs like diphenhydramine and doxylamine in them) to make you feel too icky the morning after

kava-kava is also sedative but I've found that effective preparations are difficult to find

@kara @Leucrotta @green If you try kava-kava be *very* careful. It can be quite hepatotoxic (causing liver damage). Never, ever do both that and acetaminophen/paracetamol in proximity to each other.