Sleep Routines to Cure Your Insomnia…….You know that thing where you’re lying in bed, it’s 2:47 a.m., and your brain decides now is the perfect time to remember every cringey thing you’ve ever said since kindergarten? Yeah, hi—welcome to my life for, like, a solid year. I was deep in the trenches of insomnia, convinced that maybe sleep was just a myth invented by mattress companies.
So when I talk about sleep routines to cure your insomnia naturally, I’m not preaching from some lofty cloud. I’m the person who once stayed up watching YouTube videos about how giraffes sleep (it’s like, 30 minutes at a time, standing up—bless them). I’ve done the pacing, the melatonin experiments, the regrettable “just one more scroll” doom cycle on TikTok. Spoiler: none of that worked.
But—eventually—I stumbled into a few things that did work. Not magic spells. Not fancy gadgets. Just a handful of little evening habits that didn’t make me feel like a wellness robot. And because I wish someone had handed me this list (instead of the dry “avoid caffeine” nonsense—you don’t say, Doc), I’m giving it to you.
Why Insomnia Feels Like a Bad Roommate
Quick side rant: insomnia feels less like a “condition” and more like living with a terrible roommate who won’t shut up.
Me: “Okay, lights out, let’s sleep.”
My brain: “Cool. But first—remember that email you didn’t answer in 2014?”
It’s not just the lying awake—it’s the dread before bed. The whole build-up. You know you’re going to toss around. You know you’ll stare at the ceiling and think about whether you locked the front door or not (you did, but still). It’s exhausting in the least restful way possible.
So yeah. If you’re tired of insomnia bossing you around, keep reading. This is me throwing the roommate’s dirty laundry out the window.
1. The “Wind-Down” Trick I Thought Was Dumb (But Worked)
You ever notice how kids have these little bedtime routines? Bath, book, bed. That’s it. And they conk out. Meanwhile, I’m 30-something, and my “routine” was basically: scroll my phone until my eyes burn, then wonder why sleep hates me.
So I tried this thing I read—make an actual bedtime ritual. I rolled my eyes, but I picked the laziest version possible: dim the lights, make tea, and read a boring book. Not like Game of Thrones (I’d be up till sunrise). I mean something like an old paperback I don’t care about.
And it worked. Not overnight, but enough that my brain started to get the hint: “Oh, this is the part where we power down.” Like Pavlov’s dog, except instead of salivating for food, I was drooling on my pillow.
2. No, You Don’t Need Lavender Candles Everywhere (But… They Kinda Help)
Look, I’m not saying aromatherapy cured my insomnia. But I did once buy one of those lavender sprays for my pillow, and suddenly my bedroom didn’t feel like an office crash pad anymore. Smelled like a spa. Trickery, but I’ll take it.
And if lavender isn’t your thing—pick something else. Vanilla, sandalwood, heck, even “Fresh Linen” (which honestly just smells like laundry detergent, but whatever works). The point is, your nose can trick your brain into thinking, “Hey, this is chill time.”
3. Screens. Ugh.
Okay, so here’s where I confess: I still scroll my phone at night. I’m not one of those perfect people who locks their phone in another room. But—I did start using the “night shift” setting (less blue light, more orangey glow), and I make myself stop at least 30 minutes before bed.
Do I always succeed? Ha. No. Sometimes I cave and end up in a rabbit hole of “cats knocking things off counters.” But on the nights I actually manage to put the phone down? My brain doesn’t feel like it’s been slapped with a strobe light.
4. Weirdly Enough—Temperature Matters
I used to think this was overhyped, but if your room is too warm, good luck. I’m in the U.S. Midwest, so summers are basically “human oven” mode, and winters are “why do my toes feel like ice pops.” Turns out, ideal sleep temp is like 65–68 degrees. Which feels cold at first, but once you’re under the blanket, it’s heaven.
Bonus: socks. I was anti-sock-sleeping forever. Then I tried it. Game-changer. (Don’t judge me until you try it.)
5. Journaling Without the Cringe
So I’ve always hated the idea of “dear diary” journaling before bed. Too much work. Too middle school. But then I tried “dump journaling.” Basically: grab a notebook, vomit every worry, thought, or to-do onto the page, close it. Done.
It’s not pretty writing. It’s just getting the brain gunk out. Half my entries are literally:
- “Did I pay the electric bill?”
- “What if I embarrass myself tomorrow in that meeting?”
- “I want tacos.”
Weirdly, once it’s on paper, my brain stops circling the drain.
6. Move Your Body (But Not Like a Maniac Before Bed)
I used to try late-night workouts because I figured: tire myself out = sleep, right? Wrong. My heart was basically a rave lightshow, and I was wired.
Morning or afternoon workouts though? Total difference. Doesn’t even have to be intense. A 20-minute walk. Stretching. My body actually feels like, “Oh okay, we did something today. Time to recharge.”
7. The “Fake It Till You Sleep” Trick
This one’s gonna sound dumb, but hear me out. Instead of lying in bed like, “Please let me sleep, please, please”—I started pretending. I’d close my eyes and just… act like I was asleep. No pressure. Just breathe slow, don’t move much.
Half the time, I’d trick myself into actually falling asleep. Like, reverse psychology but with pillows.
Little Side Tangent: Midnight Snacks
Listen. Everyone says don’t eat before bed. And yeah, scarfing down a burger at midnight is not ideal. But also—sometimes you’re just hungry. I used to fight it, get cranky, and end up awake longer. Now I just grab a banana, or some peanut butter toast, and call it a day.
So yeah—bedtime snacks aren’t evil. They’re just misunderstood.
Why Natural Routines Beat Quick Fixes about Sleep Routines to Cure Your Insomnia
Here’s the thing: I tried melatonin. I tried those “sleepy time” gummies with cartoon bears on the package. I even tried whale sounds (10/10 recommend if you want to feel like you’re napping in the Pacific). But the truth is, quick fixes didn’t stick.
The routines, though? They rewired the way my brain saw bedtime. Not as punishment. Not as failure. Just—something kind of nice. Like, “oh cool, I get to shut down for a while.”
And when you stack them up—tea, boring book, lavender pillow, cooler room, journaling—it doesn’t feel like effort anymore. It feels like ritual.
Wrapping Up about Sleep Routines to Cure Your Insomnia
I could list another 10 things (like don’t chug coffee at 6 p.m., obviously), but honestly? These were the ones that got me sleeping again without feeling like I’d joined a monastery.
So if you’re wrestling with insomnia—pick one of these. Just one. Try it tonight. Then maybe add another next week. Build your own little bedtime mixtape.
And hey—if nothing else, at least you’ll smell like lavender and own a notebook full of random taco thoughts. Which, in my book, is still a win.
Suggested Outbound Links:
- A fun piece on travel-inspired movies to pair with these books
- A quirky personal blog about [accidentally booking the wrong flight](https://www.the Everywhereist.com/)
