Tips from an Insomniac I have had trouble sleeping my entire life—since I was four years old staring at the ceiling trying to avoid my nightmares. As an adult, I am still sometimes reduced to tears because my body will NOT allow me to get to sleep. Good lord give me the peace of unconsciousness! There are a few things, however, that have re- ally helped me with this problem. While I still have the occasional sleepless night, for the most part I sleep much better now than I used to. You know all the basic tips for sleep hygiene—going to bed and waking up around the same time; ensuring the space is warm, dark, and quiet; avoiding eating or drinking too late at night. These tips don’t address the real problem—for me, anyway—which is that I lie awake ruminating. Set Aside Time to Think. When we don’t give our minds any space to think things through during the day, the brain takes the first opportunity it can find: when we lie down in bed at night and close our eyes. The mind can’t let us sleep because it has things to do. Giving myself specific times to think during th …