To sleep when it feels impossible, there are several effective strategies to try that promote relaxation and reduce the stress of trying to fall asleep:

• Practice slow, controlled deep breathing to help your body relax by focusing on breathing deeply into your belly and exhaling slowly. This helps calm the nervous system and transitions you toward sleep.
• Use progressive muscle relaxation or a body scan meditation to release physical tension, progressively focusing attention on different body parts and consciously relaxing them.
• If you lie awake for more than about 15-20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, relaxing activity like reading or listening to soft music in dim light until you feel sleepy again; then return to bed. This helps avoid reinforcing the bed as a place of wakefulness and stress.
• Visualize a calming and pleasant scene in your mind to distract from racing thoughts and anxiety about sleeplessness.
• Create an ideal sleep environment: keep the room cool, dark, and quiet, remove electronic devices from sight, and turn clocks away so you are not clock-watching.
• Establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and stimulants several hours before bed and minimize alcohol close to bedtime.
• Don’t force sleep. If you feel rested while resting quietly awake, allow that restfulness without pressure to fall asleep.
• Try mindfulness meditation or gentle yoga before bed to relax the mind and body.

These evidence-backed techniques can help reduce frustration and improve your ability to fall asleep when you "can't" sleep at night.