Exercise is a great way to balance your mind and improve your sleep patterns. In addition to keeping you physically fit, exercise and eating right will definitely help you sleep better.

Avoid caffeine or other stimulants eight hours prior to bedtime.

Reading something light before going to bed is a great way to get sleepy.

Failing that, the best way that I know of to go to sleep is to do some visualization exercises in bed. Imagine some scene that makes you feel good; perhaps a nature scene. Imagine it vividly. This will cause your brain waves to slow down; once that happens, you will slip right into sleep.

I cannot sleep if I'm hungry, so a slice of whole-grain bread and a small glass of milk right before bedtime works wonders.

My favorite meditation technique is listening to music from the "ambient" genre. This type of music sounds almost like light noise, but it is interesting enough to gently occupy your mind while you let it drift.

One glass of Gin and Tonic and an uplifting read.

I say this because i have trouble getting to sleep. At least if ive read something positive im thinking some constructive thoughts as i lay awake.

I nearly always read something from PSI Tek or perhaps something like ask and it is given just before i turn the light out.

Again i would stress that if your stuck with being awake you may as well make the best of it.If you can do something to drop off then good too. If you do both...even better.

Graham

One way i relax that also puts energy in me is exercise, followed by mediation. Try it out as an experiment! Go for a run and push it slightly more than you have in the past. Then take a nice cold shower. Get into some comfortable underwear, sit down and meditate!

However, since you are looking for an answer - meditation, perhaps you could watch a comedy, play a board game with friends, have some wine, listen to your favorite music.

What has worked for me is the following, depending on how tired I truly am, I'd massage myself with scented olive oil then take a warm shower, or a nice long bath with lavender. I like to sleep in pitch dark, so whenever I need to relax prior to going to bed, I light up incense in my bedroom. Another thing that I found helpful is sleeping without a pillow.

Thank you, namaste

Well there has already been a lot of good ideas. This is probably back asswards but when I have a lot to do the next day I get excited. I set my alarm at 430 AM so I have an hour to meditate. Then I realize how much a good nights sleep is going to help. The I get excited about going to sleep and how much benefit it will give. I love going to sleep. I feel how good the blankets and pillows feel. Boom I am asleep before I know it.