I have insomnia. I had it when I was a teen, it somehow fixed itself and then after my last job, which allowed me to only be able to get 3-4 hours of sleep each night (which weren’t restful!), I surprisingly (note sarcasm) developed insomnia again. I’ve had it since last November. I just can't sleep like I used to!

That being said, I believe I’ve become somewhat of an expert when it comes to finding fun and productive things to do when you simply can’t fall asleep. Wait a minute – why aren’t I trying to find ways to make myself fall asleep? Deep down, I sort of know what will work to fix my insomnia due to past experiences, but I know that eventually I’ll get back to a normal cycle; for now (call me crazy) I’m using it to my advantage. I realize that lack of sleep is very negative towards daily functions, but some people, like me, actually do use it to their advantage to get extra work done or pick up a new hobby. Some of us simply don’t require as much sleep. And, who knows – once you find something fun to do and get your mind of the fact that you can't sleep, perhaps your insomnia will disappear all by itself.

Since I get can't fall sleep like I used to, I have started doing lots of stuff in the evening just for something to do. I’ve definitely turned into a night owl. Every evening, around 10pm, I get dressed for bed and surround myself with tons of fun stuff to do.

Earning Extra Money

If you can’t sleep anyway (like I can’t), some folks like to find things that can make them a little extra cash (whether it be a new hobby or developing their business).

Writing Articles

For me, it is writing articles on a website called HubPages.com. Here, I can write about any topic I want and earn royalties from advertising for doing it. I currently make around $150 a month. You can literally write about anything with the exception of several adult-oriented subjects.

Selling Your Crafts Online

If you currently make craft products, you could sell them on Etsy.com which is an incredible handmade online shopper’s and seller’s mecca. It’s like eBay, except everything is handmade. So, if you want to start making a craft or already are – list your items on Etsy to make some extra cash!

Watch TV on the Computer

I like to watch tacky movies online. You can find a ton at Hulu.com. Actually, some of them are pretty good. The amount of online TV I watch is pretty insane, but, I have to do something while I’m not sleeping!

Read an Entire Series

I love mystery novels, and am currently reading all of the books from a bunch of series that are murder mysteries, yet are not terrible horrific. They’re pretty lighthearted, which is what I prefer to read at night.

Imagine all the time you could spend learning about a new topic or studying for school or for something related to your work.

Learn a New Language

Spanish is quickly becoming a very crucial language to learn for certain professions. In the future, learning Spanish could be very beneficial to your career.

Teach Yourself

Learn how to build websites or learn how to become a better speaker. Whatever it is, you can surely manage it while you’re waiting for your insomnia to subside.

There you have it!

 Again, if you just can’t sleep and have tried everything, you might as well be having fun instead of laying in bed fuming over how you can’t fall asleep. Once you do something fun, it will no longer allow your mind to obsess over how you just can't sleep. Thinking about how you're not sleeping is the worst way to get to bed! Of course none of these activities are conventional methods to falling asleep, but if you've tried everything else - try taking your mind off of your sleep problem. It's bound to fix itself eventually.