You might remember times when you did something special, and it felt like it helped you sleep.

Maybe you took a pill, did a bedtime ritual, or tried a particular trick, and slept better.

When you struggle with insomnia, you might think these things will help again.

But the truth is, you can't force yourself to sleep.

Sleep happens naturally because of two main forces.

One helps your body fall asleep (sleep drive), and the other can stop sleep from happening (anxiety or feeling too awake).

These are the only things that control your sleep.

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People who have trouble sleeping try many different things during the day and before bedtime to sleep "better" at night.

These habits (Sleep Efforts) often seem helpful, but they might make it harder to sleep.

Avoiding Screens and Blue Light

You may have heard that screens, like TVs, tablets, and phones, can keep you awake because they emit blue light.

Blue light can trick your brain into thinking it's daytime, so it takes longer for your body to get ready for sleep.

But some people with trouble sleeping worry too much about this rule.

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Have you ever tried really hard to fall asleep, only to end up wide awake and feeling more frustrated than ever?

This happens because trying to force yourself to sleep makes sleeping harder.

These things you do to make yourself sleep are called “sleep efforts,” and while they seem helpful, they usually don’t work.

Sleep efforts include all kinds of things people do to make sleep come faster, such as:

• Doing special bedtime routines
• Using calming breathing or imagination exercises when lying in bed
• Trying to make your bedroom perfect for sleeping
• Taking sleeping pills
• Changing or stopping things during the day in the hope of sleeping better at night

You might think these things should help, but they often have the opposite effect.

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Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet:

The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks