Quitting/Taking a long break from cannabis, and my sleep has been awful for the last week and a bit. What do you folks like to do to get ready for bed?

Hopefully the issues are waning nearly a week after the original post! But what I would do, in a case of waking up both early and stressed for whatever reason, is also to check music, specifically going through my selection at random until one that clicks is selected. Usually also they're power metal, symphonic metal or related, the cheesy stuff as I like to say, but it helps me kickstart the day 😅

Physical activity. Do something until you sweat and then do it 5 minutes more. Do that 3 times a day und you will fall asleep from exhaustion. Works every time.

what do you folks generally do to optimize beddy-bye time?

Most of the time, I don't look at any screen.

Instead, I read (paper book, a journal or a magazine), chat with my spouse, sketch and journal. Earlier in the evening, we may decide to watch a DVD together, but that's not everyday. No coffee and seldom any tea late in the evening (or something herbal, then).

And almost without exception, the moment I put my head on the pillow I fall asleep. There have been many exceptions to that rule, mind you. That was back in those days where I was trying to escape my own personal daemons instead of facing them (like not getting rid of my own addictions and bad habits).

Like already suggested in the comments, if you have hard time sleeping melatonin is an option but on the short-term only. Don't make it a long-term habit. I also consider the extra sleep it may give you not the best sleep, no surprise you may feel groggy.

To the insomniacs, what are some things you do in the wee hours/early morning for a relaxing start to your day?

Since I don't need much sleep and I do my best work early in the morning, most of the days I wake up very early, around 3-4 AM and... I don't look at any screen either. Imho, it's even truer to realize that screens and online content are pure poison to the mind and to the soul early in the morning, like they're in the evening.

I drink a large glass of water and appreciate the quietness for a few minutes. I may flip some pages of a book but most often I just sit or stand still breathing slowly. It probably is the closest thing to meditation, for me.

After I shower and dress, I'll sit at my desk and start writing longhand—no screen remember, and no music either. Nothing but the still sleeping city around me with its otherworldly quietness, and me slowly scratching some paper with my fountain pen. (In summer, I'll open the window next to my desk or even go sit on our balcony so I can better appreciate that magical quietness, and a little later start enjoying the company of the earlier-riser of the few remaining birds, the ones that start singing their songs well before car/bus/motorcycle engines overrun their voice for the rest of the day.)

I will write up until we're getting close to the time my spouse usually wakes up @ 7-8AM (btw, we both work from home) at which time I'll prepare breakfast and, while she is getting ready, I often will go grab some fresh pastry for her at the local bakery (they're handmade and she loves them). We have a quiet but also chatty breakfast together. When she's ready to start working I will go out for my first walk of the day, in order to get my body moving.

Now, the normal day is allowed to start, with its constant noise and its unexpected and very often less than pleasant events. I'm ready ;)

• 6 hours before bed: no more caffeine intake. Some people may need to go as high as 12
• 3 hours before bed: no more food. No more drinks with sugar/substitutes.
• 2 hours before bed: no more drinks (not everyone needs this; I have to pee a lot and getting out of bed just before falling asleep or waking up midway sucks)
• 1.5 hours before bed: shower followed by hot bath. Especially if you're somewhere like Japan where insulation is a joke and everything is drafty and cold currently
• 1 hour before bed: no more active content (games, study, etc.) and preferably no serious content. Watch/read something only for pleasure, meditate, etc. ideally, avoid blue light and bright light in general.
• bedtime: no screens nor lights. Cooler, comfortable temperatures are good. Have comfortable sheets, bedclothes (if you wear them), potentially blackout curtains, etc. and keep them clean

Also, if at all possible, wake up and go to bed at the same time every day including weekends.

This works for me when in the system. The only bad part is if I'm on call or on holiday, my schedule easily gets smashed and takes a long time to get back (some people are luckier and can adjust instantly). Edit: Also, try to make sure you ARE getting light during the waking hours, preferably natural light; this helps with your body's natural rhythms.

One tricks I've discovered when trying to fall asleep is to try and identify objects in the visual noise you see. Actively identifying a shape makes it appear and leads to more shapes, like an association chain. This really helps me when I can't sleep, it turns off the thinking part of my brain and allows me to shut off.

I don't really have any tips but last night was my first nights sleep for this break and it wasn't great, so just commenting for solidarity! XD

What do you do to get ready for bed?

Uh... I smoke weed. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I usually put on an audio book or podcast. Lets me put away the screen and turn off the lights. Also keeps the mind sufficiently occupied to not get caught up in runaway thoughts. Inevitably fall asleep after half an hour or so.

I've heard a tip, have not tried it, that if you stand next to your bed and repeat "sleepy, sleepy" to yourself that it helps. Don't know why but a psychiatrist said it.

I don't know about marijuana withdrawals but when I'm having a tough time going to sleep I try listening to those guided meditation videos on YouTube.

I learned about meditation fairly Young so I've got a bit more practice than some people, but most of the ones that are like an hour long or so are enough to send me off to lala land

Valerian root tea is the only thing that works for me. It tastes awful though, so drink it like medicine.

If I'm on a T break, I do a nighttime routine to prepare my body for bed. No screens/reading/herbal tea or some such. I also like to buy cranberry juice to sip on - it gives me something to do instead of smoke and cuts down on the anciness surrounding the oral fixation part of smoking. As for sleep - if you're not quitting to pass a drug test then just take CBD. Seriously, CBD is all the relaxing parts of weed with none of the high. Maybe it won't make you pass out like smoking a fat blunt, but it will definitely help take the edge off. Then you can kick the CBD after a week or so and it's a much smoother transition into sobriety.

Work out in the evening

I established a solid bedtime routine. Take shower, brush teeth, read a little of something like a book or short story (no news) and then settle into bed. I also use a certain hand lotion right before bed, and only before bed. The smell tells me, it's time to sleep now. Keeping it consistent even when I am smoking again really helps.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned sex/masturbation yet. I thought that's always been the norm, no?

On top of all the great sleep hygiene stuff here, taking magnesium at bed time can help.

Basic sleep hygiene, no large meals in the evening, try to avoid blue light (blue light filters for screens or avoid screens), try to cool bedoom down before going to bed. Earplugs might help as well. Complete darkness. All those nasty power leds, tape on them. I myself have smart lights so I can't make them red and real dim so as to avoid any disturbance through light.

Aside from that, melatonin ~30-60 min before hopping into bed and often an ambien 30-5 min before.

Then again that's even when I do smoke. And I'm understating my medication slightly.

For me the best substitute when I quit weed was genuinely Terry Pratchett novels. They're sort of whimsical and provoking humorous thoughts. Much like weed often does. And the books are exceedingly good natured, even the baddies aren't really that evil. Usually they're more like arbitrary concepts.

So tldr sleep hygiene and reading under a somewhat low light while the room cools down and when it gets too cold and you're getting tired of reading, close the window and hop into a crispy bed.

Should help at least. Some of these things at least. Probably. Maybe.

If I'm taking a T break, I still need to manage my pain before bed. So I try to do some stretches to keep my muscles loose. It works sort of. I use a heating pad if the pain is too much.

I also try to make sure my bedding is just right. It needs to be clean and the right weight for the temperature. My pajamas need to be the right amount of comfy as well.

Lastly, I need to make sure the light level is good. Curtains drawn, charging lights covered, phone not polluting with light, HEPA filter light out.

T makes it easier to sleep even when something is off. Without it, I need to address those things.

so taking a long, hot bath before bed helps me sleep and we got a red light therapy unit and that does it to. Combining both and oh man hard to keep my eyes open.

Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer for sleeping and relax. Rooibos for Calming and clear thought. Yerba Mate for Waking up and organized thought. I throw the Rooibos into my Yerba Mate drink to start with too. Rooibos lasts about 6 hours. Yerb Mate is everything you thought coffee was going to be that first try but it's like that every time.

I like easy tidying as a wind down activity. Mostly putting things back in their place. For bed, I have an ereader with warm lighting that's been great. If I'm without it, something that calms my mental zoomies is practicing the alphabet backwards. I start forward with chunks, "abc - cba," "abc, def - fed, cba," etc. It keeps my mind active till I get bored and want to fall asleep.

In my experience, and from speaking with others, taking a break from cannabis can mean remembering dreams more vividly. It might be worth leaning into that: write dreams down when you wake and think about them when you go to bed. I find if I try to think through a dream and build on it, it puts me in that dream-state and I drift off.

Oh, and one last tip. Lights work better than alarms for some. So if you put a lamp on a timer, it may help normalize your wake-up time, if that's an issue.

Good luck!

I usually do fine on my own, but if I'm struggling, ASMR videos can really put me to sleep.

I don't really like the ones with girls doing your hair or skincare that are the top search results (but lots of people like them and they might work for you!), and prefer ones that are just simple wooden blocks, glass beads, washboards, etc.

Ha, I saw that meme and listened to Casiopea all day long while I took down my xmas tree. 😎

For sleep, I'll put on some sort of white noise, like rain sounds or a crackling fireplace. That usually gets me feeling sleepy. Or sometimes I'll read a book that I'm not really into (and then my husband will find me dead asleep with a book in my hand and my glasses still on).

When I've had shitty sleep, I avoid coffee. I'm more a tea person anyway, but coffee on top of poor sleep makes me a jittery anxious mess. Strong tea will wake me up without the jitters. And I make myself a big breakfast - something like 2 eggs, 3 pieces of Canadian bacon, a slice of buttered raisin toast, and cantaloupe. No phone, tv, or music until I start feeling energetic.

Melatonin is a hormone and you shouldn't take it long term just so you know!

I find reading in bed (on a Kindle, not phone/tablet) sends me to sleep within an hour unless I fight it. You'll be getting better quality sleep without weed too! Good luck

There is a study that say taking a really hot bath 2 hours before bed and then sleeping in a cool room (68F) helps fall asleep.

I’ve also had success with taking magnesium and low-dose melatonin 15-20 mins before bed.

For the morning, meditation and journaling are a must for me. When I journal, I do a brain dump, which is super helpful with ADHD.

Take some melatonin before bed. I find melatonin will get you there but it won't keep you there. You'll also have the craziest dreams with it.

It's not a long term solution though. Your body will build up a resistance to it.

I take a gummy.

I’m on a T break too and I forgot that weed had been preventing night sweating for the most part! Probably my least favorite side effect of taking a break because I have to do more laundry.

I try to set my body clock by getting sunlight in my eyes in the morning after I wake up. Also try to minimize light going into my eyes before bed time. It all seems to help.

I like Tylenol PM. (or whatever version of otc painkiller you prefer)