How to train yourself to sleep on cue?

I'm a bit of an insomniac. I take medication each night to get to sleep (nothing that affects my performance the next day, fully prescribed). I used to be able to take an afternoon nap if I was tired, but seem to have lost that ability. Is there any way I can "train" myself to sleep on cue? If I'm on a long run and get really tired, I'd like to be able to pull over and lay down for an hour or so nap to recharge the batteries, but don't know how to make myself drop off to sleep. I can't take my sleeping meds unless I know i can sleep for at least 6 hours, so their no good for those quick catch up snoozes.

 

I'm sure this doesn't work for everybody, but lost of times in the military I had to learn to sleep on cue, or miss out completely. I just lay down and push all other thoughts from my head and focus on relaxing. I think to myself each muscle and body part relaxing and imagine it sinking into the surface I'm laying on and I'm usually asleep before I finish.

 

Really you need to work on the reason why it is you can't sleep, you in pain, or will your mind just not shut down.

Stress tends to drive insomnia, if it is stress you need to deal with the stresses.

 

I think it's more my mind not shutting down. My body tenses up because my mind spins at a million miles an hour.

 

Oh, and something I figured out years ago is that I find it very hard to sleep if I'm lying the wrong way. I have to be lying with my body going north/south. If I'm laying east/west, I have terrible trouble sleeping. Strange, hey.

 

Try eating some of those dreaded carbs beforehand.

 

I read it is because of the magnetic poles. Your head should be pointing north if possible.

 

I recommend you find ways to relax, get a massage, go sit in a hot tub, give yourself some time to relax on your off time, pay attention to that feeling and channel that when you are back on the road.

 

Yeah you definately need to find a release of some sort, because a busy wandering mind and trouble sleeping even when tired are a bad combo on the road...
*Didn't mean that in any kind of derogatory way...meant like a certain kind of music or something to change your patterns...

 

Same reason why dogs walk around in a circle for a few times before deciding exactly where to sleep....they are trying to align with the magnetic North. I can feel your pain though...my mind tends to run all the time as well.