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An Algorithmic Solution to Insomnia

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I’ve struggled with insomnia for all of my adult life. It began in college and has waxed and waned in severity ever since, correlating with stress levels but not entirely. My form of insomnia starts with an active mind some evening. Maybe it’s active because I’m thinking through a challenge at work. Or I’m replaying a lively dinner conversation. Or I’m on a trip and excited. So, not necessarily stressful thoughts, just engaging ones. I go to bed but my mind doesn’t quiet down. 30 minutes later, I realize I’m not asleep and I start to think, “I really need to get to sleep. I have a lot going on tomorrow.” That only exacerbates the problem. My thoughts turn entirely meta and self defeating, “What’s wrong with me? Ugh, tomorrow will be miserable. Ok, let's try for real now.” Repeat ad nauseam, laying in bed for hours. Then, as you might imagine, the next day is indeed terrible and the next evening my mind is primed with negative thoughts about my sleep habits. The cycle continues. At its

An Algorithmic Solution to Insomnia I’ve struggled with insomnia for all of my adult life. It began in college and has waxed and waned in severity ever since, correlating with stress levels but not entirely. My form of insomnia starts with an active mind some evening. Maybe it’s active because I’m thinking through a challenge at work. Or I’m replaying a lively dinner conversation. Or I’m on a trip and excited. So, not necessarily stressful thoughts, just engaging ones. I go to bed but my mind doesn’t quiet down. 30 minutes later, I realize I’m not asleep and I start to think, “I really need to

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