I, along with many friends my age, can have trouble sleeping at night, especially waking up in the middle of the night. This can be worsened by “nocturia” or having to get up to urinate one or more times during the night, which is common among the elderly. This can lead to problems falling asleep, especially if you have a “busy brain” that you don’t know how to turn off.

I got advice on how to fix this from a close friend years ago that worked well for me, and I try to pass it on to friends who have this problem. It helps if you know how to meditate. You don’t have to be very good, you can be a beginner (I gave beginner tips on meditation here). Most people with “busy brains” find that their minds don’t want to cooperate with meditation, they want to wander from thought to thought (or worry to worry). Another problem when meditating is falling asleep. Here is a tip from my friend who was a meditator. In the middle of the night, he told himself to think: “Okay, this is a good time to think, because I won’t worry. falling asleep”. Your mind, which doesn’t want to meditate, will see falling asleep as the lesser of two evils. Works like a champ for me.