I sometimes can’t sleep due to stress or sickness. So I have a book on my nightstand for this situation.
It is a field guide to trees in my area. It is very boring and I’m not retaining much of what I read at 3:30 a.m. The point is to sit in a chair and look at trees until I feel I can fall asleep again.
You’re welcome.
I like to read a fun or interesting book before bed too, in order to wind down. It’s good to have a bedtime routine that is calming. Some yoga, low light, deep breathing, etc. Sleep hygiene.
Boring books work great for when I’m up because of anxiety or nightmares and want to fall back asleep.
Basically, the thought is that you want to keep the bed for sleeping (and sex). If you’re in there awake for a while it’s telling your brain that the bed is an awake space and breaks the association bed=sleep. So if I’m gonna be awake for 15 minutes or more anyway I get out, get in my chair, flip through the boring book until I’m calmer.