It seems these ways of falling asleep are really just creating favorable conditions for sleep. A number of years ago I learned how to relax and fall asleep in

It seems these ways of falling asleep are really just creating favorable conditions for sleep. A number of years ago I learned how to relax and fall asleep in a very effective way. I was at a friend's house and tried a biofeedback device. If you google search "GSR2" I think you'll find approximately the device I learned with. Later I bought my own similar device (like ~$10) from radio shack (google search "radio shack biofeedback monitor"). I don't know if they make that anymore. What these devices do is teach you to relax. You have a tone, and when you relax, it decreases in pitch. If you just think you are relaxing, but the pitch doesn't decrease (or goes up), you can't cheat. By the end, the pitch is very low and you're almost asleep. Once you learn how to do it, it's quite easy to relax and fall asleep. Using the other tricks like darkness, earplugs or relaxing sounds can then help you.