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Try blocking all distractions. Auto-hide the dock in OSX, get rids of tabs, block reddit, HN, facebook in /etc/hosts, sign out of instant messengers. If you notice any other distractions, write them down as they occur. Drugs do help, so ask yourself if the insomnia is worth it.

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Thanks. I have been blocking all the sites at work in the hosts file. I like the idea of writing down the distractions. Last time I tried the drugs, the consistent insomnia just made me a zombie. It was great for the first two days, but after that I just crashed. Also, I am not sure what the long term effects are. Still, I am going to give it another shot.

You should. After a week or so you won't have trouble sleeping (maybe you're dosing too late in the day?), but I'm always on the lookout for improving without drugs, although I've pretty much come to the conclusion that getting things done is a matter of just sitting down and just doing it, no methods or apps needed. After 5-10 minutes of doing something, you're closer to "flow", which you've probably read about on HN.

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