Black. Is that what you see? Or is it the inability to see that you face? Either way, time is ticking on by as you lay in the silence of the early morning, and the time you set on your alarm is approaching alarmingly quickly–no pun intended. Since it is highly unlikely that you will fall asleep anytime soon, you may as well make use of that time you waste waiting for sleep like a kid waiting for Santa. Here are some tips to methodically use that waiting-period wisely.

If you’re like most normal and sane people, chances are your sleep problems could be remedied by simply keeping your phone at a good distance*. In the meantime, whip out a trusty, boring book you haven’t donated yet for whatever reason. You shouldn’t read books that are too exciting or else you might lose yourself in the novel and find your alarm waking you from your trance rather than actual sleep. After a few pages of that boring book (or, if you are like me, after two paragraphs), you should begin to feel drowsy. Take this opportunity to put the lights out. With this method, you will either become more educated or fall asleep. There really is no going wrong with this.

If you are lying there on your phone, desperately watching Buzzfeed videos in hopes of distracting yourself from the fact that you have an exam tomorrow, you are making a grave mistake. No, I’m not implying the obvious (that the blue light emitted from your phone is contributing to your insomnia*). If putting your phone down doesn’t help, you can use that time to study for your test. In the comforts of your bed, you could be reviewing flashcards on Quizlet or even watching some PatrickJMT videos on YouTube for extra math help. Thanks to the power of technology, you can even revise that essay you slacked on earlier today using your trusty Google Docs app.

But wait. Maybe you are the type who hates reading and studying (who needs that kind of life, anyway?). Worry not, this spare time can be used for anything you like. Although I don’t recommend using your electronics at night (because I totally don’t do it myself… note my manifest sarcasm), you could use this time to update your holiday playlist. Try sipping a pleasant mug of chamomile tea. Make a bucket list. Pet your dog. Think about every aspect of the future. List all the things you’re grateful for. Perhaps research ways for you to fall asleep.

There really is an endless amount of things to do. So if you find yourself wasting an hour or two before falling asleep every night, try to make use of that time.

However, if you’re not an insomniac, I highly recommend you let yourself fall asleep.

*Seriously, though. You should try putting your phone away at night.

**This article is not sponsored by any of the aforementioned apps or people (unfortunately).

***I am writing this article at 2:26AM.