>>1022038I've been camping since I was little, and solo camping since I was in high school, but I still have trouble getting to sleep sometimes after a long winter of not camping much at all. Usually, my issue has to do with comfort and the fact that when I'm at home, I typically fall asleep well past midnight, but when you're camping out, there is an advantage to being able to fall asleep by about 10:00 or 10:30 (and earlier in the winter).
>If the problem is nerves-Try camping out with other people and then do the same trip a few days or a week later without them. When your mind starts wandering in the dark, just focus on your memory of what it felt like to fall asleep in that area with other people around you.
-Try planning a 2+ day trip and just don't worry about falling asleep the first night because the more tired you are by the end of the second day, the easier it will be to fall asleep. After you get that out of the way, subsequent nights will be much easier.
-Do a very long and tiring hike all day, continue hiking until it's dark, set up your tent, eat your food and just let your body do the work.
>If the problem is comfort-Get a thicker/more comfortable sleeping pad and a proper pillow. Experiment with different gear at home until you find something that's actually comfortable.
-Try sleeping by a waterfall or bubbling stream to act as "white noise" to help your mind decompress. Caveat: lots of animals visit water sources through the night and early morning...
-Try sleeping drugs or supplements (might want to experiment with them at home first).
>If the problem is fear of being attacked by animals/hillbillies-Bring a big gun and sleep with it very close to you.
-Bring your dog and sleep with it very close to you.
