First, it's important to reorient your perspective on the moments (or hours) before you're able to fully fall asleep. That time isn't wasted. "Resting is not failed sleep," Winter emphasizes. "That's why I hate the advice, 'If you can't fall asleep in 10 to 15 minutes, get up and go do something.' Why? Resting is very beneficial to the body. Why put some arbitrary time deadline on your sleep? Damn, that's just more anxiety!"
Resting mindfully, through meditation, can help you get the most out of the time that you spend chilling if not fully asleep; it can even help you in your quest to doze off. As Winter explains, "Learning to relax and meditate can be helpful in several ways. First, the lowered brain activity makes it more likely to fall asleep. Second, even if you don't fall asleep, that mental state is very cognitively and physically restorative."
Winter recommends a meditation tool called Muse to many of his clients. It's a headset device that helps one "practice and learn the individual technique that works best for them to quiet their mind," says Winter. "So then later, when they are in bed, they know exactly what to do to quiet their mind confidently and quickly. It's an amazing tool to help people realize that sleep is a skill you can work on and improve."